This show is easily a new low. It has all of the offensiveness of Chapelle’s Show, South Park and other CC offerings with absolutely none- not a trace- of the brilliance or wit of those series (i.e. Skyler Stone ain’t the beginnin’ of a pimple on the unfortunately hospitalized Dave Chapelle’s black arse, bitch). If it were just without class or intelligence it might have its moments ala The Simple Life, but the show is just flat-out mean.
There are two types of con-artists in general: those who prey on the greed of others and those who prey on the better nature of others. An example of the first would be the whole “I’m down on my luck so I’ll sell you this $20,000 Rolex for just $2,000” [the pigeon buys it, knowing it’s really stolen but it’s his gain, and of course it turns out to be a $20 knockoff]; an example of the second would be “I’m collecting for Jerry’s Kids, please give” when in fact it’s a dude who downloaded a picture of a kid in a wheelchair, put it on a coffee-can and is going to take the proceeds to go buy a doobie and see Guess Who at the matinee. (Twain’s Duke was the “preys on greed” type while the Dauphin was the “preys on better nature” type.) Both types of con-men deserve asskickings, but those who prey on the better nature deserve to have it done harder and with cleated boots, and Stone is so totally this type.
I’ve only seen two episodes of the show (and not all of those) and on that he’s taken advantage of empathy for a free massage, free dance lessons, free clothes, free makeover, etc., he’s taught kids a cool way to steal food from McDonalds, he’s cheated a hotel out of services and vacationers out of the scenery they paid for, and snickers about it all. I just can’t understand the appeal or even the concept of this- while I realize a lot of it is probably staged and that the network makes good on any losses, we’re at least meant to believe it’s all legit and those who donate goods and services in order to help a brother who’s down on his luck are made to look like total asses (meaning they’ll probably be less likely to help the next person who really might be deserving and needy). I don’t know why but the show is just majorly annoying me more than it should and I’d like to see that smarmy little no-talent get his sneer knocked off by one of the folks he’s conned (or better yet).
What’s next from Comedy Central? Shoplifting: the Series? Adultery Connection? Kids Cry at the Darndest Things? None could really be that much more offensive.
Yeah, I only saw two episodes also but, like you, thought they were in extremely poor taste. Like when he tells you how to scam a free pizza by complaining about the last one you ordered, even though you ate it and are calling a week later.
Great, way to go, cheat the small businessman. :wally
Thank you for explaining why I hate that show. I feel exactly the same way, I just couldn’t articulate to myself why I hate it with such vehemence. While I think that some of his “little tricks” are clever (although they’re stealing and I can’t condone him, I have to give a chuckle and a WTF to a guy who has a row of fast food drink cups velcroed into his car trunk so he can get “free refills” a week later…) his main cons are nothing short of dickheaded asshattery.
And what do you suppose he would do without the camera crew? I mean, I know he has to work it into his cons, because otherwise the marks would question his crew. But at this point it seems his ONLY con is “I’m a poor/successful person you’ve never heard of and we’re filming a TV special/advertisement/porn movie and want you to donate free services for the publicity.” Insert new name/occupation/place of service. But it’s all really the same con. (Based on the four shows I’ve seen, anyway.)
Eh, I think it’s kinda funny. The network compensates all the victims. Really, it’s nothing more than a hidden-camera show with the cameras in plain sight.
But it’s a not-hidden camera show about a liar and a thief made to look like the hero. Come on, tell me his dupes are not made out to be idiots and morons, when in fact they are simply being nice, kind-hearted folks. It’s not like he’s a Nigerian spammer, either - given only the information they have, I’d help him out too!
And is the network prepared to compensate my local Carmen’s for every fratboy who decides to try the pizza scam? Sure, some of his tricks I could think up for myself. But taking a parking garge ticket right before you leave? That’s a $25 theft in Chicago, and NOT something I would have thought of on my own. (Still won’t do it, of course, but it is darn clever!)
The fact that the show is called Con and yet Skylar Stone doesn’t con anyone out of anything is what irks me the most.
First episode - Getting a makeover. He promises the salon that it’s for a reality show and they’ll get free publicity by being on television. But guess what? They get on TV anyway because the cameras are right there and it’s on the first episode of CON. (in the same episode: Using a saved McDonalds cup and going to the soda machine and filling it up isn’t a “con” – it’s just theft. )
Second episode - Model Maids. Tricking beautiful women into doing his housework for him on the basis that they’ll get exposure in a magazine. Oh, he tells them there will be cameras there to document him for his autobiography. Well, he makes up a ficticious magazine but the girls get exposure anyway because they’re on television. They ended up in tons of ads and promos for the show and they’re going to be on repeats. More exposure than in a magazine only a few guys will read. No con pulled.
You get where the show is going here? Real con artists do things where they don’t have access to a film crew and high tech cameras to get stuff. Example, dressing up as a valet and going to a fancy restaurant (5 stars) where there is no valet service, but tricking rich people into thinking there is and stealing their cars. That’s a con. Dressing up in a police officers uniform, putting an OUT OF SERVICE sign on the atm… then when people come in you tell them that if you are the security guard for the bank, and that the atm’s are out, but as a courtesy you can make a copy of their card, and they need to put down their pin information and they can “withdraw” up to $100 from you (making sure you’re carrying at least $2000 to do this to a few victims) THEN when you’ve collected enough peoples information you clean out their accounts… THAT’s a con. Maybe skylar stone should pick up a book on con artists and actually read it to know what a con is. Then maybe he should learn how to be funny.