‘Impractical Jokers’: Brian ‘Q’ Quinn & Mark Frankel Break Down That Blue Man Group Punishment
Impractical Jokers isn’t afraid to go big when it comes to their punishments and in tonight’s episode the Jokers really went for it by incorporating the iconic Blue Man Group.
Brian “Q” Quinn received a once-in-a-lifetime punishment on the show as the Blue Man Group stood as the background of the scene which involved some audience scuffles and poncho-less seating.
Apart from having to tell select audience members that they were sitting in his seat, Q also endured some front-row trauma at the hands of the iconic Blue Man Group. While Q had no hand in planning his own punishment, he has a good sense of where the idea probably started.
“We were in Vegas within the last six months and we all went [to the Blue Man Group show] and had a blast,” Q tells us. “I’m positive when we were in the audience sitting, the guys just came up with it while we were there and had our team reach out.”
(Credit: Maarten de Boer)
He’s not far off base. Blue Man Group captain Mark Frankel says, “I wasn’t personally involved in the booking or the setup of it, so it was presented to me through our media department… And [I thought] it was a perfect fit.”
“It’s a really funny show,” Frankel continues about Impractical Jokers, which is currently in its eighth season on truTV. During the punishment, Q was forced to be rude to his fellow audience members as he accused them of stealing his seat, and it’s definitely the kind of predicament that gets to him.
“I’ll take a physical punishment any day of the week because it’s just me suffering,” he says of other occasions on the show. “It is stomach-churning, especially when people are nice,” he says of having to be “mean” to others. “I feel bad if I ruin someone’s day or upset someone.”
Frankel felt the same when he watched the segment for himself. “I was wincing. I can’t believe how rude he was but it’s super funny.”
Of the audience, Frankel goes on to say that, “I’d like to think when they’re coming into the theater they’re sort of entering into another altered reality.”
Ultimately, both Q and Frankel believe the audience figured it out as Q tells us, “once I settled in and the group started messing with me, I think they… figured at a certain point… once I sat in my seat, they were like, ‘Oh, that guy must have been part of the show, that explains why he was acting like such a jerk.'”
And as that altered reality took hold, Q was forced to sit front row without the protection of a poncho as the Blue Man Group performed, creating a mess of epic proportions.
“We’re not looking to blast anyone with goo, but stuff does spill off the stage and it may have spilled off directly onto Q [Laughs],” Frankel jokes.
“Oh my god, I took three showers that night to get the blue out of my hair!” Q laments.
Of course, we’re sure he’ll have even more Impractical Jokers punishments on the horizon.
Impractical Jokers, Thursdays, 10/9c, truTV
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services