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Punk'd

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Punk'd
Punk'd logo
Created byAshton Kutcher
StarringAshton Kutcher
Country of originUnited States/ Canada
No. of episodes33
Production
Running time30 min.
Original release
NetworkMTV
ReleaseApril 15, 2003 –
December 6, 2005

Punk'd is an American television show on MTV, first aired in 2003. It centers on the old Candid Camera idea of hidden cameras, but more closely resembles TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes in that the show pulls pranks on celebrities, making them look ridiculous in the process. It is hosted by Ashton Kutcher. Although a couple of segments during the first season depicted unknown random people being punk'd, subsequent seasons have focused entirely on celebrities.

The program's title, probably unintentionally, is an adulterated reference to prisoner argot for anal rape, specifically as used for internal hierarchal dominance.

One of the best-known pranks involved convincing Justin Timberlake that the U.S. government was seizing his property and boarding up the doors and windows of his home for not paying his taxes.

A frequent segment during the first season had the then fifteen-year-old Ryan Pinkston pretending to interview celebrities for a kids' show, only to mock them instead.

Another segment during the fourth season had the then seventeen-year-old Rob Pinkston, causing more troubles among celebrities. The most disastrous prank was when he and his gang members spray painted on Zach Braff's brand new $100,000 Porsche after Braff and Donald Faison blow them off by not buying them some beer.

The show has spawned the catchphrase "You just got punk'd".

In December 2003, Kutcher attempted to "punk" WWE wrestler Bill Goldberg by having him think a truck had run over his prized motorcycle, when really it was a replica, but the stunt went wrong when the truck clearly missed the bike. Goldberg quickly realized what was going on, and asked "Who do I have to kill?". Kutcher then revealed himself and went through what was supposed to happen. Then in June 2005, Kutcher failed to "punk" self-proclaimed King of Crunk Lil Jon. He was boarding a plane headed for Las Vegas, but Kutcher had actors playing customs agents tell him that he was actually headed for Ecuador. Lil Jon quickly identified members of the "customs agents" from previous episodes of the program, and asked for Kutcher to reveal himself.

Typical set up of Punk'd

The show begins with a short preview of which celebrity will be featured on the show. The opening theme begins, then it cuts to the black Ashton shot. The black Ashton shot is when Kutcher is shown with a black background. He talks about the celebrity about to be punk'd (Usually describing what he/she does for a living), explains in a hollering fashion why he feels the celebrity deserves to be punk'd, and introduces the cast working on the prank. It then cuts to the punking. The sequence is followed by hidden cameras throughout the area. After a while, a cast member or Ashton Kutcher himself will announce "You've just been punk'd!". Cameramen with or without Ashton Kutcher pop out and catch the surprised victim on tape. The victim typically spews a string of profanity which is censored by the network, and then says to the camera "I've just been punk'd". This is followed by a commercial break, then two more punkings happen. In season 5 for example, after Allen Iverson gets punk'd, Kutcher jumped into Jermaine O'Neal's record breaking prank without commercial break.

Locations

Punk'd is filmed in various areas around Los Angeles. Most of the time it occurs in a parking lot. The second most common location is a restaurant. On some rare occasions, it will be in a unique area. In season five for example, Tyrese was punk'd in a fake mob headquarters.

Road Trips

On season 3, Ashton Kutcher and his crew went to Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC, in honor of the release of The Prince and Me, and tricked Julia Stiles down.

Another road trip takes place at a Carlsbad, California, Tony Hawk's hometown, when Hawk gets tricked after his son, Riley, destroyed a restroom at a nearby park with M-80, injuring one actress.

Using realistic events

Often Kutcher uses real events to prank some people. For example in season 4, Kutcher used the mudslides, which really happened in Los Angeles at the end of 2004 to early 2005, and trapped Andy Roddick, preventing him from going to The Tonight Show.

In Season 5, Kutcher had bouncers block Allen Iverson from entering his own birthday party at Garden Eden's Club in Los Angeles. A.I. was told the President's daughters and Secret Service were inside.

Traditions of Punk'd

WWE

At the end of the second season, when Kutcher tried to "punk" WWE's Goldberg, a yearly tradition began of "punking" WWE wrestlers. In season 3 it was The Rock, in season 4 it was Stone Cold Steve Austin, and season 5 featured Triple H.

