# Where are those As-Seen-On-TV pranks videos made? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 22, 2005, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-those-as-seen-on-tv-pranks-videos-made/304941 "2005-05-22T10:26:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2005, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-those-as-seen-on-tv-pranks-videos-made/304941/1 "2005-05-22T10:26:41Z")
Around three or four years ago, late night TV was swarming with infomercials advertising these productions, which seemed to be hour-long videotapes consisting of the filming of various pranks as follows: [ul] [li] A prankster, wearing sunglasses in a supposed attempt to disguise his or her immediate identity, walking up to pedestrians and bystanders and nonchalantly passing wind while a hidden camera captures the pedestrians’ reactions;[/li][li] A small boy in a public restroom urinal station, armed with a ear syringe filled with water, aiming said syringe toward nonsuspecting patrons’ feet to simulate misdirected urine while a hidden camera captures the patrons’ reactions;[/li][li] The videotaped results of pedestrians attempting to thwart a public telephone handset that has been Super-Glued to the switchhook;[/li][li] A sample demonstrator handing out samples of what would appear to be pate; when the sampler expresses interest, the label of the comestible is revealed to be dog food, much to the patrons’ shock;[/li][li]The videotaped reactions of convenience store customers noting the presence of the pretty clerk behind the counter, who flashes her breasts at odd moments;[/li][/ul] and so on. I would not think that such tomfoolery would go easily unnoticed in the USA without a good measure of scrunity; certainly the loose, carefree nature of the samples I’ve witnessed is indicative of some other nation with more liberal regulations. Even with this, the advertising was once widespread only to drop off all of a sudden, which would seem somewhat suspicious even if not quite immediately so. My questions are: Where did the filming of these videos take place? And, were such actions as portrayed in the video examples of lawful (if not moralistic) behavior within that jurisdiction? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Kenneth\_Noisewater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@Dr.Kenneth\_Noisewater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Kenneth_Noisewater)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2005, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-those-as-seen-on-tv-pranks-videos-made/304941/2 "2005-05-22T10:43:38Z")
Are you serious? Where are you from? Are you unaware of Candid Camera and its ilk? People eat this stuff up, especially if they get to be on TV. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2005, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-those-as-seen-on-tv-pranks-videos-made/304941/3 "2005-05-22T11:56:56Z")
The videos he is referring to, and Candid Camera, are only very barely related. I definitely get the impression that (I think they’re called “Just for Laughs”, maybe?) they are filmed outside the US. They were playing some clips on a flight I was on recently, and I took a closer look at the people - definitely got a Western European vibe there. Candid Camera, while undoubtedly funny at times, is generally a far different class of humor, and is frequently more about the complex set-up gag, rather than a quick “fart and run” joke. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2005, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-those-as-seen-on-tv-pranks-videos-made/304941/4 "2005-05-22T20:04:04Z")
Well, I do recall seeing one on the infomercial that involved a rather involved setup—someone asking a passerby to take their picture, and the modeling party then stands in front of a flat. The model then runs off with the passerby holding the camera, and on cue a lady appears in an adjacent window dressed only in a towel—presumably out of the shower. Upon this, the lady looks out the window, “sees” the passerby with camera, and runs outside, while a nearby “police officer” sidles up to the confused passerby and questions him or her. Of course, Candid Camera never dealt with situations of _this_ stripe, that I know of. ---
**Author:** ![START](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@START](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/START)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-those-as-seen-on-tv-pranks-videos-made/304941/5 "2005-05-22T20:14:35Z")
I have the video your talking about it’s called "The Best of JUST KIDDING; Rude Pranks and Dirty Gags. 1992-1995 Keynews Television/ The Multimedia Group of Canada Distributed by Cole Media So I guess it is from Canada. ---
**Author:** ![St\_Ides](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@St\_Ides](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St_Ides)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2005, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-are-those-as-seen-on-tv-pranks-videos-made/304941/6 "2005-05-22T20:55:18Z")
Sounds a lot like a series on TV in Canada. **Just for Laughs: Gags.** Just for Laughs is the televison name for the Montreal comedy festival, which shows various performances from the festival. Pretty funny. Gags is kind of an add-on, which uses the Just for Laughs name. It’s exactly what you describe, hidden camera gags involving random passers-by. If you take a look around [http://www.hahaha.com](http://www.hahaha.com) you should be able to find some info on it… or at least when it’s on. It’s filmed in Montreal, by the way, mostly at and around one park… Which I forget the name of at this time.