Parents need to know that though the show plays its stunts for laughs -- and for the most part it's funny -- the basic premise centers on the fact that someone is being put in an extremely uncomfortable or scary position. There's no running away from its mean-spiritedness, especially since viewers don't get to see the "victims" find out the truth and, perhaps, join in the fun by laughing at the situation themselves. Because the set-ups are meant to be realistic, there's plenty of gore, which could prove too scary for the young viewers who may be attracted to the show.
Positive messages:There's no escaping the fact that the show's humor is derived from watching other people squirm, which is cruel. Segments don't show the "victims" being told of what happened, so viewers don't get to see them unburdened of their fear.
Violence:The set-ups are horrific and aggressive: A chest "opens" up; a hand is ground to bits; a murder victim lies in a pool of (fake) blood; a bowling alley worker berates a scared couple. There's no outright violence but certainly some antagonism, even if it's doused with heaps of humor.