The War on Prank Channels

[AxeDetroit]

Is it me or has there been an uptake on calling out prank channels on Youtube? There's even videos and channels dedicated to exposing pranks as being fake. Prank channels are huge on YT, so my question would be do you think this attack on prank channels will change how successful some of these guys are or will the casual Youtube viewer turn a blind eye and continue to watch?

 

[Loki Doki]

the trouble with prank channels is that they started off fun pranks. but to out do each other, the pranks had to get bigger. and some got nastier and many have started crossing the line. hence the recent backlash. i think there is always a place for that niche on YT (i have zero interest myself) and it will eventually find a balance between fun and just being a d**k

 

[mrarauzz]

because they are dumb...here is a prank invasion example. "Hey random girl that isnt someone i paid to kiss me, want to kiss?" "sure" !! BAM 2 million views because she was half naked and little 12 year olds jerk real hard to that s**t man, also with titles like BOMB PRANK gone wrong (GONE SEXUAL) ALMOST died (and buttraped xd) are easy to hate.

 

[Time Jacker]

That's because they're almost exclusively fake, have gone way too far and seem to be given preferential treatment by YouTube when it comes to rules etc.

 

[cadetKei]

I agree with everyone, that those channels have gone too far. I think they have gotten to the point, where they use the backslash as a boost for their insane ''prank'' ideas - the crazier, the more views it might get. They dont care if its staged or wrong. So it think the more people take notice of them, the more popular they get.

 

[Ivywinter]

I think the problem is, it's either all fake, or it's just really embarrassing and awkward pranks that, as someone before me said, sometimes cross the line (harassing women, etc).

 

[TheDutchTexan]

I suppose because they cross the line between what is fun and what could be considered harassment. I would personally not care because I have my face plastered on YouTube by my own volition. But others don't want that, and to have a camera shoved in your face without your consent is not very nice. (However, whenever you are out in the open air you have no legal grounds to stop someone from doing that.)

 

[BoozeandBS]

I mean that's a generic question. There are well thought out prank videos and there are just lame 'ha ha pranked you'... some are very well put together like the ones from romanatwood. He makes a ton of money and invests in his pranks. one time he bought an 18 wheeler full of toilet paper and toilet papered howie mandel's house. Another time he dressed his kid up as spider man and had a replica doll and tricked his wife/gf to think he knocked him over the balcony.

I have nothing against well executed prank videos. The ones where they just go up to people and try to kiss them... thats not a prank. You're saying 'can i kiss you, then do' and it's a prank how?

People will hate on stuff that isn't the most inclusive, thats what this PC world has turned us into.

 

[WilliamRayWalters]

some are very well put together like the ones from romanatwood.

If they're fake, what difference does it make if they're put together well? He was found to have used an actor in a couple of his pranks. Some people might not care, but if he's putting it out on the internet as though it's a legitimate prank when it's not, that's just not cool. He's purposely trying to deceive his audience. Once I find out a prank is staged or they used actors, it completely ruins it for me. The entertainment value of prank videos is the supposition or even the slight possibility that it is real and that the people being pranked are actually being pranked. Once you lose that it becomes worthless, in my opinion.[DOUBLEPOST=1453790033,1453789689][/DOUBLEPOST]There is one prank that I hope I never find out is fake because it's the best prank I've seen. This one, from the pioneers of prank, CollegeHumor.

Such a great idea.

 

[Tarmack]

It's amusing to me that it took a huge number of YouTube videos pointing out inconsistencies and other such little tidbits in order to convince people that they're fake, like how you don't punch from a certain angle or other such nonsense..

Nobody ever seemed to consider it odd that these "pranks", which are flat out multiple variants of assault, damage of property, etc never resulted in any charges. How odd. A million views and never any real law enforcement attention? No lawsuits for defamation? No lawsuits for mental anguish at being shown to be assaulted to millions of people?

That, right from the get go is where I realized they were fake. And frankly, I think it's disingenuous to call them prank channels. There are and have always been very few pranks involved.