# Jimmy Kimmel, you suck. (Making kids cry for yuks.) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 9, 2013, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-kimmel-you-suck-making-kids-cry-for-yuks/673489 "2013-11-09T05:46:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-kimmel-you-suck-making-kids-cry-for-yuks/673489/121 "2013-11-12T03:26:19Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > What? 1. _Never wise up a dummy._ By feigning ignorance I force you to explain your offensive, sick reference! Naw, it was actually funny.😛 ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-kimmel-you-suck-making-kids-cry-for-yuks/673489/122 "2013-11-12T03:43:33Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > 1. _Never wise up a dummy._ > > By feigning ignorance I force you to explain 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-kimmel-you-suck-making-kids-cry-for-yuks/673489/123 "2013-11-12T14:24:05Z")
> [@lorene](#): > > Amazing? More like inaccurate. I see plenty of parents in this thread on the ‘bothered’ side—me, **Ms Whatsit** , **Labrador Deceiver** , **Chef Troy** , **The King of Soup** … and those are the ones I looked up before I got bored. I see a couple of childless people— **MeanOldLady** and **A Clockwork Melon** , off the top of my head—who think it’s no big deal. > > Don’t let one or two loudly dissenting parents in this thread make you think that fewer parents care. Sorry, just saw a couple of really vocal parents who were OK with the practice! I should have qualified. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-kimmel-you-suck-making-kids-cry-for-yuks/673489/124 "2013-11-12T15:29:22Z")
So what it comes down to is that some people jet their jollies from making young children cry hysterically, and some people think that such behaviour is mean. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-kimmel-you-suck-making-kids-cry-for-yuks/673489/125 "2013-11-12T15:37:20Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > Sorry, just saw a couple of really vocal parents who were OK with the practice! I should have qualified. I don’t think it’s aways okay. I only think it’s okay in families that have an established tradition of affectionate teasing that the kid is used to and has historically reacted well to. It would be messed up to do this out of nowhere to a sensitive child. I know that my family has had to really tone it down with kids that have come into the family through marriage. ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-kimmel-you-suck-making-kids-cry-for-yuks/673489/126 "2013-11-12T16:51:05Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > I don’t think it’s aways okay. I only think it’s okay in families that have an established tradition of affectionate teasing that the kid is used to and has historically reacted well to. It would be messed up to do this out of nowhere to a sensitive child. I know that my family has had to really tone it down with kids that have come into the family through marriage. See, your family sounds like a good example of how to do it right. And it sounds like, if there \*was \*a kid born into the family that happened to be more sensitive than the rest of you (as opposed to coming in through marriage), the family would also tone it down with them, right? Then rock on. The people I take issue with are those like **pkbites** (or at least as he’s come across in this thread), who seemingly believe that _their_ feelings/opinions about pranking\* kids (or whatever) are the only valid ones. _They_ didn’t mind pranks as a kid and like pranking kids, so everyone who doesn’t enjoy pranks are “wieners”. :rolleyes: That’d be like your family refusing to tone it down for the new kids or rolling their eyes at how stupid and over sensitive they are. Interestingly, you can’t even extrapolate a dislike of these types of pranks to other “mean” behavior, either. For example, I can’t _stand_ pranks like this and never have - neither as a giving/receiving participant nor watching others. However, I grew up in a family that uses scathing sarcasm and insults as a way to show genuine affection and love it. But I know some prank-lovers who are _appalled_ at how “mean” we can be and don’t see how it’s anything other than cruel. - hah! My phone auto corrected this to “prancing kids”. I was tempted to leave it! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2013, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-kimmel-you-suck-making-kids-cry-for-yuks/673489/127 "2013-11-12T23:45:35Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > 😉 Nice! ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-kimmel-you-suck-making-kids-cry-for-yuks/673489/128 "2013-11-13T04:30:49Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > So what it comes down to is that some people jet their jollies from making young children cry hysterically, and some people think that such behaviour is mean. Great summary. So \*\*Shakes \*\*shared a blog of absurd reasons why kids cry early, the point of which I believe (he can correct me if I’m wrong) was just because a kid is crying about something doesn’t mean what you did to them was mean. I just don’t think telling a kid they you ate their candy before telling them you were just kidding is mean at all. Obviously we all disagree on what’s mean which is why this has gone on for three pages. So I guess I’ve said all I have to say about that. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-kimmel-you-suck-making-kids-cry-for-yuks/673489/129 "2013-11-13T15:36:01Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > The thing is, this prank is playing on the kids’ greed basically. Goddammit, I’m being sucked in to this conversation after all. We _promise_ kids candy on Halloween. We tell them they’re going to get all this candy, we make a big deal out of it, and we encourage their gleeful anticipation of it. This isn’t “greed” on the kid’s part it’s just the kid naturally trusting the grownups in her life to follow through on the good news they delivered. By “we,” btw, I mean “most of you” because if I had it my way we wouldn’t be doing this in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-kimmel-you-suck-making-kids-cry-for-yuks/673489/130 "2013-11-13T17:31:42Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > So \*\*Shakes \*\*shared a blog of absurd reasons why kids cry early, the point of which I believe (he can correct me if I’m wrong) was just because a kid is crying about something doesn’t mean what you did to them was mean. No, the fact that a kid’s crying doesn’t automatically mean what you did was mean. If you’re carry a bunch of stuff and accidentally drop Mr. Stuffybottom in a mud puddle and the kid starts crying, that’s not mean. If, otoh, you hold Mr. Stuffybottom over the mud puddle and say you’re going to throw him in _specifically to upset the kid_, that’s mean. