Scare Tactics (TV Show) & CCW

Status
Not open for further replies.
I

InkEd

Member
Joined
Oct 16, 2009
Messages
2,575
Location
Parts Unknown
I don't know of anyone else has seen this show on The SyFi (b/c SciFi was too long?) Channel. It's a hidden camera show hosted by Tracy Morgan. The premise is that a person sets-up an unknowing friend in a "scary" situation and when the person is freaking out, the actors in the seen break character and
reveal that they're on the TV show and their friend walks on camera and laughs at them. Then everybody has a good laugh.

Anyway, I saw an episode once were rather than the cry and freak
out, the intended "butt of the joke" got a bit frightened but rather than running into the corner, he took a lineman's stance and tackled the actor playing the crazy guy (or whatever). The crew and everyone ran in very quickly amd told him it was all a prank and luckily nobody got hurt or anything.

However, I couldn't help but think how easily some of the scenarios they set-up could turn bad, if a person was a CCW holder, carried a knife or even just instinctively choice "fight" instead of "flight." I am sure that the producers ask alot of questions about the intended "mark" to make sure they are the "scream and run away type" and most appear to be under 21 (so no LEGALLY concealed handgun) but that one episode really made me wonder if it's only a matter of time before something really bad happens on that show.

What are your thoughts?

What would be the legal ramifications?

I think the ccw holder SHOULD NOT be liable because they thought the
situation was an actual event. (If the scenario was something like an armed
home invasion or escaped armed prisoner.)

I'm sure most of our (forum members) friends would have more than enough sense than to sign-up to put any of us on such a show BUT it could end in a tragic way (very easily) if somebody didn't know their friend as well as they thought.
 
I think that the requirement be that the victim not be a carry permit holder or have any other weapon on that day of filming.
 
nothing happens in hollywood, that they dont intend to happen...period.

that is especially true with "reality" TV.......


i wouldnt be surprised one bit if all the "victims" were really actors.
 
I'm sure they check with the state and probably even have the actor leading them into the situation ask them about it. However, I know for a fact there are alot of people (even on this forum) that would say "no" (even if they were) because it's not information they would tell a person they just met because it's none of their business/don't have the legal right to know/suspect "something is a little off" about the whole situation.

Like I said, I'm sure they TRY and be certain BUT it could just too quickly go bad. I honestly SURPRISED more people haven't tried to fight, swung objects or even just called 911 from their phones! Of course, they could/probably just edit those scenes.
 
Yeah, I had simlar thoughts and I think you're probably right about it. (M. Cameron)

In this day and age, there would be just way too much liability to do a REAL candid camera show that does anything remotely dangerous (real or perceived) to an unsuspecting person.
 
They did have one episode where a very flamboyant, left-wing PETA member (I'm not trying to be disrespectful, he was all of those things and you could tell after listening to him for 10 seconds) was scared with a little person dressed as a giant rodent, and his reaction was "we need to get a gun!" Later he realized he was a gun control proponent/PETA member and laughed at himself.

On a more serious note, I have a coworker who told me a story about a friend of his that he almost shot, because he gave the friend clear instructions "if you come over to my house at night, call first." The friend didn't call, but came over, and when my coworker woke up he nearly shot him (the friend had come over to return something, IIRC). Who would have been at fault in that situation? Sounds to me a lot like the prank.

I know if someone pulled a prank like this on me, and I thought it was a real event and shot the prankster, I wouldn't feel guilty. I'd be mad that they put me through that, and I would pity them and sympathize for their family (or them, too, if they lived through it), but if you want to scare someone, you should know who you're scaring and be prepared for whatever reaction they may have.

Also see the famous prank where a man wearing a clown mask pops out of a trash can when someone is being interviewed at a school, and the interviewee just knocks the clown out.
 
Oh, I have little doubt the victims are real and unsuspecting, but as they are set up by family members and friends, there are likely several safeguards and such in place.

When it comes down to it, there just aren't that main people who carry guns in this country and even fewer in the demographic that participates in that kind of show.

Regarding an incident, I think the reasonable person standard would apply for the victim of the prank.
 
Is it real? Well - but I did see one where a 'monster' popped up in the back set (I always check it before getting in). The victim turned and started to throw some solid punches into the monster's noggin.

Don't watch it anymore.
 
When the show first started airing this discussion came up and at the time on their web site they had a nomination form in PDF that was linked to (I can't find it now).

Anyway, they ask a lot of questions on the form about how you think the person you're trying to get on the show will react to scary situations. I think they weed out not just CCWers, but also people that would fight back in general.

The fact that all the shooting for the show is in the Los Angeles area makes it unlikely that they'll pick someone that has a CCW.

On a side note, Overhaulin' had a similar questionnaire (which is why my wife said she would never sign me up for the show ... she was afraid I'd shoot Chip Foose I guess). I suspect all of these "surprise" type reality TV shows have the same sort of thing.
 
I have thought about this before myself. Years ago someone tried to scare the local Karate instructor in a similar haloween prank. It ended badly.
 
The SyFi (b/c C was too long?) Channel

This is the deal. The SciFi channel wanted to trademark that and the courts or whoever was involved at the time said no. Seems it is in common usage so for copywrite and intelectual property reasons the went to SyFi or SiFi or whatever it is now.
 
most appear to be under 21 (so no LEGALLY concealed handgun)
Click to expand...

There are multiple states where you can get permits at 18, and between a NH permit and a Maine permit (both can be received under 21) I can carry in over 20 other states.

Legally I think it would be very hard to prosecute the CCW/shooter, as the whole show revolves around the idea that the victim thinks that they are in real danger.

These violent "pranks" are why I tried to avoid fraternities and certain groups on campus for so long. Though I did end up joining one after I made it very clear that I would be fighting back should they do anything like that.
 
I'm sure they are pretty careful about selecting their "victim" ahead of time and make sure they aren't carrying any weapons (plus don't those shows usually take place in LA/NY/etc. with very restrictive self-defense/weapon laws).

It does remind me of this spoof of one of those types of shows
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obOm4qn6AIY
 
nothing happens in hollywood, that they dont intend to happen...period.

that is especially true with "reality" TV.......


i wouldnt be surprised one bit if all the "victims" were really actors.
Click to expand...

Agreed.

Nothing real about reality television anymore.


Maybe many many many years ago it was all or majority candid and unscripted.
 
armoredman said:
Reality TV is not real.
Click to expand...
Uhh.. ok? And?

This show is not "reality TV". It's not Tru-TV...



Like everyone is saying, I'm sure they screen their victim quit extensively. And wouldn't be surprised if they find a way to search them beforehand too.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

W
  • Locked
Scare Tactics
Replies
13
Views
1K
DMK
DMK
R
  • Locked
Scare Tactics program and CCW
Replies
16
Views
1K
Alan Smithiee
A
U
  • Locked
K-9 TV Show
Replies
1
Views
348
moooose102
M
M
  • Locked
glock v alien, would you intervene?
2 3
Replies
56
Views
3K
Nightfall
N
M
  • Locked
That's freaking IT.. I'm starting a TV show (kinda long)
Replies
21
Views
1K
MMcCall
M
Back
Top