Most hidden camera shows (andreality TVin general) don’t get people the wayWhat Would You Do?does. It can be a little over the top at times, but for the most part, it’s pretty grounded in reality and usually pulls scenarios straight from the headlines. The nice thing aboutWhat Would You Do?, though, is that the hidden camera serves only to see how people react to the scenarios, good, bad, and ugly. There areno pranks, and theshow doesn’t cut out reactions just because they’re not the “right” ones.It makes for a show that infuriates you as often as it restores your hope in humanity. What more can you really ask for?
Of course, in its long (and impressive)16 year run,What Would You Do?has covered a lot of hot topics that garner some wild reactions, enough for more than a few top 10 compilations. However, no episode can top the 12th episode in Season 10, specifically the scenario “Teens Harass and Humiliate the Homeless.”
What Would You Do?
Hidden cameras capture the reactions of ordinary people when faced with ethical dilemmas in public settings. Hosted by John Quiñones, the show explores human behavior and morality, sparking thought-provoking discussions on societal norms and values.
The ‘What Would You Do?’ Wildest Moments Runners-Up
Let’s look at some contenders for the wildest episodes ofWhat Would You Do?to put things into perspective. There are plenty of episodes that also deal with the topic of homelessness, such as Season 17’s second episode, “Homeless Woman Seeks a Meal at a Restaurant.” In the episode, there is a really great reaction from a man who wasveryinsistent that the homeless woman shouldn’t be allowed to be in the restaurant, andas soon as the cameras come in, he is quick to make his getaway. If you’re going to say it with your whole chest, you’d think doing it on national television wouldn’t bother you. It’s funny for sure, but it’s not quite the wildest. Though the other patrons “you’re my sister” bit is very sweet.
There are also quite a few that deal with the mistreatment of women. Season 14’s 12th episode, “Mother Is Criticized for Breastfeeding Her Baby in Public,” shows a pretty interesting response to the episode’s antagonist, with one of the final diners walking himself over to her table and saying “why don’t I make you feel as uncomfortable as you’re making her feel?” His reaction is honestly the highlight of the episode, and it’sone of the more explosive in the series, but he doesn’t say anything worse than that. This episode also has a kid cheering when the episode’s antagonist storms out, which is really cute.You go, kid!
And, of course, it wouldn’t beWhat Would You Do?without dozens of scenarios involving children. Season 14’s sixth episode, “Wannabe Social Media Model Teen Treats Store Employees Poorly,” is one where the kid is the antagonist (not unlike the episode that this article is actually about) and it has two great responses, both telling off the mother of the bratty teen. It’s especially wild coming from another teenaged shopper who is wise beyond her years and not afraid to say that her own mother would have thrown her out of the house if she acted like the entitled little girl. Really good stuff, but itdoesn’t have the spit-take quality of our central episode.
“Teens Harass and Humiliate the Homeless” Is “What Would You Do?’s Most Wild Episode
So, there’s definitely plenty to work with in the series, but what makes Season 10, Episode 12 so wild? Well, there’s the fact that it’s about teens bullying homeless people for likes, which is already very ugly and unfortunatelyall too common.Many people see the homeless as one of the most vulnerable populations in the United States, and in the case of this episode,the people passing by are quick to tell the kids that homeless people are not entertainmentand to give the man the dollar and leave instead of being little jerks. And it’s warranted criticism for the teens, who are making a homeless man get on his knees and bark like a dog for a dollar. I’m shaking just thinking about it, I won’t lie. It’s one of the few episodes where every person seems to come to the homeless man’s defense and almost every person stops to weigh in on the situation directly, which already places it among the wildest of episodes. There’s no finding a manager or just calling the police as they pass by — almost everyone tells these teens off.
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However, some people are always more passionate than others when they swoop in to be the hero, and the group at the end make the episode. First are two women, one of whom immediately tells the kids how disgusted she is as she places money in the man’s jar and continues that she has two children that would never act like that. When the kids say they’re just trying to have fun,a second woman comes in and says quite possibly the coldest line in the history of the series: “why don’t you have fun? Why don’t you go drown?”She then calls them all “pieces of sh*t” before returning to their group.
However, the real cherry on the sundae of the episode is the last man, who storms over while saying “how about I have fun at your expense?” He ispissed, so much so that the actor playing the homeless man even tells him it’s okay, trying to calm him down without breaking character.This guy looks like he’s about to send these kids to the shadow realmwhen John Quinones comes out.Honestly, if Quinones had waited any longer,there probably would have been a physical altercation. That’s what takes the episode to the next level. That man was done talking.
What Would You Do?’s Season 10, Episode 12 is its wildest. In a sea of bystanders quietly asking for a manager or trying to kindly but firmly tell people to get bent, it showspeople that aren’t afraid to get right in someone’s face and tell them exactly what they mean. It’s even more interesting that the criticism — which isrough, especially at the end of the episode — is aimed at teens, and it was some of the harshest of the series. But with such a hard-hitting topic and a couple of teen actors who play the part of evil little minions incredibly well, it’s no surprise this episode gave us some of the wildest responses out there. Maybe there is some hope for the world with people like that willing to jump into action.
What Would You Do?is available to stream on ABC in the U.S.
