Thermal
August Member
Negative. Reporting is that both shooter and victim are startlingly translucent.
What do you do when someone pranks you?
- Thread starter arthwollipot
- Start date
Negative. Reporting is that both shooter and victim are startlingly translucent.
Well, not quite, surprisingly the most recent series was in 2014.
Last edited:
HansMustermann
Penultimate Amazing
- Joined
- Mar 2, 2009
- Messages
- 23,741
Going on a bit of a tangent, but related, is an issue I'm not the first to bring up. Namely, that a lot of these "pranks" are dumb, not very funny and often making you wonder if they even are a "prank" in any meaningful sense.
The fun in a prank is at least supposed to be an unreasonable reaction on the part of the person being pranked. Think, April Fools. It's only funny if the person is indeed being a fool to fall for it.
I'll use a Simpsons clip to illustrate the difference in two practical jokes. Don't worry, I'll use only the first few seconds of it.
However, it's been an observation of mine ever since 2000 or so that most "pranks", back then online conversations, and then RL clips on youtube, is that actually they don't show anyone being a fool. They show someone having a reasonable enough reaction or behaviour, while the one doing the "pranking" was the one acting like an idiot, being mean, or both.
In some cases the prank can actually BE assault. The deffinition of assault is an intentional act that puts another person in reasonable apprehension of imminent harmful or offensive contact. Like if I pretend to charge you with a prop knife of gun, that isn't a "prank", it IS actual assault. And the person getting scared is just having a normal person reaction.
Anyway, TL;DR: a "prank" robbery where it's indistinguishable both for the victim and nearby bystanders from a real robbery, isn't much of a prank, and anyone reacting in self-defense is actually doing the normal thing.
The fun in a prank is at least supposed to be an unreasonable reaction on the part of the person being pranked. Think, April Fools. It's only funny if the person is indeed being a fool to fall for it.
I'll use a Simpsons clip to illustrate the difference in two practical jokes. Don't worry, I'll use only the first few seconds of it.
However, it's been an observation of mine ever since 2000 or so that most "pranks", back then online conversations, and then RL clips on youtube, is that actually they don't show anyone being a fool. They show someone having a reasonable enough reaction or behaviour, while the one doing the "pranking" was the one acting like an idiot, being mean, or both.
In some cases the prank can actually BE assault. The deffinition of assault is an intentional act that puts another person in reasonable apprehension of imminent harmful or offensive contact. Like if I pretend to charge you with a prop knife of gun, that isn't a "prank", it IS actual assault. And the person getting scared is just having a normal person reaction.
Anyway, TL;DR: a "prank" robbery where it's indistinguishable both for the victim and nearby bystanders from a real robbery, isn't much of a prank, and anyone reacting in self-defense is actually doing the normal thing.
quadraginta
Becoming Beth
I hadn't watched the recent one, but I remember it well from the early CBS days.
Allen Funt's "pranks" were rarely if ever cruel or mean spirited, and often as entertaining to the person targeted as to the audience.
Yes, in some ways those were gentler times.
shemp
a flimsy character...perfidious and despised
I remember that one. What a ******* idiot! Might as well have put a target on his chest and screamed "shoot me!"
HansMustermann
Penultimate Amazing
- Joined
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Yep, that's exactly the one I was commented about. But I was too lazy to look for a link. Thanks for that.
Emily's Cat
Rarely prone to hissy-fits
Pro-tip: If a complete stranger is the target, it really can't be considered a "prank".
Seriously I thought we as a species would have figured this our when the machete-brandishing scary clown got shot to death.
Seriously I thought we as a species would have figured this our when the machete-brandishing scary clown got shot to death.
arthwollipot
Observer of Phenomena, Pronouns: he/him
What kind of prank warrants a shooting?
You could always read the story and find out.
Never mind. No, it doesn't describe the prank in any detail.
novaphile
Quester of Doglets
Given the complete lack of detail, I'm going to go with the prank being:
"Give my your money or I'm going to hurt you"
Bang!
Seriously, getting in the face of anyone in a country where so many people have guns, is idiotic. Doing it for internet fame is idiocy squared.
theprestige
Penultimate Amazing
It does describe the guy's typical MO as including trespass and provocation. So I'm thinking these are less pranks and more sociopathic tendencies.
theprestige
Penultimate Amazing
That's exactly the reaction scumbags like this are counting on. "How much can I harass someone, before they slip the bonds of civil society? How cleverly can I hit that sweet spot between inciting violence face to face, but still selling it as 'just a prank bro' when I upload it later?"
arthwollipot
Observer of Phenomena, Pronouns: he/him
It's certainly not a channel that I'd watch.
theprestige
Penultimate Amazing
You'll watch the channel with the story about the guy who shoots a prankster for no discernible reason, though. Which is arguably more of the same.
arthwollipot
Observer of Phenomena, Pronouns: he/him
What?
I got the story from a reputable news source, not from a dodgy YouTube channel.
Jim_MDP
Philosopher
Did one really?
It's been a couple years, but I've seen maybe three of those and it's what I was thinking of the whole thread. I always felt it was monumentally stupid to roll those dice in the US.
Anyone who attempts a social power play probably deserves to die. Killing them is the only way I can win in this game they forced me into, so really, they only have themselves to blame.
arthwollipot
Observer of Phenomena, Pronouns: he/him
Not sure if serious.
shemp
a flimsy character...perfidious and despised
There will never be a shortage of idiots in this or any other universe.