NBA

Also starting in season 3, a yearly tradition began of "punking" NBA players. In season 3 it was Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets and season 4 featured Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks. But in season 5, it was Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers' Jermaine O'Neal, who was "punk'd" by a record breaking four people (including Kutcher, Allen Iverson, and Todd Bridges). Season 5 also featured Shaquille O'Neal of the Miami Heat. (For Allen Iverson and Jermaine O'Neal, they were in the same episode.)

The O.C.

The third tradition began when Kutcher started "punking" O.C. young guns. In season 3 it was Adam Brody (Seth Cohen), in season 4 it was Rachel Bilson (Summer Roberts), and season 5 featured Benjamin McKenzie (Ryan Atwood). In the season 6 premiere the tradition was completed when Mischa Barton (Marissa Cooper) got punk'd, making her the tenth non-US/non-Canadian star ever to get punk'd.

Punking foreign stars

Up to the end of season 6, a total of fourteen non-American/non-Canadian stars, eleven of them have been aired, had been Punk'd: Jason "Wee-Man" Acuña (Italy), Ozzy Osbourne's daughter Kelly and his son Jack(Both U.K.), actor and Pamela Anderson's ex-husband Tommy Lee (Greece), actress Salma Hayek (Mexico), Dallas Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki (Germany), singer Joss Stone (U.K.), American Idol judge Simon Cowell (U.K.), actress-model Sofía Vergara (Colombia), That '70s Show star Mila Kunis (Ukraine), singer Akon (Senegal), Mischa Barton (U.K.), and dancehall singer Sean Paul (Jamaica) have also been "punk'd" by Kutcher's crew members. (For Hayek and Kunis, they were "punk'd" by Kutcher.) Jason Acuña and Jack Osbourne were punk'd together. Out of 14, Tommy Lee now has an American Citizenship.

Foreign stars denied their punk'd broadcasting rights

Michael Vartan, who was born in France, have became the first non-American/non-Canadian star to get punk'd but the tape wasn't aired. Vartan is going to sue Kutcher if his prank was aired. Tré Cool(Germany) and Grazielle Oganna(Australia) have been punk'd by Kutcher or his crew members but the tape wasn't aired.

Controversies

In late 2003, it was announced by MTV that Kutcher had decided not to continue production on Punk'd. Some commentators speculated that the announcement was a ploy designed to lower the guard of increasingly wary celebrities in an attempt at another season of pranks. This proved to be true when the third season began airing on April 25 2004. The television audience itself had been "punk'd".

Some controversies arose in seasons 3 and 4, when New York Yankees' third-baseman Alex Rodriguez and actor Michael Vartan threatened to sue Kutcher if the prank was aired. Alex Rodriguez was Punk'd by Kutcher but, according to some people, he told Kutcher to destroy that tape although Rodriguez thought it was a good idea. Reportedly, the tape was destroyed to avoid any court case.

Australian musician Grazielle Oganna also threatened to sue Kutcher if the prank was aired, according to Edward Norton who also denied Punk'd broadcasting rights. Some people said Grazielle got nervous at Kutcher, and he gave up. But the singer says she noticed the camera.

Though rarely talked about, Method Man and Redman in collaboration with Matt Besser of the Upright Citizens Brigade had a hidden camera celebrity prank show on MTV called Stung in 2002, a full year before the introduction of Punk'd. However, Ashton Kutcher is credited with creating the show.

Parodies

  • In the comedy Will and Grace, Jack McFarland, an executive of a gay television network, invents Pink'd, the gay equivalent of Punk'd. The first person to be "pink'd" is title character Will Truman.

Celebrities who have been "punk'd"

NOTES: Bold indicates the following people appeared on Punk'd more than twice and in seperate episodes. And Italics indicates the following pranks went into the Hall of Shame.

The celebrities who were interviewed back in season 1 aren't official Punk'd segments so the only celebrities who got Punk'd are the three in each episode

1 Akon was punk'd by Jesse McCartney, who substitued for Kutcher.

2 Cavallari's parents, cast members from the Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, and the City of Laguna Beach have filed suit against Kutcher for damages.

3 Following stars now have two or more citizenships as of season 6.

4 Under the name of Jamie-Lynn DiScala

5 Peter Wentz was Punk'd by Andrew, Patrick, and Joseph of Fall Out Boy

6 Tommy Lee was originally punk'd by Nick Carter but it didn't happen, he was later punk'd together with Nick Carter by Ashton Kutcher or his crew members.

7 Punk'd together as a couple or with a friend.

Celebrities who have been "punk'd" but haven't aired on MTV

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