Pranks must follow 'do no harm' rule
The recent suicide of the nurse who responded to a prank call at the London hospital treating Princess Kate is a sad turn of events and an unfortunate example of the unintended consequences created by a practical joke gone horribly wrong.
In this case, two Australian DJs impersonating Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth fooled the nurse into thinking she was sharing details about Kate’s severe morning sickness with the real royal family. The nurse hung herself, leaving behind two teenage children and a note detailing how she failed to come to terms with the hoax.
Of course the Australian station apologized and offered a half-million dollars in the wake of the tragedy and the tearful DJs said how sorry they were.
The incident has set off a global debate about whether these kinds of pranks simply have gone too far.
I believe it’s high time we have this discussion.
On-air pranks aimed at humiliating other people, something I’ve never found funny, go back to the days of “Candid Camera,” a popular TV show that ran from 1948 to 2004. I couldn’t bear to watch the show because I couldn’t bear to witness the victims’ humiliation. The show sprang from an earlier radio series called “Candid Microphone.”
The “Candid Camera” kind of humor seems rather benign these days among the scathing pranks pulled by not only radio announcers but also reality TV shows such as “Punk’d.”
Some higher-ups in the radio industry have been quick to defend the Australian prank as a fluke. One veteran announcer said pranks like this have become “old and boring.” You have to keep ratcheting up the intensity of such jobs, he said. It’s radio’s unpredictability in these situations that makes it great, many contend.
Others deplored the Australians’ prank. A 31-year radio veteran in St. Louis said, “Personally, I think anytime you publicly embarrass someone it doesn’t sit well with me.” Another announcer said there’s a line not to be crossed, and that these DJs broke the “do no harm” rule.
But apparently there’s pressure from the top brass to draw in radio listeners and TV viewers — whatever it takes.
Where does it all end?
Reality TV shows are becoming more and more extreme and it’s probably only a matter of time before someone succumbs to the bizarre stunts they’re asked to perform all for the sake of winning big money.
In 2007 a 28-year-old woman died from acute water intoxication as a result of an American radio stunt.
The contest promised a free Wii video game system to the person who could drink the most water without going to the bathroom or vomiting. Her family won a $16.5 million wrongful death lawsuit.
In that case the woman chose to participate, but the victims of prank calls and hidden-camera stunts publicized for the whole world to hear and see don’t have a choice. That’s the difference.
Somewhere along the line, practical jokes in these kinds of formats have taken on a mean-spirited feeling. Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised. Many national radio talk shows largely have disintegrated into bully pulpits.
If you’re like me and can’t handle these kinds of pranks that pass for comedy, there’s a simple remedy: Hit the off button.
Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.