Prank videos are one of the most disgusting trends to come out of Youtube immersed society!

[Drathnoxis]

Prank videos are just vile, the makers of these prank videos have no respect for other people and the fact that they can act this way and get acclaim is just disgusting!

The people pranked in these videos are humiliated, degraded, manipulated, have their time wasted, or are otherwise just screwed around. And for what? Just so people can laugh at their expense! All basic decency is discarded as if the fact that you are making a video excludes you from any wrongdoing. That these videos often reach views in the multi-millions just makes me shudder.

The people pranked are often angry, and with good reason, because pranks are essentially harassment! There is no consent given, if consent is received after the fact that does not justify the violations perpetrated beforehand.

These videos should not be lauded, the makers should instead be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

 

[Michel Henzel]

https://www.youtube.com/user/JustForLaughsTV?&ab_channel=JustForLaughsGags

Look at this channel filled with criminal harassers, truly these people belong in jail.

 

[Drathnoxis]

Are we really gonna throw the culture label onto everything now? It's bad enough people utter "rape culture" seriously. Let alone silly shit like outrage and youtube culture.

tossing up threads culture on the escapist culture about disgusting culture of trends cultures being confused with culture culture is what is actually disgusting culture

If it's not culture then what is it?

Culture
5. the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group.

The behavior of posting prank videos is encouraged by the community of Youtube, so I fail to see how it is not a part of Youtube's culture.

But fine! Since this seems to be a trigger for you people, I'll remove that word from the title.

 

[Thaluikhain]

While I'd not say one of the most disgusting, they do lend themselves to being rather appalling, yes.

 

[Fieldy409_v1legacy]

There are some 'pranks' that are straight up harassment, but before the guy gets his ass kicked its apparently okay whatever he did because the guy said 'its a prank!'.

This video kinda misses on some points I feel but is very relevant.


What about the pranks where people think they are going to die, I can kinda get the silly ones where you make people think Zombies want to eat them or something because believing that is a bit silly. But remember when Paris Hilton got on an airplane and they made her think the plane was crashing and a dude near her got 'sucked out'(He was hiding a parachute) She thought she was going to die in a very real way people die.

 

[Zhukov]

Oookay.

Surely that would depend on the prank.

I mean, I'm really failing to see the harm in something like this:


It's not the funniest thing you'll ever see and if you're not amused that's fine. But degrading? Really?

 

[Dizchu]

I pretty much hate all of these 20-something assholes on Youtube who harass people on the street and call it a "prank". Even worse are the people who hire actors to be the "prank victims". Ugh.


Thank you Ethan and Hila, may you bring deliverance to this fallen world.

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

I swear most prank videos aren't even pranks anymore. I fail to see the joke in say, walking down Brooklyn and stepping on people's shoes after which fighting ensues.

Kissing pranks are the most mind numbing thing ever though. Not only are they always staged, really off-putting(what the fuck is with the sound and the guy grabbing the actress' ass like that?) but also reinforce stereotypes to incredibly gullible people(most of whom comprise said channels' viewership).

Then these same pranksters do "social experiments" where they film only the most succesful outcome of...I don't know... "catching a pedophile"(which is also usually staged af and plays to common misconceptions).

Yeah, they're pretty bad. However, since the people in charge of making them are usually jackasses, I doubt they'll survive for long without some sort of scandal cropping up.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I think you're watching the wrong kinds of videos. There're some perfectly innocuous pranks.

 

[Darkmantle]

I am not a connoisseur of prank videos, I have watched justforlaughs gags from time to time, I dont see the issue.

Maybe post an example of what you mean?

 

[Hero of Lime]

When Yoda did it recently, he got beat up for it. I think he probably deserved it.


I don't think I've ever watched a real nasty prank video. I remember there was a guy named Fouseytube. He did prank videos, but would usually make it up to the person pranked, or did it for a good cause. I remember there was one video where he pretended to be bullying one of his friends on a college campus. This was to prove that many people will just look away, not caring about the obvious example of bullying.

 

[deleted+75193]

DELETED

 

[Amaror]

Oh god i am so tired of this.
Everything is a "culture", everything is the fault of "the society".
Idiots exists. Some of those idiots do videos of themselves doing bad things. Some people find that funny.

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

You'd think that in a country like the US, more of these would end in someone getting shot.

It could be that despite the media portrayal, the US isn't that incredibly reactive-violent and the poor opinions held by many are not factually based but rather incorrect perceptions based on a presented perspective rather than the true one. Maybe... or the pranks that get people shot never make it to youtube for obvious reasons =P

 

[Mikeybb]

I don't think this is directly linked to youtube, even if in this is the place of growth for the latest expression of pranking.

Candid Camera.
Beadles About.
Just two prank TV shows that immediately came to mind and I'm sure there are so many more both current and from times gone by.

Pranks and watching people get fooled by them is something that has been drawing attention for as long as there's been a prankster and an audience.

I'm often eager to lay blame for something at the feet of a new, internet based thing.
It's probably because I'm old.
This time though, it's a trait applicable to a lot more than just the pranksters and the medium.

Perhaps then the issue to discuss should be 'should/does a pranked individual have legal recourse and protection?' and whether being part of the production of a show, at whatever scale, should offer the creator any form of protection or leniency?

All that said, the accessibility that youtube offers may result in a proliferation of pranksters attempting to emulate the success of others, I don't think it will be an epidemic.

 

[DrunkOnEstus]

All I can think is, regarding the Youtube pranking scene (there's my hip "culture/society" equivalent) specifically, is "thank god Andy Kaufman isn't here to see this shit, because thoughtful and provocative RL meta-trolling this is not". Hopefully pranksters know that they pay a price when they do this, be it loss of friendship or people not believing you when you are sincere about something (or a punch to the face at times). I'm not sure millions of views makes the deal worth it unless it makes you Pewdiepie level money.

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

Pranks did exist before Youtube, you know. The only thing Youtube has done is allow prankers to share their pranks with millions of people rather than just their mates down the pub. Ever sent someone (or been sent) down to Outfitting for a Long Weight? Ever seen a student get sent to the chemistry lab for a solution of H2O and K9P? Have you ever been ... an apprentice?


Hell, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is said to have once sent a number of anonymous letters to friends containing only the words "We are discovered. Flee immediately." - the result of which was that one of the recipients upped sticks and was never heard from again.

 

[the.chad]

The thing I hate most about some prank videos is the "shield" the pranksters think they have because they are pranking someone.

Some people are downright committing crimes and about to have their lights punched out but suddenly when they scream "it's just a prank" suddenly means it was ok?

 

[maninahat]

The good pranks are either harmless, not bothersome, or done only among friends whom you know can take it. But idiots being assholes to strangers aren't funny at all. I think youtube does play a big part, in that desperate idiots with no talent would not normally go to so much effort to be a dick to strangers, however youtube gives these people some quick "fame" and potential for dosh in exchange for being as outrageous and eye catching as possible.

 

[The Almighty Aardvark]

My main qualifier for a good prank is that by the end of it the people involved in it find it funny too. Otherwise it's being a dick. For some reason a large number of these "prank" videos involve the pranker being hurt by the prankee. If that's the reaction you're looking for it's not much better than just going around calling random people "fags" and shouting "Jeez, it was a joke!" when they're not amused.

Coincidentally, that exact scenario happened to me with a complete stranger. He got really annoyed when I wasn't rolling on the floor with laughter over his top notch joke.