Prank phone calls

Every country has a different view of practical jokes and pranks. This was made clear when we were in Australia. A couple of young radio personalities made in part of their show to make prank calls as practical jokes to celebrities, politicians, and regular folk. They had an early morning show and it was well loved in Sydney. When the Duchess of Cambridge was hospitalized for severe morning sickness, the presenters made a prank call to the Hospital. 

The radio prank, which was pre-recorded and vetted by lawyers from the radio station before it was broadcast, was picked up by media worldwide and was acutely embarrassing for the hospital. One of the results of the prank call was that the London nurse who answered the prank call was found dead after getting tricked in the prank call by the Australian deejays who successfully pried information about mom-to-be Kate Middleton's hospital stay. 

The British press went on the attack blaming the presenters for the suicide and wanted the presenters fired or put on trial, the Australian press and the public were more cautious and I would say supportive of the two presenters. 

The two hosts, made tearful public apologies on television, have been taken off air, and are receiving counselling. One of the presenters said: “There's not a minute that goes by where we don't think about her family and what they must be going through, and the thought we may have played a part in that is gut–wrenching.

The death was tragic for the family, and friends of the victim as well as for the presenters. The resulting press furore  showed the difference in attitude between the two countries about practical jokes and prank phone calls. Prank calls are or have been a staple of some radio stations in Australia for years and are well received by the public and people who get pranked after their initial embarrassment move on with their lives. In England, I suspect that prank calls are not part of the culture and the outcry supports that idea. In Canada, shows like This hour has 22 minutes provide an opportunity to poke fun at our politicians and others. I found the difference in culture interesting and enlightening.