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Pranked

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 14, age appropriate for kids over 18; suggested age 14.

  • Is it any good?

    1.0

  • Common Sense says

    Online "joke" videos are often painful, mean-spirited.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 14–18

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    The pranks are intended to be funny ... but the humor is always at someone else's expense. Some seem mean and/or cause pain.

  • Role models:

    The pranksters are not people you'd want your kids to emulate. Their delight in finding humor at others' expense can often feel troubling.

  • Violence:

    Pranks include tying people's legs and forcing them to fall on hard surfaces, tipping people over in their beds, and causing people to bang into hard objects. People are shown screaming in pain and/or begging the prankster to stop.

  • Sex:

    Some pranks include “flashing” people. Nudity (buttocks and genitals) is blurred. Some female victims are in skin-revealing bikinis; bare-chested men are also visible.

  • Language:

    Lots of strong language. Words like “hell” and “stupid” are audible, while curse words like “f--k,” “asshole," “bitch,” and “s--t” are all bleeped. Most of the profanity is uttered by victims who are angry or in pain.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Some videos show alcohol consumption. Some pranksters seem intoxicated.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Pranked was written by Melissa Camacho

Parents need to know that this series features popular online videos of people playing pranks on their friends and family. Most of the stunts are silly, and some are actually painful. There's lots of strong language (the choicest terms are bleeped), usually uttered by the folks who've been pranked. Victims sometimes scream out in pain and beg for the pranksters to stop. Nudity is blurred. If you let your teens watch, make sure they know that many of these stunts can cause injury and should not be copied.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about the appeal of online videos. Why do people post them? Is it to get attention? Become famous?
  • What is the difference between playing a harmless trick on someone and being mean? When does a practical joke go too far?
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More on Pranked

What’s the Story?

PRANKED highlights some of the Internet’s most popular amateur online practical joke videos. Viewers watch as unsuspecting people are thrown into pools, chased away by fart spray, or flashed by naked college students. Watching the victims’ reactions, which range from laughter to screaming in fear, pain, or anger, is also part of the "fun." Particularly dramatic moments are often replayed in slow motion while the show’s hosts, The CollegeHumor Show’s Amir Blumenfeld and Skeeter Seidel, offer witty banter.  
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Is It Any Good?

Pranked offers little beyond showing off silly, potentially dangerous tricks intended to provoke a reaction from those being targeted. While some of the pranks seem to be done in the spirit of fun, others just seem plain mean. Worse, some of the victims actually get hurt.

Some kids may like watching stunts that seem to reflect the craziness of college life. But overall, most of the pranks featured here are pretty immature, and teens are much better off finding something else to do.
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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Parent Reviewer
    Plague
    Lives in Washington
    Kids ages: 11
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 5.0

    Pranked

    I was impressed with MTV when I first watched this show. Mostly because 90% of what airs on MTV is complete trash, but this show is actually funny.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  2. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    BestPicture1996
    Lives in Virginia
    I rate this title on for age 15 and give it 2.0
    • My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate language

    Mean-spirited show

    These videos are mostly cruel and half-funny, only Amir and the other comedian it sort of humurous.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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