Office Prankster

image C.P. Smith, an editor at the Orange County Register, has accepted a buyout and will soon be leaving his job. And during his final days at work he's decided to become a prankster. After all, what can management do? Fire him?

When interviews are being filmed in the paper's offices, he becomes "loud, disruptive, and performs antics for the camera." Here's one of his antics, as described by the KOCE-TV news director:
During an interview, which will air tonight, with Register reporter John Gittelsohn another Register employee [Smith] walked over to the interview area, intentionally stood behind John, faced the camera, picked his nose, and wiped it on his shirt. Unfortunately, this was part of our live-to-tape 30 minute broadcast which airs tonight at 6:30 for all to see.
I'm guessing there's more to this story than we're being told.

Business/Finance Pranks

Posted on Thu Aug 09, 2007


Comments

I like this! When corporations play "pranks" on their employees like cutting their pensions or oursourcing which costs hundreds or thousands of workers their jobs, their attitude is "Oh well."

The guy's out of a job but he's going to be a YouTube star for the next several months.

Hey, corporations, loyalty is a two-way street.
Posted by Cranky Media Guy  on  Thu Aug 09, 2007  at  02:40 AM
This man is my new hero!
Posted by Nona  on  Thu Aug 09, 2007  at  07:07 AM
A few years ago when Microsoft had their customer service center here in Tucson (run by another company whose name I forget) one of my friends was employed there. The call center was transfered to India. The employees were informed that their jobs were going to India and that they were to train their replacements. According to my friend, the replacements were taught all the wrong things. So, if you have called tech support for Microsoft and got someone from India and they couldn't fix your problem, you know why. My friend now has a higher paying job.

This guy, C.P. Smith probably didn't just start being a problem to the paper. I'm betting he caused problems for a long time before he was offered a buy-out. I don't think someone just decides to become a prankster, I think there has to be a mindset there beforehand. I could be wrong, my studies of psychology were not that extensive, but I think pranksters are born not made.
Posted by Christopher Cole  on  Thu Aug 09, 2007  at  12:44 PM
Yep, there is more. Turns out that the whole thing is... well, not true. Except for the finger-in-the-nose part, and the layoff part (which parts are apparently unconnected).

http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2007/08/register_editor_cp_smith.php

Love this blog!
Posted by Mark  on  Sat Aug 11, 2007  at  01:07 PM
I frankly think this has nothing to do with paper vs TV media or lay offs or anything else. I think this is personal between these two guys. A competition for a woman???!!! One upsmanship???!!! Male chest thumping over - whatever???!!!

This is too personal - why mention the layoff? Why mention the wife? If just an "innocent nose pick" - why all the other references?
Posted by Joyce  on  Mon Nov 05, 2007  at  05:31 PM
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