Pranks that go over the line

I'll have to find links, but I'm sure at least some of you have seen these horrible pranks that keep showing up on my FB newsfeed. In one a man pretends to accidentally throw his child over a balcony. In another a man pretends that his child is on a run away ATV which then explodes. In both videos the child's mother is the victim of the prank.

To me a prank is something like putting a rubber band around the water sprayer so when someone turns on the faucet they get wet. The above videos feel more like emotional abuse. How is pretending that someone's child has been gravely injured or even killed, and watching them react to this pretend tragedy, supposed to be funny?

I haven't seen the particular ones you mention, but I'm not surprised. The Internet is filled with sadistic humor of that sort. For example, there are amusing (??) "Fail" sites that show people getting hurt when their skateboard trick or high dive or whatever goes awry. Even the TV candid camera shows often feature clips in which the person gets injured, and we're supposed to laugh. I guess some of these items are simply extensions of the idea that so much of humor is based on observing other people's pain. For example, why is it funny to see someone slip on a banana peel or hit their thumb with a hammer? And yet, how many sitcoms have used those and other such images to draw laughter?

One thing I've noticed with these kind of Extreme Candid Camera videos is that many appear to be foreign in origin, and a large percentage from Russian TV. I'm presuming there's some kind of vodka-fueled Russian show which finds vast amounts of humor in watching someone's life completely destroyed for entertainment purposes.

Of course, after such drivel as Fox's The Joe Schmoe Show, all bets are off over here, too, unfortunately.

The other thing with viral videos is that they could easily be entirely fake as well.  Views equal money. Something that looks real and crazy generates views. Nothing is real.

unicorn33 said:

.... I guess some of these items are simply extensions of the idea that so much of humor is based on observing other people's pain. For example, why is it funny to see someone slip on a banana peel or hit their thumb with a hammer? And yet, how many sitcoms have used those and other such images to draw laughter?

The humor is when the "accident" is fueled by asshollery and/or alcohol. Slipping on a banana is not particularly funny.

I generally avoid all FB feeds that contain the phrase "Watch how she/he/it responds"

On a separate note, I dated the host of Joe Shmo when in college.    

Though I did like this prank:

https://youtu.be/PUKMUZ4tlJg

You want pranks that go over the line? Google swatting.

ParticleMan said:

You want pranks that go over the line? Google swatting.

That isn't a prank.  

bettyd said:

Though I did like this prank:

Love the (non)reaction of the guy cleaning the street. It's as if he's seen everything...

spontaneous said:

ParticleMan said:

You want pranks that go over the line? Google swatting.

That isn't a prank.  

It is to teenagers.