It happens every year, is about to happen again and it’s not something I like. I’m talking about late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel’s annual airing of video clips of parents telling their children they ate all the kids’ Halloween candy. This year Kimmel’s show aired a rerun the day after Halloween but once again he asked parents to send in videos of them pulling this scam on their youngsters.
Thanks to the immediacy of social media, these videos are easily processed and this week we’ll be seeing more sad little faces in this stupid bit. The pranked kids, anywhere between the ages of 3 and 10, react as you would expect. When learning their candy stash is gone they show puzzlement, shock and then the sadness kicks in. Next up we see showers of tears among audible cries of “No! Why? Waaaa!”
Yeah, Kimmel, that’s REAL comedy there pal. Ugh. Now let’s get one thing straight, I am a comedy fan. I’m far from humorless. Just take a look at most of my Facebook posts and this blog’s website too. Back in my in school days I was a wisecracking class clown and during my radio career I made my bones being a clever quipster, wacky thinker and occasional smart-ass.
Needless to say, I dig funny. However, telling children the candy they Trick or Treated for all day and night has been eaten by their parents is NOT funny. It’s cruel and it pisses me off knowing there are idiots out there who take sick pleasure in this bit. As much as I’m a fan of and occasional contributor to the WGN Morning News show, it’s disappointing that they replay highlights of Kimmel’s annual kids prank and they too laugh at it. Larry Potash and Robin Baumgarten, you’re better than that.
Young children are rightly brought up to trust their parents above everyone else. Mom and dad or mom and mom or dad and dad are the guiding lights to their kids and to see parents take that light and turn it into an offensive laser beam of hurt blows my mind. I know the ruse is a temporary one but why would anyone want to inflict this kind of pain on their own youngsters? Kids will grow up to many disappointments and letdowns in their life and getting this faked out ‘the candy is gone’ shtick is totally unnecessary.
What amazes me further is a couple years ago Jimmy Kimmel’s wife gave birth to a son with a rare and serious congenital heart defect. During this tough time Kimmel choked back tears on his show while talking openly about what his newborn baby named William ‘Billy’ John was going through. There was eventually the good news that at three days of age baby Billy underwent successful surgery to correct the problem and all is well now.
So Jimmy Kimmel had a son with a serious heart problem and yet he’s encouraging parents to share videos as they break their kids’ hearts with news that their Halloween candy was gone and not to come back. I just don’t get the logic. I wish Kimmel would wise up and drop this annual scamming bit. Comedy is a subjective art and everyone likes and laughs at different things. For me, the Halloween ‘candy is gone’ scam belongs in the trash along with old rotting pumpkins.
NEXT WEEK’s BLOG– A fun concert memory.