Developing: Pakistani Plane Escorted by UK Fighter Jets — 2 Men Arrested

Doc Thompson’s 24-hour radio marathon, ‘#24forok,’ continues until 9 am ET — Listen Live!

Technology

Mom’s Practical Joke on 8-Year-Old Son Goes Viral After She Tells Him He Accidentally Bought $50k Car on eBay

Jan. 3, 2013 9:10am Liz Klimas

Some parents love pranking their kids and getting a good laugh as their children cry about their loss of Halloween candy or whine about the bad Christmas gifts they’ve been jokingly given. But some think this mom who led her son to believe he had purchased a $50,000 car on eBay went too far.

In a YouTube video posted December 30, the mom wrote, “My 8 year old almost bought [a] $50K Mustang on eBay, I decided to tease him a little.”

The video starts with the son laying forlornly on an ottoman as his mother Paula Papen says “Did you buy that $50,000 Mustang on eBay?” He swears he didn’t, but she says he did and the deal is done. Then the crying begins.

Mom Jokes With Son Making Him Cry as He Thought He Accidentally Bought a $50,000 Mustang on eBay

(Image: YouTube screenshots)

“Can we cancel it?” the son asks.

When told no, he covers his eyes, cries and says, “We’ll have to sell everything. I am horrible.” Papen assures him that he’s not horrible; that he just made a mistake.

Dad gets involved too prompting the son to explain what happened.

“I didn’t mean to buy it. I was just looking at it and then when I tried to exit out, it bought it. I was like ‘Oh no, oh no,’ and so I turned the iPad off.”

The mom before one minute of teasing is up, relieves her son’s conscience and tells him he didn’t really spend $50,000 on a car. So thankful, the son issues a final “fistful of snot,” as the mom described it in the video title.

Watch the slightly more than one minute video:

Some in the comments though think Papen might have been a bit cruel, teasing her son in this fashion. Here are a few of those comments:

marshalt: A wonderful mother does not make her son cry, and then put it on the internet and expose him and the rest of their family to internet trolls for years to come.
Kratos Blades: Nice! I think that more parents should traumatize their children and then post it on Youtube!
faintygirl: Joking around as a family is one thing, as a family we have always joked around and we love to wind each other up. But what you did to your son was cruel. When he burst into tears, that was the point where you should have put your camera down and let him know that you were joking. Instead of continuing to video him when he was upset so you could upload it to youtube and humiliate him.

Others have come to Papen’s defense and she too wrote a response to these comments:

Haha folks, this was not planned, sorry the vertical video is such an issue…lesson learned. As for the claim of abuse, the user below defined it, it’s a ‘pattern’ there is one video, labour ONE minute long. It was a joke, take it for what it is! Laugh a little. Anyone who knows us knows that we are a silly family who laughs WITH and yes, sometimes, even AT each other!

What do you think of Papen’s joke? Let us know in the comments.

(H/T: Huffington Post)

In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.

Back to The Blaze »

Comments (94)

froggy19510
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 12:44pm
Funny! HAHA! You lie to your kids when they are little then wonder why they lie to you when they are teenagers. What a fool.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- 226crimsontrace
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 1:39pm
  But if a classmate makes him cry, we call it bullying. There are way to many people out there that think everything their kids do is “so cute’. They are only cute to yourselves and the editors of this page
  
  Report this comment
- sta
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 2:16pm
  Thank you so much for being the voice of reason!
  All of us have little jokes we play on our kids around April 1st. These parents go way too far.
  
  Report this comment
- omgfolks
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 4:06pm
  Harmless prank on a kid and now the Whinners’s of the nation want to point fingers, cast blame or otherwise try to make the parents out to be the bad guy. It was a harmless prank that TAUGHT a lesson to a child. For those of you WHINNING crawl back under rock
  
  Report this comment
- US_SOLDIER
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 4:44pm
  Lighten up people it was just a joke. I remember when I was 5 for two weeks my dad kept telling me I was getting a box of rocks for xmas. When xmas day came everyone was opening their presents and getting sweet toys and what did I get? A box of rocks lol. And yea I might of cried a lil bit, then my dad brought my real presents out after a lil torment. And I like to think I turned out ok :)
  
  Report this comment
- Dan_o
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 5:38pm
  What would be worse is if you whining fools turned the kid into a perpetual victim. Get a grip.
  
