Impractical Jokers: A Look into the Hidden Camera Reality Game Show - Essay Sample

Introduction

The TV program Impractical Jokers made its premiere on truTV on December 15th, 2011. The TV show is an American reality game show that utilizes hidden camera with improvisational elements. It was produced by NorthSouth Productions, and it was staring the four members of the Tenderloins who are Salvatore “Sal” Vulcano, Brian “Q” Quinn, James “Murr” Murray, and Joseph “Joe” Gatto. The show involves several games of dare where each member receives either a thumbs down or thumbs up for his activity or performance. In the end, the Joker who receives the most thumbs down is the loser and receives a punishment (Malterud 5). Primarily, the games in the film involve scenarios where one Joker is challenged to an embarrassing engagement with members of the public. In this case, he will be receiving commands from other jokers who are surveying and orchestrating the unusual activity with covert recording equipment.

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Perhaps the most common phrase from the film is “you refuse-you lose.” Primarily, the intro of the TV show describes the scenes of the program as scenes of graphic stupidity involving four lifelong friends competing to embarrass each other (Reeser 56). The games on the TV show are loosely structured, and they rely heavily on improvisation. Moreover, the program’s comedic theme ranges from slapstick routines to witty dialogues and reactions from the general public and the jokers serving as punchlines (Keller-Hamilton et al., 24). Currently, the show has eight seasons, with a total of 205 episodes. Each season has more than twenty-five episodes except the first season, which has eighteen episodes.

Cast

The main cast of the show is four lifelong friends. Brian “Q” Quinn, a provisional comedian from New York having attended Monsignor Farrell High Schools and later Brooklyn College. Both at high school and college, he was involved in drama and sports. James “Murr” Murray is also an improvisational comedian from New York and attended the same school as Quinn. At high school, he was part of the community theatre group. He later joined Georgetown University to study English. Salvatore “Sal” Vulcano and Joseph “Joe” Gatto are both improvisational comedians as attend the same high school as Quinn and Murray. The show over the years has also included guest casts such as Yanni, Tristin Mays, and Jeff Daniels.

The Programs Idea and Theme

The program is comic in nature as it involves longtime friends who are making fun and embarrassing each other. Before each challenge or activity, the jocker explains the challenge, where they are, and what will happen should they fail in their challenge. Often the cast members taking part in the prank wear an earpiece where others have a mic in hidden locations. Moreover, the cameras in the activity are hidden in various locations to capture the action. Moreover, the challenge area is usually the area around New York City and public areas such as the city part, café, or store (Reeser 55). The main idea of the story is to have one Joker make say something they will embarrass himself in front of the public. Watching the show, one laughs through the whole episode as the Joker is willing to go to any length to embarrass each other.

Here are some of the scenes that can indicate the main idea of the then show. There is a scene where James “Murr” Murray is posing as a popcorn vendor in Jersey. In the scene, he refuses to give people change when they pay in cash. Some of the customers are using 20-dollar bills to pay; they are not happy with the act. Murr’s response when they call him out for not giving them back their change, he looks then and walks away.

Furthermore, there is this mime Joe Gatto has to maneuver his way to the front of the ticket line in Times Square. All this time, he is calling the name of his friend Larry who is non-existent, who is holding a spot for him in the front. The best part is that there was no Larry, and everyone was able to figure out people are fuming (Reysen and Iva 25). The TV show can get someone glued to the TV even though he does not spend much time on it. A person can watch the show for ten straight hours as the comedy and comic in the scenes is on the next level.

Moreover, the TV program heavily relies on emotions. Primarily, emotions are powerful aspects of human psychology that the show can manipulate to keep the audience interested in their content. Moreover, the expression one Joker shows after a challenge is genuine across human culture (Reysen and Iva 25). Consequently, embarrassment also seems to have a vicarious quality on it. Therefore, this is why people get embarrassed when they are watching another individual getting embarrassed. Well, the actors are all about amplifying the experience of the embarrassments. Moreover, this is the primary goal of the TV show. The show can utilize this aspect correctly to be engaging both the audience and the general public in their acts.

