A Short Study – Mortal Kombat Elevator Prank

Here’s a video that’s currently holding top position on YouTube’s homepage. It just passed 10.2 million hits, in only 4 days. (update: 34 million hits after six months)

It’s interesting to compare the reactions of the people in the elevator, though I really wish the prankster wasn’t able to call “time-out” as soon as he felt personally threatened.

A few observations:

– If someone seems cool, casual, and is laughing, it doesn’t mean that she/he doesn’t feel threatened.

– It’s a natural reaction for people to close their eyes, or turn their backs [which is the easiest way to get stabbed, dragged down, or choked out], unfortunately.

– Confusion may leave people open to suggestion and instruction — even from their assailant if the assailant is charismatic, has a good sense of timing, and puts on a good act. Just like a hypnotist or a con artist, (or a pickup artist).

– Crazy behaviour and unusual leaps of judgement can occur — at one moment, people could be in a highly adrenalized fight-or-flight state… and 2 seconds later, they could be exchanging high-fives, hugs, back slaps, handshakes, and snapping selfies. (I saw these in other videos by the same guy).

– Instead of directed verbal aggression, screaming is a surprisingly common response.

– The people who responded better claimed their share of the elevator floorspace right from the beginning, and the people who didn’t respond well gave up their floorspace right from the beginning. This was actually a predictor of how the prank was going to go down.

– Some people are more ready to respond than others.

– So much operates on instinct!

Thoughts? More observations? Is fouseyTUBE’s laugh getting on your nerves yet?

Please share!

(related link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortal_Kombat)