It’s Nephew Tommy and You Just Got Pranked!
Today for Thoughtful Thursday I gotta tell you, I love a good prank, but when does a prank go too far?
I absolutely love watching Punk’d and The Jamie Kennedy Experiment and I absolutely love listening to Nephew Tommy on the Steve Harvey Morning Show. But my heart goes out to the people being punk’d and pranked. When I am at work and one of my coworkers is teasing/playing a trick on/pranking another coworker, I find myself spilling the beans on them because I can’t stand the look on the other person’s face! They look so innocent and I know deep inside they are, in essence, being made to look stupid! Sometimes I am the victim, but it’s all good. It’s just a little joke and no harm is meant right?
This morning I was listening to the Steve Harvey Morning Show as Nephew Tommy pranked a woman. He told her that her business, a cake shop, delivered a cake to his 13 year old daughter’s school donned with a part of the male anatomy. Now, it was funny but when it was over I felt sorry for the woman. She maintained her composure for quite a while during the conversation. She talked very professionally and didn’t say one cuss word until….he threatened to come to her shop, with the police, and shut down her 13 year business. All bets were off! She began the “every other word” cussing marathon and her professionalism went out the door! It was funny but…… And you know the first thing she said when he revealed himself to her and revealed her girlfriend had set up the prank (and this is why I felt sorry for her), “Oh no. Please tell me I am not on the radio, my preacher is going to be listening”. She is apparently a Christian and was instantly ashamed of herself and her behavior.
One day Nephew Tommy pranked a man that was audibly older. After getting him all worked up and pranked to the limit, Tommy revealed what was going on. The man said he had to sit down and couldn’t go to work right then because he had to get himself together. Awwww…. I felt sorry for him. It had a physical effect on him!
And Punk’d, one of my favorite shows, takes people to the brink! I have seen people’s cars (or so they thought) be demolished, people’s houses being emptied out, expensive pieces of artwork destroyed, integrities challenged, etc. I have seen people crying, panicking, looking bewildered, calling their mammas, loosing their minds, acting crazy, etc., all because Aston Kutcher decided they were the victim of the day! But what would happen if one of these people started hyperventilating or had a heart attack or worse?!
And even the ABC hit show, Primetime: What Would You Do? is a prank show of sorts. It may not be intended to make people laugh, actually quite the opposite, but still, they are setting up false scenarios and exploiting people’s reaction on national TV. Is that alright? Although unlike the humorous Punk’d or Nephew Tommy, some of the setups have brought people to the brink of publicly acting out in a way they wouldn’t normal act. I understand that in this case, with this show, many of these scenarios are intended to make society stop and think and be the one that speaks out for equality, (many of the cases are about racism and equability) but still.
So here are my two questions and one warning for Thoughful Thursday.
Question I: when does a prank go too far? Is it alright to take advantage of a person’s unawareness, drive them to behavior that is non-typical and do it publicly, many times nationally?
Question II: (this is basically a rhetorical question) shouldn’t we all be on guard with our behavior at all times, never knowing who is watching or listening? (My dear Lord is on post at all times on both counts!)
Warning: if you don’t know who you are talking to and what he is saying sounds crazy, ask him if he is Nephew Tommy from the Steve Harvey morning show!
Please talk to me on this one!
Holla Back!
You ever hear anybody say “You play too much”? They usually say that right at the point of when they’re about to hurt the other person for what they just did to them. That’s how I feel about the pranking. I have a sense of humor but I don’t think humiliating anyone is part of humor. It usually brings on revenge from the person pranked. Then who’s gonna be laughing? The so called girlfriend that set that up should expect retribution and possibly the loss of a friendship. Homey don’t play that – and especially not on national radio.
As for the TV shows, I don’t watch Ashton, but I’ve seen some of the ABC shows. They’re not as harsh as Ashton’s shows or apparently, Nephew Tommy, but at least they are thought provoking with an intended lesson, instead of just straight dogging out somebody on national TV and radio. They are setting themselves up for lawsuits if anyone has a heart attack or any other physical scare. The ones pranked aren’t signing any hold harmless release forms because they don’t know about it until it’s happening to them. So the shows become liable for any harm caused to them as a result of the prank. And I believe they should pay for whatever damage that is caused from it.
We should always be on our guard at all times, but these types of situations are meant to get you off guard, not just catch you off guard. And since God is always watching and listening, the prankers should not be provoking people to those extents. Everybody, even Christians, have their limits. Why even try to go there and think it’s all good in the name of humor? It’s not!
A prank goes too far when it physically harms someone – either the person being pranked or the person who the “prankee” is about to lay hands on.
As far as the reaction, people will respond in a matter that they really feel. OK, so the lady was embarrassed because her pastor was listening. Did she say anything about her behavior in general or just the fact that someone heard her? I’m of the opinion that everyone has a right to respond in their own fashion, but holding someone to certain standards during duress isn’t always realistic.
.-= Tom Sawyer´s last blog ..Wordplay Wednesday – September 2, 2009 =-.
Yea, I agree. Fear and duress can bring out a side of you that sometimes you don’t even know you have! I am a witness that some characteristics can lay dormant for years and years of your life and then a new phase or experience in your life can bring out something you never knew existed inside of you! Same with duress. You just never know what might come out of your mouth when Nephew Tommy rings your number!
I listen to Nephew Tommmy and laugh but it does get some people sooooo worked up they can’t seem to function for a while. I pride myself in having a good sense of humor but I do feel like there is a limit. I now work with a boss who likes to make jokes and play pratical jokes but I feel he goes too far at times and a lot of the time the things he says are lies…so much that we had him call his wife last week to find out if what he was saying was really true. I am not trying to be deep or “holier than thou” but the Bible does speak of us guarding our tongues and speaking the truth and sometimes people need to think WWJD or WWJS (say)!!!
I think all these shows are hilarious!! Now If it were myself getting pranked, i dont know how funny i would think they are! When it affects some one health I do agree it has gone a little too far but then again the prankster cant know how they will react so we cant really blame them.
My coworker called into work the other day and I answered and he said something to effect of: what in the world is going on!? But he threw a cuss word in there and said it like he was ready to fight! Instantly my heart started beating hard and fast. It was a joke. Oh no! I am not the one! I let it go because he is a prankster to his heart and I don’t want to appear a prude but shoot… that one got me!