Shanghai prankster group Monkey Kingz is in some hot water after one of their latest stunts created mass chaos inside of a subway train and led several people to call the police. It was supposed to be a Halloween prank featuring a rogue zombie, but the additional touch of having the actor cough up a blood-like substance and stumble around in pain seemed to be crossing the line for some people, especially in light of a recent international medical scare. Take a look at the video for yourself and decide whether the prank was a smashing success or downright inappropriate.
Monkey Kingz is a prankster group based in Shanghai composed of three main actors and two behind-the-scenes members. You can check out their Facebook page or read more about their usual hijinks in an interview with them here.
To get more of a feel for what they typically do, here’s their self-professed favorite prank to date:
While that video may conjure up more laughter than raised eyebrows, one of the group’s latest pranks have left some people wondering if they’ve finally gone too far. Beginning with a traditional “hopping” Chinese zombie prank, which didn’t so much make people scream as it made them whip out their camera phones, the Monkey Kingz kicked off celebrating the Halloween spirit in a playful nature. That is, until their subsequent bloodied zombie prank on October 27.
▼The Chinese zombie prank
The video for the bloodied zombie prank was uploaded onto YouTube on October 30 along with the following description:
“Maybe it’s the Ebola pandemic thats [sic] got people on the edge, or perhaps Chinese people think zombies are real. Either way, things escalate…”
Now, take a moment to watch the prank unfold after the “zombie” enters Jing’an Temple Station:
What do you think–were the frightening touches of coughing and “blood” going too far, especially in light of the recent Ebola hysteria around the world?
According to the Shanghai Daily, the 31-year-old prankster was subsequently arrested after causing mass panic on the train. That’s Shanghai also reported that he was jailed for five days, though they haven’t received official confirmation.
As much as everyone loves zombies, perhaps people should err on the side of caution when involving crowds of people in an enclosed area while displaying bloody symptoms…
Sources: That’s, Shanghai Daily
Images: YouTube (TMD)