  Report this comment
- The_Pointy_End
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 8:40pm
  @us_soldier
  I agree a little poking is ok, however in your situation your father knew you, knew what you could handle, and most importantly knew when to quit. He also didn’t post your response to the box of rocks on the Internet in perpetuity.
  We all know that person that just doesn’t know when to stop, unfortunately for this kid, this person is his parent. This video went viral, not because it is heartwarming but to publicly make fun of and humiliate the kid. Why would any good parent participate in that?
  
  Report this comment
- Thomas
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 5:07am
  You people shut up. You emotional idiots carry your bleeding hearts too far. The kid was doing something he wasn’t suppose to and he learned his lesson without getting his ass handed to him. I hate these wimpy people who can’t handle anything anymore and end up crazy because they have gotten carried away with emotions. Being in this world sometimes requires a thick skin so either get it or go crazy and waste your money on a psychiatrist.
  
  Report this comment
@leftfighter
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 12:01pm
Lighten up, folks. If anything, it taught the kid to be careful of what he was doing at all times.

By his crying, we know already that he has remorse when he thinks he’s bought something with someone else’s money. We know already that he won’t be a Congressman when he grows up.

Just sayin’.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- 9111315
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 12:22pm
  That might be the type of congressman we need!
  
  Report this comment
- steelpanther
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 1:00pm
  It’s good to instill a bit of disbelief into kids to, really don’t need them going around believing everything that’s on the internet.
  
  Report this comment
term limits for congress
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 11:58am
He has a mom AND a dad? That’s so… yesterday… and wrong. I guess they use the practical jokes to warp him just a little bit to compensate for his lack of a diverse household.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Metallicat
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 11:24am
I blame the feminists who have made it common place to ridicule and humiliate men every chance they get,to make them feel more superior and intelligent. Now mothers belittle their sons for entertainment,and share it on social media. Who needs “Home Improvement”, or “Married with Children”,now that we have facebook? She is putting him in his place for having male genitals,and he must learn early that he is a stupid tool for women to manipulate and ridicule. Marcey Darcey would be proud. And they whine there are no real men left,while they raise their sons to be fools to entertain them.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- Metallicat
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 11:44am
  I do think its funny,and the mother didnt have malicious intent. I just believe she doesnt know she has learned this behavior from a pro feminist media whose agenda is to belittle men,to make women seem superior,and it may harm her son and his relationship with women,if she makes this behavior a habit.
  
  Report this comment
- ToddH
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 1:16pm
  Woah: Jimmy Kimmel is part of the “feminist media” whose only intent in playing practical jokes on children of both genders with bad Christmas gifts and stolen Halloween candy is to “belittle men”?
  How do you figure that?
  And who the heck is “Marcey Darcey”?
  
  Report this comment
COFemale
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 11:20am
Everybody wants their 15 minutes of fame at the expense of others. This was done intentionally and the parents may say it was all in fun, but to a kid who does not quite understand “joking” will not see it this way. His first thought of his parents, this is mean. Shame on these parents. These parents need to grow up.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- 226crimsontrace
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 1:45pm
  All that is needed to humiliate the crap out of this kid is for the local bully to find this video. Congratulations mom, when he comes home from school crying, you did it.
  Youtube has to much crap like this already, a mean mom need not add to it
  
  Report this comment
SPIN_MD
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 10:51am
First of all why is a kid looking at a $50K car on eBay? That is the first flag. If this is real, and I strongly suspicion that it isn’t, then pranking the kid is unconscionable. What lesson is being learned? Letting an 8 year old kid have and or use an iPad is a recipe for disaster.

From my own observation, most of that type behavior stems from arrogance and pride.

“My kid is so smart he can handle a sophisticated electronic device which accesses just about any sort of venue with no repercussions or problems.”

