We all remember MTV’s hit show, “Punk’d,” where Ashton Kutcher mercilessly pranked his fellow celebrities in hilarious, even borderline sadistic, fashion. The show “Punk’d” is set to be released on the airwaves again, but I have some doubts.
Pranking celebrities has gotten, well, boring. Sure it’s fun to watch celebrities freak out over trivial pranks, but pranking has lost its luster, and in many ways it feels like beating a dead horse. This is why “Punk’d” needs to deviate from celebrities.
I would find much more entertainment in watching those who run our country, either to new heights or into the ground depending on your perspective, face the wrath of pranks that we are able to devise. It can be a form of punishment aired on national television that holds politicians accountable in a less dignified way. The whole purpose is to expose their true nature, the one they hide away from the cameras, their side that only emerges when exposed to information that either excites them in joy or makes them rage in anger.
Here are a few political potentials in need of a serious “punking”:
Let’s start with Mitt Romney. He’s a multi-billionaire with no connections to the middle class. He’s currently the front-runner for the Grand Old Party, or Republicans to the rest of us, and in spite of several victories he’s still struggling to win the support of his party. There are several options for “punking’ this man. For instance, let’s have someone disguised as Reince Priebus, current chair of the Republican party, call Romney and inform him that, despite his lead in the delegates, the party wishes him to resign from the race to the White House. The following conversation between Romney and Priebus would be hilarious as an infuriated Romney exhales a thesaurus of anger before being informed that he’s just been politically “Punk’d.”
The same prank would also work on Newt Gingrich. Have someone call Gingrich in the middle of the night and tell him that all other competitors have resigned from the race and left him running alone with all the delegates. His hysterical joy, followed by a furious rage when informed that he’s just been politically “Punk’d” would be quite entertaining.
For our current Commander-In-Chief, President Barack Obama, a midnight phone call informing him that the Supreme Court has decided not to review any legislation passed by his administration, would send him into a political bliss, but when informed that he’s just been “Punk’d” and that his legislation is still susceptible to the Constitution, he’s undoubtedly to give a soft spoken message of disfavor to the one who just politically “Punk’d” him.
Politicians, either local or national are prime targets for “Punk’d-ery.” The 24-hour news networks have made them into celebrities; their actions have derived anger and praise across America’s political spectrum so someone somewhere will enjoy watching a politician get “Punk’d.” In addition to their popularity, politicians turn over every two to six years so there will always be new faces arriving and awaiting their “Punk’d” prank.
