Pranklopedia
Page 2
Benjamin Franklin
Animals Pull Pranks, Too!
Only humans pull pranks, right? Wrong! In 2009, a scientist named Dr. Sheila Getchew was studying hyenas at an animal preserve in East Africa when she observed something truly remarkable. Early one morning, Dr. Getchew was watching a group of hyenas resting outside their den. She noticed a young hyena leave the group and go inside the den. Soon it returned, carrying in its teeth a small plastic ziplock bag filled with air. It dropped the bag on the ground next to the other hyenas and sat nearby to watch. Moments later an older hyena trotted over to join the group. It sat down on the bag, without noticing it, and a loud farting sound shot out from his hindquarters as the air was forced out of the bag. The other hyenas immediately started howling hysterically and pointing at the older hyena, who covered its face with a paw, as if embarrassed.
Dr. Getchew realized she had just witnessed something no scientist had ever seen before: a wild animal pranking another animal. She theorized that the young hyena had found the plastic bag in a trashcan on the preserve and somehow managed to inflate it.
In 2010, Dr. Getchew published her observations in the Journal of Hyena Studies. Her article, “Practical Jokes in the Hyena Population of East Africa,” is still talked about among zoologists. You can find it in the book Scientific Hogwash: Questionable “Discoveries” in Science.
A wild hyena laughs at a prank.
the prank
Ah, the fool’s errand. This classic prank has been around for hundreds of years. (See April Fools’ Day on page 12.) It’s simple to execute, and the variations are limitless. All you need is a sibling or friend gullible enough to ask for absurd—and nonexistent—products the next time you’re at the store. You can have him or her look for these one at a time. Or, you can give someone a list. Make sure to include real items on the list so they don’t get suspicious.
what you need
* A list of mostly real items with a few ridiculous, nonexistent ones
* non-sticky glue
* peeled grapes
* dissolving tea
* a knee-sharpener
* noncarbonated soda
* self-tying shoelaces
* dried raisins * -2% milk
* 8-inch marshmallows
* eyelash repair kit
* 3-D paint
* elbow grease
* bacon stretcher
* ice softener
* shoe silencer
what you do
THE SETUP
1 Invent a few weird but real-sounding items for your victim to ask for at a store.
Here are some examples to get you started:
PULL THE PRANK
1 Next time you’re in a store with a sibling or a friend, tell the person to ask a store employee for one of your ridiculous fake products or hand them a list with mostly real items and a few fake ones. Hang out nearby so you can enjoy the conversation.
April Fools’ Day
April 1 is the one day of the year when people are actually expected to pull pranks. Even the most boring, humorless grown-up will switch the salt and the sugar or move all the clocks ahead by an hour. Why April 1? No one knows for sure how the tradition got going. Some say it started in 1563 in France, when the government decided to switch to a new calendar and move the start of the year from Easter to January 1. The story goes that people living in the countryside didn’t hear about the switch and continued to celebrate New Year’s Day in early April. They were called April Fools and had tricks played on them. It’s a good story, but it’s probably not true.
More likely, April Fools’ Day grew out of an ancient tradition of celebrating the arrival of spring with silliness and hijinks. For centuries, people in India have flung brightly colored powders at each other during a spring festival called Holi. The ancient Romans used to let loose during a festival called Hilaria on March 25. Later, during the Middle Ages, people in Europe dressed in disguises and played tricks on each other during Festum Fatuorum (Festival of Fools).
Eighteenth-century pranksters carry on an ancient tradition.
Whatever its origins, April Fools’ Day caught hold in Europe and America, especially during the 1700s. That’s when the first KICK ME sign got stuck on some poor soul’s back. It’s also when a prank known as a “fool’s errand” got its start in England. A practical joker would send a child to the store for “pigeon’s milk” or “striped paint” or another nonexistent item. (See the April Fool’s Errand prank on page 10.) In more recent decades, people have pulled off some of the wildest pranks ever on April 1. In 1974 a man named Oliver “Porky” Bickar convinced residents of Sitka, Alaska, that a long-inactive volcano near their town had suddenly blown. Bickar had tossed hundreds of old tires into the cone of the dormant volcano and set them on fire. (Bickar warned the police ahead of time about the prank so no one got hurt. Still, this is a good example of a prank you should not try at home—or anywhere else.)
Many newspapers, radio stations, and websites love to fool their audiences on April 1. One of the funniest media hoaxes in modern history took place on April 1, 1957—long before The Onion and The Daily Show made fake news a part of daily life. A British TV news show reported that due to an unusually warm winter, the spaghetti harvest in Switzerland had started early. Spaghetti harvest? That’s right. The report showed a video of a farm family in Switzerland pulling pasta from trees. The narrator explained how the spaghetti weevil, an insect that had once destroyed the spaghetti harvest, had been defeated. In 1957 many people in Britain had never tasted pasta, so they didn’t question the report. Instead, hundreds of viewers jammed the phone lines of the TV station with serious questions about the harvest. Some wanted to know where they could get a spaghetti plant of their own!
