Yes, some people really ARE jerks.

Consider the pretend TV journalists in London Sunday who asked Tom Cruise for an interview, held a microphone to his face and then squirted him with water.

The four pranksters were later identified as actors in a comedy sketch being filmed for a British TV station. The station apologized for their employees’ behavior, but the apology rings hollow. The same group of professional clowns has pulled this stunt on at least one other celebrity.

Cruise was in London for the premiere of his latest movie, War of the Worlds. He was outside the theater talking to reporters when the knuckleheads struck. They wanted a reaction out of the actor, and they got one for their TV show.

Web headlines and stories Monday seemed to be feeding the celebrity mill. One said Cruise “lost his cool” while another reported that Tom Cruise “wasn’t laughing,” as if anyone would be.

In fact, if you’ve seen the video of the prank, Cruise handled the incident with poise and a tight but wry smile.

“Don’t run away,” Cruise said to the fool who sprayed him. “I’m here giving you an interview, answering your questions, and you do something really nasty. You’re a jerk,” Cruise told the man in a restrained voice as he toweled off.

How many of us would have showed even that much restraint?

Unfortunately, we do seem to live in the golden age of jerk TV. The video camera has become a sort of idiot magnet – turn it on, and idiots are drawn like flies to flypaper.

People set themselves on fire and then send the tape to a TV show. They fall off roofs, cram their mouths full of slugs or set up elaborate ruses designed to make other people look foolish.

Too often, however, the jokes just seem cruel, pointless or, as in the Cruise case, just stupid. The buffoons who pulled this prank should be fired.