The experience of Impractical Joker experience is on another level as they create and place self-deprecation and humility in one place. The Jokers can provide a model of friendship in humans. Primarily, they have known each other for a long time since high school. Despite the anguish they cause each other, they also look out for one another (Nagtegaal et al., 30). Moreover, never expect to cross lines with one another that could result in a nasty lawsuit or danger. Primarily, they make sure that their pranks are on the right side of the law and are safe. The other exciting part of the show is the punishment that the losing Joker has to undergo. The other Jokers are the ones who determine what the punishment will be without the input of the losing Joker (Reysen and Iva 25). Moreover, no one can refuse to do the punishment. For instance, at one-point, Sal had to deliver a live calf. This punishment was on another level.

Although the punishments might be outlandish, they never cross the line, on this from the Joker can trust each other. They understand the punishment can be terrible but not that terrible. They can trust each other as they have a long-standing friendship since high school and trust is the secret to their success (Malterud 5). Moreover, the four jokers seem genuine and good guys without an ounce of arrogance. Much of their activity and love is demonstrated through humility in their pranks. The guys are good and genuine friends, and they have been on the show for a long time, and this builds to the emotional experience of watching the program. This is because people have been watching then, and they feel like part of their life.

Historical Significance

The film is essential in how it communicates and entertains its viewers. The film can bring out humor through the pranks on the jokers. The film can record some of the best historical comedy that can relate to the old viewers. The cast can relate with the young, middle-aged, and the old. Consequently, the TV program reflects on the culture at the same time acting as an essential source of entertainment and education. The show also serves as historical evidence in the way it represents the art forms (Malterud 5). This is mainly by making events vivid, even revealing the unconscious assumptions of the societies, and portraying social attitude. Therefore, the TV show reflects social attitudes more accurately while at the same time, including comedy, humor, and humility. However, this does not mean that the show represents the views of all Americans.

Race in Impractical Joker

There have been some cases that the TV program is Racist. Most people argue that because the film only includes which characters, it is racism. There might be some truth with that, but the show is built on friendship and chemistry of the jokers (Nagtegaal et al., 30). Some of the jokes on the program have been controversial, with some being side they are targeting blacks. Some of these jokes have not been taken lightly by some individuals, primarily why they target people of color (Gibson 45). Racism has become an issue that is rooted in society. It is important to note that people have freedom of speech; however, they should not use that freedom of speech to target other people.

Why should it be viewed as seminal in television history?

The TV program brings something unique that that other TV shows do not have. The fact that the film can use the public in its program is lovely as the actors can connect and understand what the viewer is interested in how they can deliver it. There few shows which have come to the Impractical Joker; the show can understand and connect with the viewer correctly through its humor and humility. Moreover, the challenge in the show are things that the audience can relate with.

How do style and form work together within the context of the approach you are utilizing to judge the programs importance?

The style and form represented in the TV show Impractical Joker are exciting and relevant at the same time. This shows that you can have fun at the same time making money. The four jokers are having fun creating their content using some aspects of social attitudes and issues affecting society (Nagtegaal et al., 30). The central aspect of TV is to make people laugh and create humor. The TV show is a well-constructed story where the characters are moving a clearly defined and sensible goal. The cast is trying its best to achieve the goal regardless of the challenge.

Conclusions

To sum up the show, Impractical Joker is one of the best comedy shows of all-time. The show involves four jokers who have been close for an extended period since high school. Their longtime friendship has been enabled then to trust each other in with performing as they understand that the challenges are terrible, but they will not go overboard.

Works Cited

Gibson, Bryan, et al. "Psychology of Popular Media Culture." (2016).

Keller-Hamilton, Brittney, et al. "Peer Reviewed: Tobacco and Alcohol on Television: A Content Analysis of Male Adolescents’ Favorite Shows." Preventing chronic disease 15 (2018).

Malterud, Andie, Ashley Phillips, and Kaitlyn Voges. "Exploring Expectancy Violations Theory and Proxemics with the Impractical Jokers." Discourse: The Journal of the SCASD 5.2 (2019): 5. https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/discoursejournal/vol5/iss2/5

Nagtegaal, Rosanna, et al. "The differences in expressiveness in non-verbal communication between Greek and Dutch people."

Reeser, Todd W. "Producing awkwardness: Affective labour and masculinity in popular culture." Mosaic: an interdisciplinary critical journal 50.4 (2017): 51-68.

Reysen, Stephen, and Iva Katzarska-Miller. "Association between reality television and aggression: It depends on the show." AASCIT Journal of Psychology 3.5 (2017): 56-61.