Video: When the Editor of The Fix Got Waterboarded

This week's release of the critically acclaimed Bin Laden pursuit movie Zero Dark Thirty, in which US agents obtain information from a prisoner by way of the infamous "waterboarding" technique, has seen its Oscar-winning director, Karen Bigelow, accused of endorsing torture—a charge she denies. The on-screen airing of some of the War on Terror's dirtiest laundry may cause discomfort for hawkish politicians. But for The Fix's Editor-in-Chief, Mike Guy, any discomfort is more likely to consist of some unpleasant memories. Back in 2009, in a previous guise as a journalist for Playboy, he agreed to undergo a waterboarding session on camera (below). He also made what some might consider a foolish bet—that he'd be able to bear it for 15 seconds. Looking back on his experience, Mike says now, "Keep in mind that I was actually waterboarded four times. They cut the tape to make me look less courageous than I actually am." Still, at least some good may have come of it: having endured the sheer terror of these induced "drownings," running the Fix edit team must feel like a cinch. Right?