This is cruel and mean. Shame on Netflix.


https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/stra...175701833.html

'Stranger Things' star Gaten Matarazzo slammed for 'cruel' Netflix series that tricks unsuspecting employees

June 15, 2019

Stranger Things’ Gaten Matarazzo’s upcoming Netflix series plans to ruin people’s work days, and people want it canceled.

On Friday, Matarazzo tweeted a news article announcing Prank Encounters, a new 8-episode Netflix series hosted and executive produced by the 16-year-old. The show is filmed with hidden cameras and tricks unsuspecting workers — who believe they’re embarking on their first day at a new job — into a chaotic orientation.

“Each episode of this terrifying and hilarious prank show takes two complete strangers who each think they’re starting their first day at a new job,” reads a Netflix press release. “It’s business as usual until their paths collide and these part-time jobs turn into full-time nightmares.” The show, which has been compared to Ashton Kutcher’s successful Punk’d series, will reportedly air in late 2019.

But tweeters criticized the teen actor of workplace harassment and “genuine cruelty,” especially due to Matarazzo’s success at such a young age. And people searching for work took his new gig personally.

Yeah, my initial thought is that it'll actually be scripted like most 'reality' type crap.

If it is what it claims to be, it's a pretty pathetic idea, and about as reprehensible as bum fights.

Don't they have to sign releases for it to air?

Years and years ago, a friend of mine was one of the writers for prank show pilot. Most the ideas he was pitching involved people who'd just been hired to do a job so the producers could fuck with them. When I said it sounded terrible to get people's hopes up for a new job and waste time they could have spent productively seeking real work, my friend was greatly insulted, and gave me some ridiculous justification that the marks would be "so happy when they found out it was only a prank" that it would wind up being a positive experience for them. Later I had a similar conversation with this show's executive producer when I met him at a party at my friend's house. He also didn't seem to understand my objection. I remember being struck by his sense of entitlement, like he was owed these people's participation in his stupid show.

The pilot was made but didn't become a series.

I really dislike prank shows. Won't be watching this.

Yeah, that's gross, just not very well-thought out. Almost as if a 16-year-old...

I'm pretty sure they do have to sign a release for it to air.

But it still had to be approved, funded, and run by adults.

Well, the "employees" will likely sign the waver before they even start the job, probably given an excuse like "they're filming for a documentary on the business" or something. They may not be fully aware of what they're signing away.

The alternative is that they get them to sign after the fact by offering a "bonus" over the day's pay. If you're one of the participants, and you've wasted at least a day on a fake job (and possibly rejected other job prospects or stopped searching, delaying you getting an actual job), you may sign just to get that extra money.

The Carbonaro Effect on Tru TV does something that isn't too far off from this in every episode. The last segment is usually a set up where the person comes in as a worker and they do a magic mindf*ck prank on them. Some are benign, but others could be downright terrifying if you're the mark... I remember one where it appeared he had been crushed under something heavy and the girl actually thought he had just died for a few moments.

I've watched more than my share of prank shows over the years and one of the most common setups involves somebody (usually a temp) starting a new job.

Pretty cruel IMO, I personally see zero entertainment in this. Great idea Netflix!

I must love cruelty because I just finished both seasons and I laughed my butt off. There's a few mediocre episodes, but generally the pranks are really well done and the actors they use are believable. My one question is why are the black contestants always gay?

(Not that there's anything wrong with that.)