Worst parents in the world punk kid into thinking he got an Xbox 360
By Ryan Block 
posted February 29th 2008 5:54PM
posted February 29th 2008 5:54PM
Jonathan, you out there? Screw those people, they clearly don't understand what it is to be a kid and to want an awesome gadget so badly you can taste it. We've been there our whole lives. Since, as a publication, we can't just adopt you and raise you as our own, I will personally send you an Xbox 360 and some games -- but only on the condition that you swear to you'll never let your douchebag family play with it. Hit me up at engadget at gmail dotcom, make sure you can identify yourself so I know I've got the right person.
Update: We've been flooded with email from well-meaning geeks and even Microsoft; just about everyone wants to help us hook up Jonathan. We totally appreciate the sentiment, but we've got this covered. We think we've gotten in touch with his family (who let us know he never got an Xbox, and the whole thing really was a prank on the poor kid); once we know for sure we have the right people we'll post again.
"He was such a nice child, never bothered anybody. I don't know what would have caused him to bludgeon his family and feed them alive to the mice"
the worst part is they continued to film even when he started to sulk. What kind of immoral people are these parents? Do they not realize how utterly cruel that prank is? I must say that would probably scar me as a person. My folks intensionally pretending to have purchased me a 360, then to laugh at me when I realize that its just a load of future laundry while on camera. And to top of this creme de la creme of swill put this whole ordeal on youtube for our amusement. I think this would even piss off someone with severe case of retardation. Something that the parents are most likely diagnosed with. I just can't seem get one thing straight about about this whole picture: it's how they acquired that box. If they're so poor how did they get it? From a friend? Maybe an acquaintance? a BestBuy's dumpster? a failed attempt at arson; with which they picked up an empty box and no employees noticed? Now, it must be that all this plotting can lead one astray from the question: "is this all worth it?" Is it worth while to go through all this trouble just to permanently loose your child's trust? Guess that thought never crossed them, it couldn't have unless they enjoyed this sort of thing. In all seriousness, what kind of a sick and twisted pleasure do these parent get from this? Ackk I gotta get of this topic before I blow another fuse. So to conclude when we do find these clowns the least we can do is call child support.
...funny how spanking a kid on his behind when he's naughty is considered child abuse, but this not!
Whole family laughing at you being the Christmas fool, mom walking away when you're about to cry and brother making comments while capturing your response until you cry... This is REAL child abuse!
I don't know if someone else has said this already, but I'd think twice before sending the kid an XBox. (And before you think I'm cruel, I watched the video with tears running down my face and a feeling like I wanted to throw up - I experienced similar things in my childhood.)
A few things: In the original YouTube posting, the poster said that they HAD gotten him the XBox, and that he got it later. Of course, no follow up video was provided, but - if the purpose of the posting was to be all "hahaha, look how bad we f'ed up his Christmas morning," why put the disclaimer on that it was a prank? They'd be proud of having tricked him.
Second, they got the box from somewhere. It appears to be in new condition, not banged up or dented as it would be if it were pulled from a dumpster. This lends credence to the theory that he got the game later.
Third, the family was contacted by Engadget *after* there was a lot of outrage on the internet, with many many people saying, "Hell, that was cruel, I'll send him an XBox." Knowing that this is the mindset of a large percentage of the people who saw the video, if you were contacted about the vid, would you say, "Yes, he really got it and I just forgot to put the video up," or would you think to yourself, "Hey, free XBox!" and say in a mournful voice, "No, sadly, he never did get the XBox, poor child," and milk it? (Again, please no hate - "free XBox!" would be the first thing to cross MY mind, although I wouldn't follow through on it.)
On the one hand, I deeply support the sort of grassroots campaign that's come up to "make it up" to this child, but there is a small voice telling me it's a very bad idea. If word gets out that this video was posted of the child's heartbreak on Christmas morning but then Engadget made it all right, and the majority of the internet was volunteering to send an XBox... how many MORE kids are going to get "punk'd" in hopes of a similar "rescue"?
I've racked my brain trying to think of a way to reach out that would take all of that into consideration, and I can't think of one, so no, I have nothing better to suggest. But please, think long and hard about all the possible motivations and implications before acting. Thanks for "listening."
If this was faked, then that kid's one hell of an actor.
Christmas is like the one time a year we all try to get along with our family, the one time there is hope against hope that maybe good shit really happens. So what did these people do to the kid? they made a joke out of him. the kid was in shock. not just cos there was no XBOX 360 in the box, but that his own flesh and blood would stoop so low as to make a mockery of him for their enjoyment. That kid will never trust his parents again. What you see in his eyes is innocence lost. Sure, we all lose it at sometime, but from your own family, on camera, then on YOU TUBE?
That's just wrong. No,it's criminal. I remember back in 1988 when I got the NES Action Set for Christmas, how I felt when unwrapping that.. if it was stuffed with clothes, and I was on camera being mocked like that... I'd lose it. There would be blood. Lots of it.
So what happened with this?
If this kid murdered his entire family, it would be totally justified.
