Even if you could why would you do something like that? It’s not some kind of serious drama, they are portraying themselves. What kind of fucked up people are they and anyone who wants to see that?
I’ve only watched the Philip deFranco’s discussions of these abhorrent parents. (I refuse to give them any boost in viewership by checking out their channel.)
Besides the two that mlees linked to, I’d also previously watched another piece by deFranco: YouTube Abuse Scandal Apology And Why It Fails To Fix Anything (5:50 min mark).
This is straight-up child abuse. No two ways about it.
Even if one could swallow their ridiculous claim that it’s all scripted or fake, at the very least they are teaching their children that it’s OK to be arseholes.
The part that cements this for me is when the older brother (I think the one who can be seen bullying Cody in other clips) parrot’s the dad’s catchphrase, “It’s just a prank, bra!” (mlee’s 1st video, at 2:30)
Good point, but if these kids do manage to break the cycle and grow up to be decent, thoughtful, well-adjusted people, then as you say it will be in spite of their up-bringing, not because of it.
That’s some really shitty influence they have to overcome.
Exactly. Even without the physical abuse, the emotional abuse they’re putting that kid through is going to really screw up his ability to socialize as an adult.
If you kick the dad in the nuts and spit on the mom, it’s assault.
If you kick the dad in the nuts, spit on the mom, and point and laugh at them, it’s only a prank. Well, in their seriously fucked up minds it is.
I’ve won custody cases on less that the shit those child abusers are “playing” on their children.
Take it from me, emotional abuse is MUCH more difficult to overcome (if ever) than physical abuse.
Yeah, either Cody is really upset or he’s the next Haley Joel Osment. He seems to bear the brunt of the abuse, and apparently he’s from one of Daddy’s previous relationships and his mom is actively trying to get him back. That likely influences how he’s treated.
Good lord, panache. Sounds like your dad was a real tyrant.
I’m sorry to hear you had to put up with that.
I always thought my dad was too strict and authoritarian, but I never had to go through physical or emotional abuse.
There’s another part of the video I linked to where the older brother says “At least you don’t beat us, . . . (like most parents do).” I think that’s telling in two ways. For one, the kid kind of trails off like he’s thinking “oh shit, did I say something I shouldn’t?”. But also, that kid seems to have very low expectations of what good parenting is.
Yeah, I too call total bullshit on the ‘they’re just playing along/acting!’ defense, I mean look at those faces at 5:01. If these kids are actors they make Marlon Brando look like Keanu Reeves.
Yep. This completely.
I really didn’t understand until my children started to get to be the age of my earliest memories of the abuse.
Physical abuse isn’t pretty, of course. But physical abuse in and of itself is must less damaging than emotional abuse. Of course, when you have both, then it makes it that much worse.
One of the problems we had in our family was the combination of complete uncertainty of where the triggers were and an out-of-control rage. My father could go off on something as simple as getting the wrong size spoon for breakfast. Being out of control, we didn’t know when he would stop, so we feared for our lives.
Not to minimize what the girl went though, but do you remember that judge in Texas whose daughter video taped the beating? While the violence was there, my therapist pointed out that the beating was about a rule being broken and the guy wasn’t out of control.
When you have no idea of what is causing the abuse, you become powerless to deal with it.
What’s insane about these assholes is that uncertainty. Are the parents really pissed and what consequences will there be, or is it a prank? This is evil.
Children need love and stability above everything else. The emotional abuse robs the child of the greatest factors necessary to become emotionally healthy adults.
We sometimes get discussions about this, and people will say that their parents beat them, and they were OK, so it’s not a big deal. What they don’t understand is that those physical punishments were within a framework of rigid rules, but there wasn’t the emotional abuse accompanying it.
“This video has been removed for violating YouTube’s policy on harassment and bullying.”
They’ve since deleted all the videos on their chanel apart from their apology video.
OK, everyone on the internet, count out three days, and then post to the DaddyOFive’s apology video’s comments section: “Surprise! We’re just pranking you!”
Looking at a the apology video, there was another which is a compilation of DaddyOFive videos. Just even looking at the first video in it, the father is drinking. His behavior does sound more typical of alcoholics than just people having fun with a video camera. Even the apology video had a comment blaming the children for their participation. Classy parents.
Even seeing “prankster parents” in the title made me cringe. I’ve known about this for a little while now, and those parents are flat out abusive to Cody. Also, he’s not biologically their kid-- unclear if its foster or adoption.
These are horrible, horrible people, and shame on YouTube for leaving them up for so long when they’d been reported, and, if their claim about CPS is true, shame on them for not knowing that kids won’t admit to abuse–just watch them filming it.
Normally I’m not too fond of Internet mobs, but this one? My only concern is them taking it out on Cody . GET HIM OUT OF THERE!
This will follow them for years.
I doubt any other parent will ever let their kids attend any party or get together at the ‘prankster-assholes’ house.
Alas, people being people, I’m sure there are plenty of folks around them willing to hand-wave it all away.
Apparently Emma, seen here after the father gives his son permission to slap her in the face and here crying after having a drawing ruined (dad’s laughing about it, because I mean why wouldn’t you?) and Cody, seen here being pushed into a shelf by his father and being kicked whilst upset to provoke a reaction for the camera, are the biological children of the father but have a different mother than the other 3.
I hope these people go to jail.
The birth mother has gained custody of Cody and Emma.
The only video on the daddyofive channel now is an apology video.
Cripes. even I want to give that poor kid a hug, if the Bigger Brothers didn’t make me sign a form promising I wouldn’t.
The BBC on the subject. I hope these kids have a chance to thrive now.
The Daddy’o five story does not appear on the BBC page that loaded when I clicked your link.