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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 whileothers 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 auniquely relevant dynamic in the study of deviance.

This show is about four friends who come up with increasingly embarrassing and awkward tasks for eachother. Each episode, the one who is least successful in carrying out these tasks is punished at the end ofthe show. The punishment is inevitably more embarrassing than any of the tasks before it, and theyhave no choice but to comply fully. In other words, each actor is tested in their capacity to demonstratepublic deviance acts or attributes that depart in an undesirable way from a groups norms and evokenegative social reactions (Sandstrom et al., 2014, pg. 234) , and the one who is least successful ispunished with a mandatory act of forced humiliation. This means that the actor who best demonstratespublic deviance is actually the least deviant within his immediate peer group, while the one whopublically 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 issimultaneously experiencing public disapproval and private peer approval (or vice-versa). A fan of theshow quickly finds that each of the actors has their own unique and highly specific deviant identitieswithin this context. For example, Joe consistently acts without hesitation and inhibition, while Sal has areputation for germophobia and social awkwardness. The sociological significance here is that, althoughtheir actions make little sense from the outsiders perspective, each of the actors have establishedidentities 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 ofdeviance. From the uninformed public perspective, their appearance and behavior is clearly andirrefutably inappropriate thats the pr emise that the comedy of the show hinges on. Public onlookersrepresent the absolutist position, maintaining the idea that certain behaviors and qualities areinherently good, right, and proper whereas others are clearly bad, immoral, and inappropriate. TheDeviance of an act or attribute, then, is not determined by the standards or judgments of a specificsocial group. Rather, right and wrong exist prior to and independently of humanly created rules,customs, o r 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 thatstandards 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 invarious settings, cultures, and periods of history (Sandstrom et al., 2014, pg. 236). Each challenge is theprocess of evaluating the absolutist position within a given context, then creating context-specific

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8/11/2019 Digital Artifact 2 - Alex Gurevich

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standards of conformity and deviance. Conformity within the group means executing the behaviors thatviolate the absolutist standards within that context. Only by understanding the full context (that this is aprank 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 ofthese violations include the actors putting their noses on unknowing onlookers, saying deranged andcontroversial 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 whichan 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 moreridiculous 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 tocarefully designed tasks of public humiliation. Deviance can feel extremely uncomfortable, almostunbearably so, as the weight of surrounding judgmental gazes bear down on your psyche, urging you tochange or remove yourself from the situation post-haste.