Pranks are tricky because navigating the line between totally hilarious and truly twisted can be tough. Because, like, you don't wanna even bother with something lame like Vaseline under door handles. (I'm looking at you, Dude From That One Party In 10th Grade.) The psych-out prank is usually a classic choice, like when those Norwegians got passerby to limbo then abandoned them. But psych-outs can get psycho too fast. For example, a Cambodian variety show pranked a singer by telling her they found her long-lost mother. However, that wasn't the truth, exactly. At all, actually. One of the more upsetting elements at play here? It was supposedly a Mother's Day special episode.
Young teen pop artist Autumn Allen appeared on Penh Chet Ort when the hosts explained they found Allen's estranged mother, immediately triggering an emotional response. Honestly? That should have been their first sign to reconsider the whole elaborate and ultimately malicious plan. You see a person, regardless of age, physically display deep-rooted feelings about something as personal as an estranged parent, you don't make light of that! Anyway, clearly the Penh Chet Ort folks didn't go to the same school of morally decency as the rest of us. Here is Allen preparing for the reunion:
Instead of Allen's mother, who she admitted she hadn't seen in about seven years, hosts led out famous Thai cross-dressing entertainer Chuop Rolin. Just to be clear, Rolin is not Allen's mother. It was a cruel prank completely lacking in any kind of class. Amazingly, Allen took the misguided stab at humor with far more grace than anyone else on the show. Hell, she even changed her official Facebook page banner to a shot from the show:
"I am sure there was no harm intended and I had fun on the show," Allen said. All this coming from a 13-year-old who was not only publicly humiliated, she must have been majorly disappointed. Well, eventually the show did make their remorse known. Allen wrote of the apology:
I have met with MyTV and accepted their sincere apologies. The two hosts, Rolin and Taboi (the producer) have apologized to me personally. Even the Deputy General Manager of the MyTV was there. A mistake happen and I have forgiven them. Thank you for every one supports. Please find it in your heart to forgive them too. Love, Autumn
Here's a photo to make the forgiveness more real and simultaneously make me feel Allen's a super solid role model (for adults, too, maybe):
Allen's got performing prowess, too. Catch her covering Top Gun fav, Berlin's "Take My Breath Away":
And of course, you can see the whole heartbreaking prank (but luckily knowing already the forgiving future) below:
Images: Autumn Allen/Facebook(3); YouTube(2)