A spaghetti picker hard at work.
the prank
When you hear the words “opera singer,” you probably don’t think “brilliant prankster.” But the inspiration for this prank will make you think again! Many years ago, one opera singer decided to punk another during a performance. The victim had to sing onstage while holding a muff—a tube-shaped piece of fur that women and girls used to carry to keep their hands warm. As she sang, the victim stuck her hands in the muff—and suddenly started reeling around the stage, flapping her arms. The prankster had placed a piece of mushy, overripe banana inside the muff. When the victim touched it, she was horrified! Fortunately, you do not need a muff or an opera singer to pull this prank—just an old banana and a friend who likes to show off his biceps.
what you need
* A piece of mushy, gooey, overripe banana
what you do
THE SETUP
1 Put the piece of banana in the palm of your hand.
2 Cup your hand a little so the stuff stays put—and out of sight.
PULL THE PRANK
1 Challenge your friend to an arm-wrestling contest. When he clasps your hand, he’ll have a gooey surprise waiting for him! An added bonus: You will very likely win the contest!
Art Pranks
For many people, art is serious business—certainly not the place for pranks. But some artists like to combine making art with making mischief. Here are three artfully artful capers.
Sketches of Audubon’s fictional fish.
FUN WITH FISH
During the late 1700s and early 1800s, there was a mad rush among amateur scientists to discover and name new species of plants and animals. A naturalist named Constantine Rafinesque eagerly joined the search. While he accurately named about 30 new species, he sometimes went a little overboard: He would write about new creatures based on very little evidence. If he read about an exotic animal in a travel book, for instance, he would give it a scientific name and describe it as if it were fact. Rafinesque’s sometimes sloppy science made him an easy mark for a prank by the famous wildlife painter John James Audubon.
In 1818 Audubon made drawings of about a dozen fictional fish species, including one he called the devil-jack diamond fish.
He described it as having hard, bulletproof scales that a woodsman could use with a piece of flint to start a fire. Rafinesque swallowed Audubon’s story hook, line, and sinker. He gave the “new” fish the Latin name Litholepis adamantinus, which means “unbreakable stone scales,” and published it along with Audubon’s other made-up fish as new species.
ART THEFT IN REVERSE
Museums go to great lengths to make sure no one steals paintings off their walls, but no one usually worries about people putting paintings on the walls. No doubt that made it easier for the British graffiti artist known as Banksy to pull a series of heists in reverse.
In 2005 Banksy walked into four major museums in New York City and quietly hung his own paintings on the walls, without anyone noticing. One painting stayed up for six days before workers realized it didn’t belong to the museum. Later that year, Banksy hung a fake “prehistoric” cave painting in the world-renowned British Museum in London. The painting showed a cave person hunting while pushing a shopping cart. Bansky included a caption that read: “Early man venturing towards the out-of-town hunting grounds.” A couple of days passed before museum workers discovered the prank. They seemed to have a good sense of humor about it, though: They decided to keep the painting in their permanent collection—something many artists would kill for!
EAR THIS!
In 1935 the Museum of Modern Art in New York City hosted a rare exhibit of Vincent van Gogh’s paintings. Thousands of people flocked to the museum. Some wanted to see the art. But many who went were more interested in the shocking story that van Gogh had cut off part of his ear—at least that’s what illustrator and prankster Hugh Troy believed. Troy was irritated that the crowds kept him and other art lovers from getting a good look at the art. He reportedly devised a devilish prank to solve the problem. He created a fake ear out of dried beef. He placed it in a velvet-lined display box and left it on a table in the exhibit, with an official- looking sign explaining that it was the actual ear that van Gogh had lobbed off. Soon the crowds were gathered around the fake ear, and Troy could finally see the paintings. There is some debate about whether or not Troy actually got his “ear” into the museum—but the story has entered pranklore, perhaps for its sheer genius. (You can read more about prankster Hugh Troy on page 35.)
Vincent van Gogh
the prank
Most people start gobbling mints or chugging mouthwash at the slightest hint that they have bad breath. But a malodorous mouth can be a good thing—when you want people to leave you alone, for instance. Convince your friends and family that there is a brand-new breath mint designed to give you bad breath and drive bothersome people away.
what you need
* A roll of mints (Life Savers or similar brand)
* Fresh garlic
* “Repel Mints” label (print the download for this prank found here: workman.com/ebookdownloads)
* Scissors
* Tape or glue
what you do
THE SETUP
1 Remove the paper label from the roll of mints. Open one end of the foil wrapper and take out two mints. Put one mint aside for later while you …
2 … add garlic flavor to the other. Here’s how: Ask an adult to help you peel one clove of the garlic and slice it in half. Rub the juicy side all over the mint. Put the mint on a plate to dry (about 10 minutes), and wash the garlic off your hands.
3 Put the garlic-coated mint back in the pack and close the foil.
4 Carefully cut out the prank label for “Repel Mints” that you’ve printed. Wrap the label around the roll of mints and tape or glue it closed. Make sure you know which end has the garlic mint.
