Anyone who grew up watching the classic MTV series, Punk’d, knows that there’s just something oddly entertaining about someone getting pranked. Recently, MTV decided to revive the idea of a show based on the unsuspecting prank, but this time with a twist. The network’s new series, Revenge Prank, is hosted by Jersey Shore stars Pauly D and Vinny. During each episode, the guys work with a person to pull a prank on someone who has already pranked (and publicly embarrassed) them in the past. With Pauly and Vinny hard at work, the pranks are elaborate, funny, and believable. Although the show is still early in its first season, it is already drawing comparisons to Punk’d. Needless to say, lots of people are loving it. However, despite the love the show has been getting, many viewers can’t help but suspect that everything about the show is staged. So is the show scripted, or are the pranks real? Let’s get into it.
How Revenge Prank Came About
Although Revenge Prank didn’t air until June 2020, it looks like the general idea for the show actually started nearly a decade ago. In 2012, MTV began casting for a show called Prank Someone. According to the casting call, “This is your chance to prank your friend, GF/BF, sister, cousin, etc, on a brand new MTV show! The person being pranked could also win money!!” However, a show with this name never actually aired on MTV.
A similar casting call was posted this year, again looking for people to appear on a show called Prank Someone. This time, the casting call said, “In the tradition of the hit Ashton Kutcher series Punk’d comes Prank Someone, the series where you get to be in on the fun…If you are chosen, the producers will work with you to hammer out details on an amazing and elaborate prank that will be aired on MTV station all over the globe…but don’t feel too bad for whoever you choose to prank, they could end up winning a fantastic cash prize.”
As you can see, it looks like some things changed before the show officially became Revenge Prank. The overall concept of Prank Someone was a little too close to Punk’d and needed a little extra flair. This is probably why it never really took off. The revenge aspect associated with Revenge Prank was definitely a nice twist. Everybody loves a good revenge story. What better way to dish out some payback than to prank someone back? Plus, adding Pauly D and Vinny as hosts gives the show some extra ooomph. It also looks like they decided to ditch the idea of a cash prize.
Is The Show Fake?
No matter how much you love reality TV, you have to admit that it doesn’t always seem real. At this point, we all know to expect that some of the scenarios are a bit staged on most shows. However, it would suck to find out that as how like Revenge Prank is fake. Luckily, I’m here with some good news. MTV hasn’t said or posted anything to indicate that the show is fake. However, some viewers really believe that it is. The debut episode probably didn’t help.
The show’s first episode featured a young couple called The Van Clan who has a very large following on YouTube. Some people got the impression that the couple was acting. Others assumed that the couple was using the show as a marketing opportunity. However, that likely isn’t the case. After all, the premise is that people are getting revenge on people who have already publicly pranked them. So it’s not surprising that some people on the show have large platforms online. With that being said, The Van Clan is known for pranking each other on YouTube. Their prank videos have gotten hundreds of thousands of views. Being on the show was the perfect opportunity for Garick VanBrocklin to get the upper hand on his wife, Zoe, who had previously declared a prank war on him.
Those who are feeling skeptical about the show can rest assured that all signs point to Revenge Prank being as real as a reality show can get. Even if a few things have been embellished here and there, it doesn’t seem that anything is scripted. Also, judging by the casting call, the network never looked for professional actors. As the season continues, it will be interesting to see what other pranks Pauly D, Vinny, and their guests are able to pull off.
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