You’ve surely seen the video of a woman twerking backwards up against a door, falling into a glass table, and getting caught on fire. The clip had all the hallmarks of an amateur production, including a realistic-looking background and a woman genuinely freaking out. Still, many people were skeptical that it was genuine. It turns out that the whole thing was staged by Jimmy Kimmel’s show using a Hollywood stunt woman.
Last night, Kimmel aired a interview with the video’s star, conducting it straight at first and then revealing that it was all a prank. The video was so good, and the reveal so well orchestrated, that at first I thought it was some kind of meta-prank, like Kimmel was inserting himself into video and taking credit for it after the fact. That wasn’t the case, it was a planned hoax. Kimmel explained that his people just posted the video on YouTube and were careful not to promote it at all. In a week the clip has had 9 million views.
Kimmel interviewed the woman, who in actuality is a stuntwoman named Daphne Avalon. “We didn’t send it to any TV station, we didn’t tweet it,” Kimmel said. “We just put it on YouTube and let the magic happen.”
Some speculated that the video was fake, but was not until now that Kimmel, notorious for his large and small scale pranks, admitted that he was behind it.
Avalon was unable to tell anyone the truth about the video, having been sworn to secrecy after they shot a video a few months ago, well before Miley Cyrus’ scandalous VMA performance…
What’s to be learned from all this? “Hopefully,” Kimmel said, this will “end twerking forever.” Let’s hope America can accept that challenge.
Props to Kimmel and his team for knowing how to stage a viral video and releasing it at just the right time. This beats getting Matt Damon angry or having parents give their kids lousy Christmas presents, both of which were brilliant in their own right.
Now someone needs to take that animated gif and replace the stunt woman with Miley Cyrus. Even a photo will do. Come on Internet, this needs to happen.
His eyebrows in the first picture! lol
Hahaha…I thought it was real. Kimmel always deliver.
It was so obviously fake. Radio stations across the country were calling it out as fake. He has stooped to new levels to get attention for his terrible show.
LOL the fact that no one officially outed him was brilliant!
I knew this was a stunt when I saw it; brilliant seems like a bit of a stretch but I will say it was amusing.
+1
+2
ha, that’s pretty funny
Kimmel is one of the few entertainers out there who is still original and entertaining.
How is putting out a fake YouTube video that screams, I need attention because my awful show certainly doesnt get enough, original?
I nearly had a heart attack when she caught on fire.
Same. That video was not funny to me at all. I’m highly relieved to learn it was staged.
I thought it was real but questioned it slightly. Putting her on fire was over the top and strange. That was a huge flame that seemed to do no harm.
I had a feeling it was fake when the guy rushed in there with the fire extinguisher. But the whole thing was hilarious.
in the original youtube video they cut that part so the video ended after she caught fire. clearly its a prank when jimmy kimmel arrives.
Lol I fell for it! I’m glad it’s a prank. Those could have been some serious burns if it was real.
Kimmel just set the bar so high. Haha, amazing!
Hardy har har.
I figured it was staged, but had no idea it came from them- that’s the clever part.
Go Jimmy! Hook, line & sinker… He reeled us in! Lol!
Genious!
Awesome & thank god!!
Good stunt!!
Hubs and I died laughing when Kimmel did his big reveal last night. We both got punked. Good one, Jimmy! 😉
The video is funny now that I know it’s a fake! Awesome stunt.
I LOVED the crappy Christmas present videos. Most of them were hilarious. There were a few kids who needed to learn to some manners though. Has anyone watched the “I ate all your halloween candy?” also great.
but what was the point of him staging a video on youtube? Just to reveal that it was a fake and get attention?