It started with "David After Dentist," a two-minute video of a 7-year-old boy in the back of his family car shaking off the effects of anesthesia after a dental procedure. The child, filmed by his dad, is woozy, nervous, and strangely philosophical, asking at one point, "Is this real life?"
"David After Dentist" has been viewed on YouTube more than 105 million times since the boy's father posted it in 2009, but many of those viewers have been outraged by what they saw, and appalled that a parent would post a video of his child, compromised by anesthesia, for laughs.
Are such videos harmless fun, or exploitation? The debate has raged for years, as "David After Dentist" kicked off a wave of copycat films.
One of the most controversial aired on ABC's late-night "Jimmy Kimmel Show" during the recent holiday season. Kimmel had challenged parents to post videos on YouTube of their children receiving purposely awful early Christmas presents. In other words, he encouraged parents to prank their kids, and plenty obliged. The submissions with the most over-the-top reactions from angry, disappointed, or crying kids were edited into a highlight video that aired on the show and has been watched more than 25 million times on YouTube:
We recently asked fans of our Facebook page what they thought of videos liked Kimmel's and they had some passionate responses:
If you are going to pull a prank maybe it should be on an older teen who would figure it out, not little ones that still have the true joy of Christmas inside them. – Jewel
Bratty parents for fooling their children, bratty children for their disrespectful behavior, and the super duper bratty award goes to Jimmy Kimmel! Lots of coal for you for your rotten idea! – Penny
It was horrible and it brought out the worst in children who were probably on the nice list before. – Tina
I thought it was hysterical. Lighten up! – Sharon
Getting a laugh from being mean and hurting someone else is not a very good example for anyone! Shame on the parents. – Patricia
A good parent would not want to do this to their child. Childhood is supposed to hold good memories. Never in a million years would I have hurt my children like that. Makes me wonder what else they have done to their children. – Wanda
With all the stress, hard work and lack of sleep we as parents endure every Christmas to make sure our children are happy, I thought it was brilliant. No harm was done and we deserve some fun. – Jennifer
What do you think? Is it OK for parents to post funny videos of their kids online, even those in which the kids are subject to pranks? Have you ever do anything like that? Have your grandkids' parents? If so, how did you react? Share your thoughts in the comments area below.
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