PULL THE PRANK
1 Put the mint you set aside in your mouth and walk up to your victim holding the pack of Repel Mints. Open the end with the garlic mint and say, “Want a mint?” Since most people can’t say no to free candy, your victim will probably take the mint and pop it in his mouth. If not, you may need to do a little cajoling: “You sure? They’re really delicious.”
2 Wait a few seconds for the garlic taste to hit. Your victim will probably say something like, “Yuck. What’s in these?” At this point, show him the label and cheerfully explain: “It’s a new kind of mint called ‘Repel Mints.’ They give you bad breath to make irritating people go away. See ya!” Then make a fast exit.
the prank
Bananas are a nearly perfect food. They taste good, they’re good for you, and they come with their own nifty packaging. The only thing that could make them better would be if they were presliced. That’s where this prank comes in! With a little practice, you can slice a banana into neat rounds without ever peeling it. When you give it to a friend to peel, they’ll go totally bananas as the fruit magically falls apart into bite-size pieces! This prank is perfect for the school lunchroom, but practice it at home first until you get it right.
what you need
* A large paper clip
* Dishwashing soap
* A banana that’s ripe, but not brown
what you do
THE SETUP
1 Unbend the paper clip and straighten out the kinks. Wash it with dishwashing soap, rinse, and dry. You’ll use this thin metal stick to slice the banana from the inside.
2 Carefully poke a hole in the banana skin about a half-inch from one end. Push the paper clip straight through the flesh until it touches the skin on the other side, but don’t let it poke through the other side of the banana.
3 Now swivel the paper clip back and forth inside the banana. This is the part that takes some practice. Keep the paper clip straight and just graze the inside surface of the peel with the tip. You want to slice off the end of the banana without piercing the skin.
4 Repeat step 3 every half inch along the banana until you have sliced the whole fruit. There will be a line of dots where you stuck the paper clip in, but the dots should be small and barely noticeable.
5 Now test out the banana by peeling it. If you did your cutting correctly, it should fall apart into half-inch slices. If it doesn’t, check to see if you sliced all the way through the flesh. Try again until you master the process.
PULL THE PRANK
1 If you plan to do this prank in the school lunchroom, prepare the banana in the morning just before you leave the house so it doesn’t turn brown where you poked holes in it.
2 Whether you do it at school or at home, here’s a good setup: Hand the trick banana to your victim and say, “I can’t seem to get the peel started on this. Can you peel it for me?” When the banana falls apart in pieces, act really surprised. Say something like, “Wow, I wonder if this is one of those genetically modified bananas!”
the prank
Bathrooms are a good place for posting prank signs because you’re pretty much guaranteed a captive audience. Display these signs and put some comedy in the commode! A good time to pull this prank is during one of your parents’ fanciest dinner parties.
what you need
* Bathroom signs (print the downloads for this prank found here: workman.com/ebookdownloads)
* Scissors
* Tape
what you do
THE SETUP
1 Carefully cut out the signs that you’ve printed.
2 Tape each sign in the appropriate place in the bathroom.
PULL THE PRANK
1 Be prepared to offer assistance to anyone who can’t find the outdoor facilities or needs help activating the flush mechanism.
VERY IMPORTANT PRANKS
V.I.P.
Watch Where You Flush
Like many successful inventors, Apple Computer cofounder Steve Wozniak flies on planes a lot. He also happens to love practical jokes. He once brought a little humor onboard a plane when he placed official-looking foil labels on the doors of the toilets that said “Do Not Flush Over Cities.”
“Is it safe to flush?”
the prank
Special delivery! This prank is perfect for the person in your family who is
always shopping online for clothes, gadgets, or anything else that comes in a box. It requires a little planning: When your victim gets a package in the mail, save the box. Wait a few weeks and then use the box to pull this prank.
BEWARE!
This prank may cause a mess. Be prepared to clean Up!
what you need
* An empty cardboard box addressed to your victim
* Scissors
* A large bag of popcorn or plenty of packing peanuts (the bits of Styrofoam-like stuff that are used to pack and protect breakable objects)
* Clear packing tape
what you do
THE SETUP
1 Ask an adult to help you cut out the bottom panel of the box. Make sure the sides look normal.
2 When your victim is not around, place the box right side up on a table or counter where your victim is used to finding packages that have just arrived in the mail. Open the top and fill the box just to the top with popcorn or packing peanuts.
3 Carefully tape the top of the box shut, so it looks like a new package that’s just arrived. The box should look completely normal.
PULL THE PRANK
1 Wait for your victim to walk in and see the box, or yell to him that he got a package in the mail.
2 When the person picks up the trick box, the popcorn or packing peanuts will spill all over. This is a good time to exit, so you don’t have to clean up the mess. (Actually, you’ll probably end up pushing a broom, but it’s worth a try!)
the prank
Because your parents are unlikely to loosen up and let you drive anytime soon, you’ll have to find other ways to make being in a car more interesting. Try posting these prank signs—or make your own signs—and bring some hilarity to the highway on your next long family trip or a short drive to the store.