These people are fucking moron's, what asshole wraps up some shirts and gives it to your kid on Xmas. You're suppose to make you're kids happy and not make a joke out of them. You can tell the person making the video sounds like an ignorant fuck! We can't afford an Xbox but you can afford a video camera and a computer to upload this video to the internet and make a mockery of your child, I hope you burn in hell! You could have gone with out some of the food that the fat ass sitting on the chair in the video ate. Stupid fuckers.
This is so OLD FFS. His brother originally posted this on Youtube, it was a prank for him being caught SNOOPING!
He later DID receive the Xbox.
You bunch of f**king idiots, including anyone wanting to help him like Microsoft and the lot. BAD ENGADGET for not paying attention to source material, or taking news from somewhere else and contributing to BROKEN TELEPHONE.
Did you RTFA? It states they got in contact with the family and that little einstein didn't get his X-Box. So STFU.
Has he gotten the 360 yet? I've been checkin this page every week for like a month now when's he gonna actually get a 360 i feel so bad 4 him
kids have changed
I smell quintuple homicide. These are the kinds of moments where you don't actually continue laughing. It wasn't sad that the kid didn't get his XBox360, but it was upsetting that his own parents and relatives kept laughing because the kid was upset and crying about not just being tricked, but he was lied to by his own parents. I guess some idiots don't understand that if you want your kid to grow up with bitterness and negativity, you feed him/her negativity. These people need to find a new way to entertain themselves.
Anyone realize this kid is like eight years old? To be honest, I don't think he needs a 360. He could be out playing freeze tag or something.
And to those calling this "evil" and such: You're prime examples of Engadget's self-described geekiness. lol
He's not going to suffer any emotional trauma. He's gonna grow up, be given an Xbox 1080, look back on the Christmas his family pulled the prank on him and laugh.
I want a 360, I want a Wii, I want a PS3, but I don't need one. I have to pay those wonderful things called bills, like rent, power, heat, and phone.
As much as it was not nice the joke that was played, that should not entitle someone to something. People have been playing pranks in different forms, for many years, right or wrong. The difference with this one is that it was filmed and upped to utube.
It is sad, in some respects, that I see homeless people in places that I volunteer at that say they cannot afford food or housing but have 1-2 PSP, many games, and more CDs than I can afford in the last 5 years combined. I do not know how they were received, so I choose not to judge, but rather than give them money I choose to donate my time.
I hope that the family has learned their lesson as it makes them look bad. But, I also hope that rather than sensationalizing this incident, that companies choose to give the money and time and supplies to those people that truly need the assistance, not to people that have the 5 seconds of fame.
It matters little if he actually got the x-box or not his parents(who i assume he places alot of trust) disillusioned him on x-mas.
Him Mother hiding behind her hand so she does not see the hurt she has caused to her child, and then to leave the room because she is uncomfortable with the situation .
For a family who cannot afford an x-box360 maybe if she cut back on SNAK TIME she could afford a gift.
Hey Rob,
I'm sorry your parents where such dicks. But, look on the bright side, you've apparently learned a thing or two from them! If you're too dumb to understand the difference between a savings bond and an xbox to a kid, I'm not so sure you should be having any. The kid was upset. His parents were cox and if you would do the same thing to your kid..... then news flash Mr. Satanic Brady, you're a cock too!!!!
Give the kid an xbox and FUCK ROB!!!
Rob
It's obvious that kids are spoiled all the time now but seriously you took that too far. I know for a fact that if that happened to you at that age, you'd be VERY disappointed.
Oh and your comment about engadget sending him an xbox is crazy. If they were to send him money for a college fund do you really think that the boys going to use it for that purpose? Apart from that if they gave him money for college it would be completely off-topic and would defy the whole purpose of the video.
ok, we have all at some point(s) been unhappy when we don't get the coolest shit on the block, but seriously, lil don king is overreacting, when I was that kids age, I did chores and helped out with everything I could to get my N64 on my B-day, later on, when I wanted a 360, I worked a lot and saved up a buttload of $ and bought it myself, however it wasn't so hard as i'm only 17 now and don't have any real expenses, but when I do, I'm not gonna freak out if my parents don't help me get an apt or car or whatever, all my shit comes from my pocket. now this kid probably just whined about how badly he wanted it the other 364 days of the year and waited for the holidays, it was mean to trick him on camera but still, it wouldn't be so bad if he wasn't like most kids who assume they get a wishlist and a half's worth of stuff just because it's Christmas. Just because he wanted a 360 more than clothes doesn't mean he can't happily wear them. and OMFG ,,!,, (*_*) ,,!,, to all ppl who thinks he should get it just cuz he cried
and OMG...
hair...
is...
trippy
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0_o
engadget you used this story to generate click$ and you don't provide any updates.. u suck as much as this kid's parents.
I'd be happy to chip in on getting this kid his Xbox. This treatment is awful - I mean, for heaven's sake, doing that to a child is just wrong! They were very concious indeed what they were doing, and that's what makes it so dreadful.
I'd be more than happy to give a few dollars for a thing like this. The boy deserves it, and more than anything, he deserves to know that there are good people out there that can actually care.