TV
The Impractical Jokers
Screen Grab A TV column by Matt Clark I used to really enjoy publicity stunt prank shows , like Impractical Jokers , where they went around and tricked people , whilst being filmed with hidden cameras .
If you ’ ve never seen Impractical Jokers , it ’ s a bit like a toned down Jackass where a group of mates would get a member of their team to do increasingly bizarre things on an unsuspecting public using hidden earpieces and cameras .
It ’ s pretty good . Harmless but humiliating .
The punishments they had to do if they failed were just as hilarious and humiliating as the pranks themselves .
Also , ‘ Off Their Rockers ’ on ITV was good as well , where senior citizens pulled pranks on unsuspecting members of the public , with unexpected and ( sometimes ) very amusing endings .
Even shows like ‘ The Real Hustle ’, which isn ’ t a comedy prank show like the others , used to be pretty damn good .
The show featured scams performed on the public , to reveal how they work so the viewer won ’ t be
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conned in real life . An educational prank show for want of a better description .
In my opinion all of these shows were brilliant , and I used to watch them all the time .
But I don ’ t any more . And why is that you may ask ? Blame YouTube . Now , I watch YouTube videos all of the time , and I have to admit , there ’ s some great entertainment out there to freely watch , whether it ’ s gaming videos , music videos , or whatever interests you .
And when I first discovered these prank videos , I was quite excited .
I was expecting the type of pranks used on the shows mentioned above – things which would annoy random members in the street , such as grabbing things out of people ’ s shopping trollies , or making an old lady jump . Hilarious stuff , right ? ( I ’ m such a cruel person .)
However , on YouTube , the pranks have started to become more ridiculous by the day , and as one prank video tries to outdo another , it ’ s slowly getting out of hand .
Not only are these YouTube videos clearly staged in some cases , but when people feel the need to be making ISIS bomb prank videos , just a few days after a recent terrorist attack , then a fine line must be drawn .
There is a point where pranks can be taken too far and are no longer funny .
I don ’ t see the funny side of these ‘ so-called ’ prank videos - or as I like to call them , a ‘ one-way ticket to possibly getting killed one day ’ video .
They ’ re not really about laughter and humiliation any more but about shock and fear .
They ’ ve lost the audience somewhere along the way and it ’ s only a matter of time before there ’ s serious consequences to their actions .
For me , it ’ s taken the shine away from these prank shows as these YouTube videos have created such a negative opinion on pranks , that I simply don ’ t watch them anymore . Which is a shame , really . Or this column could just be one huge elaborate prank for you the reader with a massive shocking surprise waiting for you just around the corner .
Or not .