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-kimmel-you-suck-making-kids-cry-for-yuks/673489/131 "2013-11-13T18:49:00Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > Goddammit, I’m being sucked in to this conversation after all. > > We _promise_ kids candy on Halloween. We tell them they’re going to get all this candy, we make a big deal out of it, and we encourage their gleeful anticipation of it. This isn’t “greed” on the kid’s part it’s just the kid naturally trusting the grownups in her life to follow through on the good news they delivered… And learning that adults will lie to their face and laugh about it later is an important lesson that kids need to learn! ---
**Author:** ![Monstera\_deliciosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monstera_deliciosa/32/109_2.png) [@Monstera\_deliciosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstera_deliciosa)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-kimmel-you-suck-making-kids-cry-for-yuks/673489/132 "2013-11-13T19:10:30Z")
Let’s face it: Most loving, well-meaning parents will inadvertently do things that will cause their children stress and upset, because they are human and humans make mistakes. Why add to it by upsetting the kid on purpose? ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-kimmel-you-suck-making-kids-cry-for-yuks/673489/133 "2013-11-13T21:36:23Z")
How about teaching them a real lesson and actually eating all the candy. My house, my candy! You own nothing, kid! I actually could not have pulled the Jimmy Kimmel prank. My kids were world champion trick-or-treaters. And at the time we lived very close to the border of 3 other municipalities all with different trick or treat times. They’d go out for 8 hours straight. Plus their old man taught them a trick or two, like going to garage sales during the summer and buying different masks for a next to nothing. That way if you run into someone giving out something good, like full size bars, you can get away with hitting their place multiple times. We’d have 6 or 7 pillow cases chock full of candy that would last all year. So much that the following year we’d use the left overs to hand out at our house while the kids went out for more loot! Sure it was a year old. So what? It’s better than the time I gave out ice cubes and told kids it was rock candy! ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-kimmel-you-suck-making-kids-cry-for-yuks/673489/134 "2013-11-13T21:59:19Z")
I trick my kids so often they would never believe me if I said I ate their candy. They would just roll their eyes. Last week I stormed into the house and told my son I had just run over his bike in the driveway, and he laughed because he didn’t believe me. And he was right not to. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-kimmel-you-suck-making-kids-cry-for-yuks/673489/135 "2013-11-13T22:32:30Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > I trick my kids so often they would never believe me if I said I ate their candy. They would just roll their eyes. Last week I stormed into the house and told my son I had just run over his bike in the driveway, and he laughed because he didn’t believe me. And he was right not to. This just seems so bizarre to me. “I taught my kids they can never trust a word that comes out of my mouth! If I told them the house was burning down they’d just laugh and ignore me! It’s how we roll!” Whatever works for you, dude. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2013, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-kimmel-you-suck-making-kids-cry-for-yuks/673489/136 "2013-11-13T22:51:23Z")
> [@MsWhatsit](#): > > This just seems so bizarre to me. “I taught my kids they can never trust a word that comes out of my mouth! If I told them the house was burning down they’d just laugh and ignore me! It’s how we roll!” > > Whatever works for you, dude. Or it could teach kids to take a moment to think critically about a claim before accepting it. My family says all kinds of outlandish things all the time, and I credit them with my well-tuned BS meter. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-kimmel-you-suck-making-kids-cry-for-yuks/673489/137 "2013-11-14T02:39:41Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > Or it could teach kids to take a moment to think critically about a claim before accepting it. My family says all kinds of outlandish things all the time, and I credit them with my well-tuned BS meter. Yeah, maybe. I figure they’ll get enough of that from literally every other person in their life. Me, they can trust. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-kimmel-you-suck-making-kids-cry-for-yuks/673489/138 "2013-11-14T03:29:27Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > I trick my kids so often they would never believe me if I said I ate their candy. They would just roll their eyes. Last week I stormed into the house and told my son I had just run over his bike in the driveway, and he laughed because he didn’t believe me. And he was right not to. MeanOldLady thinks it’s fine to make kids cry, Skammer is always lying to his kids…this thread is like Prove Your Username Thread. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-kimmel-you-suck-making-kids-cry-for-yuks/673489/139 "2013-11-14T03:32:34Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > MeanOldLady thinks it’s fine to make kids cry, Skammer is always lying to his kids…this thread is like Prove Your Username Thread. And you complete the circle, right? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2013, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-kimmel-you-suck-making-kids-cry-for-yuks/673489/140 "2013-11-14T06:14:18Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > MeanOldLady thinks it’s fine to make kids cry, Skammer is always lying to his kids…this thread is like Prove Your Username Thread. And I believe I _was_ whispering to my cat today! :eek: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-kimmel-you-suck-making-kids-cry-for-yuks/673489.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jimmy-kimmel-you-suck-making-kids-cry-for-yuks/673489.md?page=8)