My brother in law discovered this when he bought a computer for my nephew at age 9. The boy locked the computer with a password and it could not be accessed. My brother in law had to pay a couple of hundred bucks to get back into the computer. Needless to say, he changed his opinion of his brilliant mature 9 year old son being able to handle a computer without supervision.

I can safely speculate these people are not going to win any prizes for parenting.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
hauschild
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 10:48am
I’m so embarrassed and ashamed to be living in an era where such shallow creativity is lauded and glorified.

Again, it would be much easier to exist if I were either 75 years old or 20; the former, time is short, so there are more important things to worry about while the latter means I’m an idiot and would find this tripe awe-inspiring.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Eastinfection
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 10:30am
When i was a kid, my reaction would have been, “…um… but i get to keep the car.. right?”

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
LilMissSunshine
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 10:26am
I guess you need to be one a*****le of a parent to try to humiliate your child publicly like that. I feel sorry for this kid.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- boss_ross
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 10:47am
  shut up
  
  Report this comment
65Mustang
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 10:22am
I’m not big on practical jokes . I can see where mom thought it was funny…didn’t need to post it on you. tube. I like his taste in cars !!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Disabledvet
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 10:04am
If that was the only thing my parents did to me that made me cry I would have been great, keep going mess with your kids at least you are sharing time and fun with them,

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Eastinfection
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 10:03am
This reminds me of my favorite “Deep Thoughts with Jack Handey”…

“One thing kids like is to be tricked. For instance, I was going to take my little nephew to Disneyland, but instead I drove him to an old burned-out warehouse. “Oh, no,” I said. “Disneyland burned down.” He cried and cried, but I think that deep down, he thought it was a pretty good joke.”

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- 4xeverything
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 2:22pm
  Holy cr@p! I actually remember that one. Hahahahaha.
  
  Report this comment
MisterSarcastic
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 9:57am
My parents played a few practical jokes on me. Fortunately, neither cell phones nor YouTube existed at the time. I got my dad back by filling his nearly empty car with water from a nearby puddle. ‘Course, he then got me back with a belt. NOT FAIR!!!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
4xeverything
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 9:52am
Wow, people are such tighta$$es. I remember a vacation trip when I was 12…we had all been in the car for about 12 hours. My brother and I would not stop fighting so, instead of threatening to pull the car over and kicking us out…my father actually pulled the car over and kicked us out. We stood on a street corner for about 10min. When he thought that the message sank in he came around the corner and picked us up. There was no discussion about it and we were the epitomy of saintly children for the rest of the trip (another 6 hours). This kid learned his lesson and his parents had fun teaching it to him. Kudos. I say I can’t wait for the next one.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- Melika
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 6:32pm
  There is a big difference between punishing bad behavior and humiliating your child for a mistake that he DIDN’T make. The kid obviously had no intentions of buying the vehicle and immediately stopped any activity when he thought he pressed the wrong button (one has to question the wisdom of the adult who saved their Ebay password in a portable device). It would be in poor taste to pull this prank on an honest kid, but then to upload it for the entire planet shows what an insensitive boob she is. This kind of video can and probably will be used against him in a few years by other bullies like his mom. Of course, they will tell everyone to just “light up and stop being tight @sses” too.
  
  But hey, she says she is a great mom with a healthy family, so it must be true.
  
  Report this comment
- 4xeverything
  Posted on January 4, 2013 at 12:22pm
  Grow up, Melika. It’s the ridiculous “tighta$$es” like yourself who raise pansy, whiney, brats who don’t understand consequences and believe the world owes them just for being born. A kid who grows up being able to laugh at himself and to take a joke will grow up with self confidence and an ability to understand and work with what life throws at them. When you grow up you’ll realize that a good toughening up is what every boy needs in order to become a well adjusted man.
  
  Report this comment
MMSands
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 9:48am
Didn’t grow up around practical jokers, so wouldn’t know.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Choctaw25
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 9:38am
Marshall is a leftist liberal living in his parents basement because his stupid *** won’t get out and find a job. Oh that’s right there are no jobs thanks to his choice in the voting booth.
At least these parents were interacting with their children in the home and weren’t out buying drugs and stealing guns to use on innocent people.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
PIGSWILLNEVERFLY
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 9:33am
6 of one and half dozen of the other. It depends if they were teaching an important life lesson or wanting to make a fool of him in cyber space. Either one has lasting effects on impressionable children using technology in today’s cyber world. What was the point being made? or just humiliation?

