“Punked” means being deceived, often through pranks, and can also refer to being robbed or mistreated. The term was popularized by the MTV show “Punk’d,” where celebrities are pranked on camera. Some celebrities have refused to participate or threatened legal action.
Being “punked” means being intentionally deceived in some way, usually the butt of a prank perpetrated by a friend or colleague. In a harsher, broader context, being punk can be slang for getting robbed, dumped, passed for a promotion, or otherwise given the short end of a stick.
The term “punked” was popularized by an MTV series that began in 2003, using an updated Candid Camera format. Punk’d!, created by Jason Goldberg and Ashton Kutcher, plays elaborate pranks on unsuspecting people while surreptitiously filming the action. The problem is, the unsuspecting subject is a celebrity. When the star has been through enough pain, Kutcher appears on the scene to announce, “You’ve been punk!”
Some of Kutcher’s celebrity punks include Rob Thomas, Matthew Perry, The Rock, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Pink, Tyra Banks and Halle Berry. Often, Kutcher brings in celebrity guests or the subject’s personal associates as accomplices to make the joke more convincing. While most of the pranks take place in the Los Angeles area, Kutcher has also taken the show across the country, without securing any celebrities. Sports personalities, singers and actors have been punks in virtually every setting, from movie premieres to music video sets and parking lots.
Some celebrities got the joke and weren’t punks. Fellow producer Jason Goldberg set up a prank for punk Kutcher himself for the final episode of the first season. Goldberg enlisted Britney Spears’ help, but Kutcher got wise, Spears switched teams, and they turned the joke on Goldberg, who punked successfully. Kutcher says he tried to punk Neve Campbell twice before finally succeeding in a season 6 episode.
Some celebrities, including Pamela Anderson, have reportedly refused to sign off on the airing rights. Alias’ Michael Vartan’s lawyers have threatened to sue if the star’s taped joke was ever shown, though Vartan denies he was ever punk.
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