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1. Describe a real/fictitious scenario in which a person/group is labeled deviant
Imagine if four best friends were the regulars on Punkd, and all they did was punk each other while
others watched in morbid fascination, and you have a pretty good feel for Impractical Jokers, a half-
hour reality comedy series on TruTV. However, this show is fascinating sociologically because it creates a
uniquely relevant dynamic in the study of deviance.
This show is about four friends who come up with increasingly embarrassing and awkward tasks for each
other. Each episode, the one who is least successful in carrying out these tasks is punished at the end of
the show. The punishment is inevitably more embarrassing than any of the tasks before it, and they
have no choice but to comply fully. In other words, each actor is tested in their capacity to demonstrate
public deviance acts or attributes that depart in an undesirable way from a groups norms and evoke
negative social reactions (Sandstrom et al., 2014, pg. 234), and the one who is least successful is
punished with a mandatory act of forced humiliation. This means that the actor who best demonstrates
public deviance is actually the least deviant within his immediate peer group, while the one who
publically deviates least also falls shortest of the expectations of his peer group.
To add to the complexity, each actor has a live feed to the other actors at all times, so he is
simultaneously experiencing public disapproval and private peer approval (or vice-versa). A fan of the
show quickly finds that each of the actors has their own unique and highly specific deviant identities
within this context. For example, Joe consistently acts without hesitation and inhibition, while Sal has a
reputation for germophobia and social awkwardness. The sociological significance here is that, although
their actions make little sense from the outsiders perspective, each of the actors have established
identities and tendencies within their group, and only deviations from those expectations would likely
earn them negative sanctions from the group whose opinion matters most.
2. Why is this behavior deviant and from what/whose perspective?
Impractical Jokers clearly illustrates the distinction between the absolutist and relativist views of
deviance. From the uninformed public perspective, their appearance and behavior is clearly and
irrefutably inappropriate thats the premise that the comedy of the show hinges on. Public onlookers
represent the absolutist position, maintaining the idea that certain behaviors and qualities are
inherently good, right, and proper whereas others are clearly bad, immoral, and inappropriate. The
Deviance of an act or attribute, then, is not determined by the standards or judgments of a specific
social group. Rather, right and wrong exist prior to and independently of humanly created rules,
customs, or judgments. *+ an act or attribute either is or isnt deviant (Sandstrom et al, 2014, pg. 235).
On the other hand, the actors take up the relativist position with each task, demonstrating that
standards of morality and normalcy do not exist independently of socially created rules, customs, and
judgments. Instead, definitions of right and wrong, as well as normalcy and abnormalcy, differ widely in
various settings, cultures, and periods of history (Sandstrom et al., 2014, pg. 236). Each challenge is the
process of evaluating the absolutist position within a given context, then creating context-specific
standards of conformity and deviance. Conformity within the group means executing the behaviors that
violate the absolutist standards within that context. Only by understanding the full context (that this is a
prank reality show) does their seemingly deviant behavior make sense as demonstrating conformity,
which exemplifies the relativist view beautifully.
3. What rules are violated?
From the absolutist/public view, rules about appropriate public behavior and appearance. Examples of
these violations include the actors putting their noses on unknowing onlookers, saying deranged and
controversial things, or dressing horribly and fishing for complements, to name a few (the list goes on).
From the relativist view, the only significant rule violation is failing to carry out the deviant task to which
an actor has been assigned.
4. What social reactions are generated by the deviance under discussion?
The public reacts mostly with confusion, but ample disgust, awkwardness, and annoyance are mixed in.
The fellow actors usually just watch on, laughing like idiots as they plot to make the situations more
ridiculous and uncomfortable. Watch an episode if you havent.
5. What does being deviant feel like?
I think I gravitated to this show because I have a history with friends like these, and am no stranger to
carefully designed tasks of public humiliation. Deviance can feel extremely uncomfortable, almost
unbearably so, as the weight of surrounding judgmental gazes bear down on your psyche, urging you to
change or remove yourself from the situation post-haste.