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
anAmericanVet
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 9:33am
Ahhh, reminds me of when I was a kid.
Mom and Dad would pack up and move to a new town when left for school. Then when I would find them weeks later they would just laugh at the big prank thay had pulled on me.

Pulling pranks is funny, make someone cry during a prank is hilarious.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
woodyee
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 9:32am
Good. Now that she’s done with the funnies, perhaps she can get slob off the couch to do something while she starts cleaning up that mess. Speaking of cleaning up messes, anyone seen my Dora Glasberg?

Last time I saw her she was on her way out to shovel the driveway just before New Years…or was that Christmas?

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- MisterSarcastic
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 10:07am
  She’s now Charles116 or something like that. Last I heard she was going to visit the White House. She’s probably at home feverishly trying to get the stains out of her **** and dress.
  
  Report this comment
ResistSocialism
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 9:30am
Bah it’s probably the Mom’s account so who cares!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
docfix
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 9:29am
That’s child abuse any way you cut it. Mom should be ashamed of herself but obviously isn’t otherwise she would not have posted the video on the internet for millions to see. I pray for the kid to not be subjected to constant ridicule by normal kid bullying in school let alone bullying from MOM.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- DiRT
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 9:38am
  Heaven forbid a child be taught a lesson in responsibility! And when he cries because he has to clean up his room, she’d better serve him a big bowl of ice cream and buy him some toys or making him cry then is also child abuse, right?
  
  Report this comment
- dawnrg7
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 12:28pm
  I am sorry but in what state would that constitute child abuse? Get a grip! As a former foster parent of truly ABUSED children (and adoptive parent) sir you have no idea of what you speak!
  
  Report this comment
- docfix
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 12:59pm
  @Dirt @Dawn – teaching your child a lesson because he’s done something wrong is far different than humiliating a child to tears and then posting it on the internet for all to see. If a child cries because they’ve disappointed a parent or realize the error of their ways is a positive lesson learned and far different than humiliating your child to tears and then posting it on the internet for all to see.
  
  @Dawn – as a foster parent (you), I’m disappointed in you that you don’t distinguish the difference between physical abuse and emotional/psychological warfare on a child. They both exist and can be equally damaging. Shame on you. I’m happy to say my parents taught me lessons in life and yes they even brought me to tears… mostly because I knew I was wrong and deserved punishment.
  
  The legal definition of abuse is clearly defined in the following link:
  
  https://www.childwelfare.gov/can/defining/federal.cfm
  
  It clearly says child abuse includes exploitation. I would argue that this child was exploited. Please tell me how I am wrong.
  
  Report this comment
- dawnrg7
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 2:02pm
  @docfix
  Exploitation is referring to sexual exploitation of a child. You must read further. Read state law.
  Their is no mention of exploitation anywhere except when referring to “sexual exploitation”
  Also if you are going to try and refer to this as emotional abuse I can’t see how it fits the legal definition either.
  ‘Mental injury’ means an injury to the psychological capacity or emotional stability of a child as evidenced by an observable or substantial impairment in the child’s ability to function
  
  Yes I do distinguish the difference between physical abuse and
  ” emotional/psychological warfare on a child.”
  
  Of course I know both exist, but not in the you tube video I watched. The parent and child were laughing at the end. Also by the fact that I do not have enough information on said family to make such a claim.
  
  What is truly harmful, according to James Garbarino, (a national expert on emotional abuse,) is the persistent, chronic pattern that “erodes and corrodes a child” (1994). Many experts concur that emotional abuse is typically not an isolated incident.
  
  So you don’t like her parenting style, or her sense of humor, fine, you may find her posting of the video in poor taste…….but please be careful when using the term “child abuse”
  
  I take the issue of child abuse (in any form) very serious.
  
  Report this comment
- DontStopBelieving
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 3:42pm
  Child abuse? Geez, get a grip.
  
