This sounds so crazy I'd have thought it was a Japanese creation, but no, this came from the minds of the Italian media production company Magnolia. In 'Celebrity Survivor: Second Life', set to begin soon, 10 RL contestants will be given laptops optimized for SL performance, and will spend 7 weeks in SL, under constant webcam supervision. During this time the contestants will play an endurance game wherein they will compete against their opponents to see who will remain alive at the end of the game's running time.

Let me stress this if I haven't made it clear: 7 weeks, constant SL presence, the only break being sleep periods. There is more to the experience, including challenges, voting, etc., but that's the part that gets me. Contestants are under constant webcam supervision, which will also be broadcast over the 'Net. How many of us can claim to have spent 7 weeks in SL? Seriously, this is the sort of thing legends are made from -- not to mention broken marriages and enclosed-space neuroses.

For more information on this event, contact Phaylen Fairchild in-world, or go to this site (note: Italian language). This link provides all the rules of the contest in PDF format in English.

(Thanks, Phaylen!)