Room 401
By S. Jhoanna Robledo,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Punk'd with a horror twist.
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What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.
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What's the Story?
Actor Ashton Kutcher goosed the basic Candid Camera premise -- play a practical joke and film it -- and came up with Punk'd. Now he's done it again by adding a little horror into the formula with ROOM 401. In this MTV series hosted by actor Jared Padalecki (CW's Supernatural), unsuspecting victims are punked by Kutcher and his creative partner, Jason Geldberg, into believing they've stepped into their worst nightmare. Afterward, those snookered surely must laugh out of sheer relief.
Is It Any Good?
Just how gory are these gags? Two friends eating at a sushi restaurant watch as a nearby diner claws at his chest, which appears to break open, allowing crabs -- he'd been chowing down on soft-shell varieties -- to escape. In another scene, a man whose job is to clean up after crime scenes is led to believe he's seen the soul of a corpse the cops are about to haul away rise up from his body. At a meat grinder's, a worker thinks his co-worker has severed an entire arm right before his eyes.
The set-ups can be pretty realistic, thanks to Hollywood special effects, so kids -- even tweens -- may find it too gory or scary. (Grown-ups used to more sophisticated horror fare won't be swayed, though.) And there's something uncomfortable, not to mention cruel, about laughing at someone else's expense. Seeing that guy think he's literally seen a ghost, you feel sorry for him. And sorry you're watching the entire time and chuckling all the while, too.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether it's really appropriate to laugh at someone else's expense. Is it cruel or harmless? Ultimately, is it really that funny? What other shows have made use of this premise to elicit laughs?
TV Details
- Premiere date: July 17, 2007
- Network: MTV
- Genre: Reality TV
- TV rating: TV-PG
- Last updated: February 28, 2022
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