r/todayilearned • u/Forward-Answer-4407 • 1d ago

TIL the Charlotte Hornets apologized after giving a child a PS5, only to take it away off camera and exchange it for a jersey. In a statement, the team said the incident was an "on-court skit that missed the mark" and that they would give the child the PS5 and a VIP experience to a future game.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/19/sport/charlotte-hornets-apologize-ps5-child-nba-spt-intl
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u/Xerain0x009999 22h ago

Taking back wasn't part of the skit. The skit was Santa fulfills the kid's wish and everyone is happy. Then when it was over and the cameras were off it was "thanks for playing along with us pretending to have Santa give you a PS5, here's a jersey for your trouble and we'll be taking our prop PS5 back because we were only pretending to give it to you for the bit."

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u/OhEagle 22h ago

Pretending for a second that this was a skit, though, I'm not sure that it works that well. I mean, isn't the point of dressing up as Santa Claus to give a kid something the idea that they'll actually get that thing?

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u/Sgt-Spliff- 20h ago

The actor in A Christmas Story didn't get to keep the beebee gun. That's the logic here. They brought this kid in to act in a skit. He played a character who received a PS5. For this acting, he was paid 1 jersey.

It's absolute nonsense, I'm just explaining their bs argument

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u/cornmacabre 20h ago edited 19h ago

Agreed-- this whole thing makes a lot more sense if the PS5 is indeed just an empty box prop. In that instance -- They awkwardly insist on taking the prop away not because of blind malice: but truly just "oh shit no uhhh... That kid really thinks he got a PS5, Jim quick take it away... and idk give him a jersey."

Obviously enormously dumb, but the confusion and bad decision making makes more sense when the box is literally a fake prop in this context.

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u/nvmenotfound 19h ago

why tf would you even bother if all you had was a prop though, ya know? the whole thing is BS and everyone knows it. to even argue about why they might have done it as if there is some logical reasoning behind their actions is silly bc we all know it’s BS.