  Report this comment
jungle J
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 9:26am
no wonder so many kids are ruined…if his dad did it he would have a dad. and dad would be arrested for child abuse.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- dawnrg7
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 12:35pm
  Again I will ask, in what STATE would this be considered child abuse, do you know the LEGAL definition?
  This is not , again I will repeat this is NOT child abuse. Do some research on child abuse before spouting such rhetoric.
  I am a former foster parent (taking care of truly abused children) and madam or sir, You know not of what you speak.
  
  Report this comment
- sta
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 2:25pm
  I know what state Dawn. Michigan. I’m in a homeschool group with MANY foster parents. If this is a pattern, it’s sure is child abuse. Look at our statute…
  
  “Harm or threatened harm to child’s health or welfare that occurs through nonaccidental physical or mental injury, sexual abuse/exploitation, or maltreatment.”
  
  Now I’m not saying that there are far worse kinds of mental abuse, but if someone were trying to prove “mental injury”, this film could easily be used by a lawyer.
  
  Report this comment
- dawnrg7
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 2:51pm
  In reply posted earlier:
  @Sta
  
  Mental injury’ means an injury to the psychological capacity or emotional stability of a child as evidenced by an observable or substantial impairment in the child’s ability to function
  Re: childwelfare.gov
  
  I guess America’s Funniest Home Videos should be outlawed?
  
  Get a grip…first off you and I know nothing about this family. You and I have no idea of any substantial impairment to this child. (due to this video alone)
  
  Could be used by a lawyer for what????
  
  From this 1min9sec video I see the child has what appears to be two parents in a home, YIKES, SHOCKING today maybe that is enough to call the authorities! Oh and the child seems like he finds it funny himself at the end demonstrated by his laughter ….
  
  Child abuse is a very serious issue to me.
  
  Report this comment
- sta
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 7:10pm
  Whoa Dawn, calm down. This is a discussion site, we discuss. No need to get your panties in a wad.
  You’ve had Foster children, I’ve seen the side that was wrongfully trying to get a family member taken away. You may be great friends with CPS, me, not so much.
  If a lawyer wanted to use this film as a weapon, he/she could as evidence of mental abuse, because no matter what “the law” says, it all comes down to a mediator or judge’s interpretation.
  We have seen over and over again, something like “Mental injury’ means an injury to the psychological capacity or emotional stability of a child as evidenced by an observable or substantial impairment in the child’s ability to function”, which seems wonderfully concrete, used my interested parties and sympathetic judges to their own interpretation. And use it as they see fit.
  Not everything in this world is from the window of your observation, and how you or I would use that interpretation.
  So go ahead and throw about strawmen about intact families and AFV. You simply asked in what state this would be child abuse. I simply told you. It doesn’t take much to prove “child abuse” if one wants to find it. Ask anyone who deals with Michigan CPS.
  
  Report this comment
- dawnrg7
  Posted on January 3, 2013 at 7:55pm
  Gee funny how.things work. I to am in the state of MI, dealt with cps from the provider side and professionally as well . I can’t ever recall a.lawer trying to get children removed from a safe envirment. With so few families fostering, placing a child in care is not so easy, at least the counties I have dealt with.
  I have heard the innocent cries from families of children, I have seen the empathetic judges, overworked cps workers etc..not a perfect system but have seen a lot of good. More good than anything negative.
  
  Sounds like you or someone you know had a bad experience with cps.
  
  Waisting time on this family is just well a waist, but with so much attention, it is possible they could get pa visit from cps and when a real abused child waits for.help because some worker has to do the paperwork,.followup with this family! SMH
  PS: I am.perfectly calm and understand the concept of a” discussion board”
  It is easy when you discuss facts.
  
  Report this comment
banjarmon
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 9:16am
Lesson Learned!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
randy
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 9:16am
Fake!
Look at the kid smile in between his non tears.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on January 3, 2013 at 9:14am
Jeesh, its not any worse than the jokes my own parents and grandparents used to pull on me growing up; the difference is I started getting them back as well…some of the time it succeeded.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply

It appears that you have Javascript Disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser preferences for a better user experience on TheBlaze. You can not comment without Javascript enabled.