Punk'd

During the filming of season 3 of Punk'd on MTV, Ashton Kutcher and his gang attempted to punk baseball superstar Alex Rodriguez. The "punk" failed. Miserably. They got him while he dined with his wife at an upscale Los Angeles restaurant. One of the Punk'd actors, disguised as A-Rod's waiter, pretended to be a loudmouth Red Sox fan and constantly berated him, basically calling him out as a loser and saying he's never won anything in his life and never will.
Are you wondering why you've never seen this? Well, it's because it never made it to the air. During the "punk" A-Rod got furious and when Kutcher revealed himself and his crew, he refused to sign the waiver and asked MTV to destroy the tapes. Now, even if you despise A-Rod (and I do, with every fiber of my being) you can understand where he's coming from. I wouldn't want to be personally attacked while dining with my wife in the middle of a crowded restaurant, and I certainly wouldn't want the video of that incident beamed to millions of people nationwide. So, if we agree that A-Rod's reaction to his Punk'd experience was reasonable, I suppose the question is this: Why would anybody allow their Punk'd to go on MTV? Of course, there are a number of mild "punkings" that occur where it's all in good fun and there is nothing of an embarrassing nature to expose on TV. No one would really object to those. However, if you've watched the show, many of the stunts go for the jugular. Fake cops are sometimes involved, there is lots of damaged property, and those being Punk'd will often get legitimately furious. It can be embarrassing. So, why do they do it? Publicity. Publicity is the currency of celebrities; their careers depend on it. Punk'd gives them a unique and extremely desirable form of publicity. It is the only time we get to see these celebrities act "real". Since they don't know they're being filmed, the viewers get a window into the worlds of their favorite stars that they'd be unable to get anywhere else. Once we see a celebrity made a fool of and then graciously admit that they got Punk'd in front of the camera for MTV, their "realness" is enhanced exponentially. A publicist's dream. Which brings us back to A-Rod. Why wouldn't he want the publicity? Because he doesn't need it. A-Rod's main source of income (his salary from the Yankees) isn't affected by his public image. Celebrities don't sign long-term contracts. They are perpetually on the take. The only way MTV's Punk'd could exist is with celebrities. Normal people wouldn't put up with the crap that Ashton and his crew pull. Only celebrities are willing to make that sacrifice for the sake of their bank accounts. Punk'd is a great show because, as we all know, humiliating celebrities on TV is quite satisfying. I'm just glad it's good for their careers. -Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer