Isn't this over reacting? There was somebody joking on 121.5, ok, so what?
Sure! Just like what is wrong with the odd prank 999 (911) call for a bit of light relief. The aviation world lost its "innocence" on the 11th September 2001 (if indeed it hadn't done so long before then.)
Monitoring 121.5 which used to be "good practice" has now evolved into something "mandatory." It really is a monumental pain in the ass to have to monitor "kiddies" who think they are something special by transmitting the musical content of their iPhone or making silly (but no doubt in their own mind) "amusing" noises over that frequency.
It is little wonder that pilots turn down this puerile distraction and the consequence is an increase of PLOC events. It is a serious erosion of safety and it is beyond the point in time when perpetrators weren't held to account.
As an ex-instructor it was a basic and important part of a students training that they were familiar and comfortable with using 121.5 when "lost" or unsure of their position, or requiring urgent assistance. However, the reality these days is that 121.5 simply isn't the best resource for this, and another universal frequency needs to be prioritised for this purpose.
The regulators need to "get their finger out" on this issue. I would imagine "Generation Facebook" will possibly think twice if there is realistic likelihood of losing their Hundred & Fifty Thousand Dollar Pilots licence on the back of comedy auditions on 121.5. By the same token, a significant number of those "practice Pan" calls, probably aren't as "practice" as they would want you to believe. There must be a proper and easily usable response network established (such as another frequency,) but 121.5 simply isn't appropriate at this point in time.