»» Columnists

CNN Prank Caller Poses As Student Arrested In Cairo, Thanks ‘Baba Booey’s Monkey Nuts’ For Freedom

video

by Frances Martel | 5:36 pm, November 27th, 2011

» 32 comments

CNN anchor Fredricka Whitfield got a bit of an unwelcome surprise this evening as an interview with who she thought was Gregory Porter, an American student recently arrested and released in Cairo, went awry. Porter described the fear of being arrested in a crowd in Tahrir Square, the happiness of hearing his mother’s voice after his first phone call… and then thanked “the North Shore Animal League and Baba Booey’s monkey nuts.”

“Porter”, who was arrested and released with several friends studying abroad and now back in the United States, told Whitfield being home was “like an early Christmas present” and explained that, while some of the crowd was violent, “we were just down there looking– next thing we knew, we were grabbed by police.” He then thanked his mother, his attorney, the American embassy, the North Shore Animal League, and “Baba Booey’s monkey nuts.” Whitfield approached this by simply continuing the interview stoically, though clearly a bit thrown off. By then, “Porter” had hung up.

CNN hasn’t followed up on the prank, though the network has been pranked several times before and have rarely followed up on air. That said: how does this keep happening? What is the screening process for guests that appears so easy to breach that no one realized the actual Gregory Porter’s attorney or publicist or anyone else handling the student– himself, even– were completely unaware they were about to be interviewed on CNN? Either way, a bizarre and unexpected end to the evening.

The clip via CNN below:

CNN, Fredricka Whitfield, Gregory Porter, Howard Stern

Anonymous

He had to have balls to say monkey nuts on TV.
Jay

Hilarious!

This is the state of journalism and due diligence at CNN.
Anonymous

Great job CNN.
South Park Conservatives

Ha!!!!! This is CNN.
PaulG85

That was Captain Janks. He’s hit all the cable networks and basic networks as well.

He called on the morning of the space shuttle Columbia diaster and said that the pieces of the shuttle were BaBaBooey’s teeth or something like that.

He also called Dan Rather an idiot.

Been a while since I’ve seen the clip, so I might have gotten some of that wrong. It might be on youtube.
kerrryz

I recognized Janks’ voice, too. How idiotic is this talking head? After he mentioned the monkey nuts, she continues to ask a question!! As Howard Stern would say himself, “What a f—– puppethead”
americanjew

shouts NORTH SHORE ANIMAL LEAGUE – great place!!
Dummy123

15 Foundation? Is that some new terrorist organization?
Anonymous

What a “What a f____g puppethead.”
Anonymous

Great job as usual cnn. Ha ha.
Anonymous

I love the look on Fredricka Whitfield face.
Very funny!
http://twitter.com/darkknightnj Eric Blocker

The 15 Foundation is Robin’s charity for children
Joan Wilson

But not really much more in the of “balls” than it takes to post comments on this site.
http://www.facebook.com/tony.westover Tony Westover

Awesome.
http://twitter.com/jtanglewood76 realist

Ha! Still pranking since the 80′s. janks voice is totally 40-50 years old but the dumb braud still acted like he was a real teen. WTF? CNN sucks!s
Anonymous

So THAT is the new show on CNN:
Baba Booey’s Monkey Nuts…LIVE!

Wanna bet it gets higher ratings than anything on MSNBC, where their shows are “Doofus Live,” “Morons Live,” “Dimwits Live,” and, for extra measure, host Al Sharpton puts on “Roasting Jews and Other Undesirables…LIVE!”
Moderate

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IE_MqZ1Z6Mo&feature=related
Blitzer talking to Janks about Iraq.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Finn-Wilsonshire/100003030410585 Finn Wilsonshire

soooooooooooooo cooooooool! homegirl looked like she was caught in an Atlanta drive by shooting!
Anonymous

Captain Janks strikes again! Baba Booey!
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_NMIKH2YFVNOIFEHIABNQA2MUNY Zona

“homegirl” “drive-by”? Racist much?
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_NMIKH2YFVNOIFEHIABNQA2MUNY Zona

ba ba booey? What year is this? 94? Seriously. Damn.
Anonymous

Captain Janks strikes again!!! She was still asking him questions after he said “monkey nuts.” I mean, she is a dolt.
Anonymous

Oh go listen to your current favorite, Glee, twinkle toes.
Anonymous

ALL of your posts are VILE.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Finn-Wilsonshire/100003030410585 Finn Wilsonshire

Silly liberal child, hand me my super cool pepper spray blaster. Now, open your eyes really wide, Widdle!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Finn-Wilsonshire/100003030410585 Finn Wilsonshire

“Zona”? Burrito much?
http://www.facebook.com/people/Finn-Wilsonshire/100003030410585 Finn Wilsonshire

Why such a miserable liberal? Here, this will cheer you up: president monkey nuts!
Anonymous

Yeah, the most trusted name in news outlets that don’t check sources!
Anonymous

LOL
Anonymous

As Stern pointed out this morning, the worst part is that CNN never acknowledges that the interview is a prank. They leave it as it is the actual comments of the student. Pathetic. However it’s funny that Dell’Abate’s brother was watching and asked him about the charities he is now involved with.
Anonymous

You’d think by now anchors would understand hearing “Baba Booey” from a interviewee means they’re being pranked.
Anonymous

Bush or monkey?

http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/images/blbushmonkey3.htm