Infarto is a hidden camera

Hidden camera

A hidden camera is a still or video camera used to film people without their knowledge. The camera is "hidden" because it is either not visible to the subject being filmed, or is disguised as another object...

 show on Azteca 13

Azteca 13

Azteca 13 is a television broadcast network owned by TV Azteca, with affiliate stations all over Mexico all of which are owned and operated by TV Azteca. Azteca 13 uses Mexico, Distrito Federal's XHDF as its flagship station and its channel as part of its name...

 in Mexico and Azteca América

Azteca América

Azteca América is a broadcast television network marketed toward Spanish-speaking families residing in the United States. As a rapidly-growing Spanish language network, Azteca América now reaches 89% of the Hispanic households in the U.S., operating in sixty-two markets nationwide. Wholly owned by...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. People appearing on the show have been subjected to pranks such as the victim believing that they will be sacrificed in a cult

Cult

The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...

 ritual or believing that they will be murdered by axe-wielding neighbors in the midst of a blackout

Power outage

A power outage is a short- or long-term loss of the electric power to an area.There are many causes of power failures in an electricity network...

. Because of the extreme and traumatizing nature of the show's content, the authenticity of the show is heavily debated. Sci-Fi Channel

Syfy

Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...

's original show, Scare Tactics

Scare Tactics

Scare Tactics is a hidden camera/comedy television show, produced by Hallock Healey Entertainment. Its first two seasons aired from April 2003 to December 2004. After a hiatus, the show returned for a third season, beginning July 9, 2008. The first season of the show was hosted by Shannen Doherty....

is modeled after this concept.

Pop culture

The American television show The Soup

The Soup

The Soup is an E! Entertainment Television weekly series; it is a revamped version of Talk Soup that focuses on recaps of various pop culture and television show moments of the week...

, known for its lampooning week-in-review of celebrity and television stories, began airing short clips of Infarto since July 2006, mainly to mock the deep, menacing voice which utters "Infarto" when the show's title logo is displayed. This may, in part, be because "Infarto" contains the word "fart

Fart

Fart is an English language vulgarism most commonly used in reference to flatulence. The word "fart" is generally considered unsuitable in a formal environment by modern English speakers, and it may be considered vulgar or offensive in some situations. Fart can be used as a noun or a verb...

" and is therefore amusing to English-speakers. The Soup host Joel McHale

Joel McHale

Joel Edward McHale is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, television producer, television personality, and voice artist. He is best known for hosting The Soup and for his role as Jeff Winger on Community....

has called Infarto "the most evil practical-joke show in the world."
Late night television show Jimmy Kimmel Live aired a clip of the show featuring a knife-wielding old man.