Fiction and RL : Pranks, set-ups, and hoaxes

[Gojirob]

I see it most in animanga, but it is everywhere in fiction, and sometimes in RL. The 'teach them a lesson'. The 'help them loosen up', or 'all in fun, nobody got hurt'--at least arguably. I've never been fond of them, even where its supposedly done for the target's own good. I think I've hit upon my problem at last, and I'll boil it down in the form of a question I'd like you to answer : Are such pranks, hoaxes, set-ups, ever as much fun for the targeted as they are for the planner?

I mean, even remotely. There's this idea in fiction I've read and watched that the targeted are supposed to laugh it off, and in fact even seem required by the script to do so. In RL, there seem to be consequences, like the school field trip where the teachers pretended to be armed gunmen. But in fiction, any character who actually is angered by this is sometimes chided even by other targets as being sore.

My take is obviously that its like a 90-10 bias for enjoyment for the planner, and always is. Since many times they are masters at this, the odds of them ever getting gotten in return are low, and anger or violence against them is treated as immature, no matter what they may have done. Your take?

 

[Mistral]

All laughter is based in pain. To intentionally inflict pain is cruel. I hate practical jokers, in fiction or RL. Callous, uncaring bastards with self-centered viewpoints. IMO.

 

[Gojirob]

All laughter is based in pain. To intentionally inflict pain is cruel. I hate practical jokers, in fiction or RL. Callous, uncaring bastards with self-centered viewpoints. IMO.

Agreed. But I don't just mean practical jokers. I also refer to so-called 'therapeutic' hoaxes, as in

Spoiler: Major Plot Reveals

Anger Management and The Game with Michael Douglas

Whether it shows how clever, cruel or supposedly caring the ones planning it can be, it still is for their benefit, and any idea that the targeted should chin up or even thank them is idiotic. Even in the 'we care' scenarios, so much could have gone wrong, its insane.

 

[Spot's Meow]

I normally have a pretty good sense of humor about everything, but I can't stand practical jokes. Or even things that are somehow supposed to be "fun" and that you are just supposed to laugh off, like your friend pulling you into a swimming pool when you are fully clothed. That is so wrong and mean and no one likes wet underwear.

That's the way it is for many of these "jokes." The person doing it thinks it is hilarious for some reason, or that it is "for their own good," but that's really just bullshit they tell themselves so they can justify getting a good laugh at someone else's expense. If you really want to help someone it is always best to be honest with them about the situation. Trying to trick them into something or make them do something that they don't want to is a very bad idea. It's just not cool.