TASK #19: THE ART OF THE PRANK
“You don’t stop laughing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop laughing”. Micheal Pritchard
Men like to laugh.
Pranks are funny.
Ergo men pull pranks.
Guys, your life’s resume is not complete without a list of pranks you’ve pulled. A good prank, well-pulled, gives a guy a certain cachet
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Pranking. It’s cool. Guys, your life’s resume is not complete without a list of pranks you’ve pulled. A good prank, well-pulled, gives a guy a certain cachet, i.e. the Matt Damon/Jimmy Kimmell pranks. But let’s be clear, pranking can be dicey–if you go too far you look like an asshole, if the prank ain’t funny you look like an asshole, and if your prank harms or humiliates someone, you may find yourself in court, or get the crap beat out of you.
Example: I loaded up a co-worker’s sandwich with the seeds of several ghost chili’s, which had the intended effect–his eyes bugged out out and he ran around the office pointing at his throat, then stuck his head under the cold water spigot in the men’s room–but overall it was a low-rent idea. It lacked flair…
Better example: when Golden State went up 3-1 in last year’s NBA finals, a co-worker said “this thing is in the refrigerator”, meaning it was over–and he bet $100 to back up his claim. Well, several of us threw in some money and challenged him. Cleveland won in 7, and we plastered every square inch of his cubicle with a head shot of Lebron James.
A well-played prank, even if it only elicits a wry smile from the prankee, is what it’s all about.
Who to prank? Well, kids are low hanging fruit, prank-wise, so I don’t do it very often. Too easy. Pranking your wife or girlfriend is extremely dangerous– you may laugh yourself onto the couch for a few day. I advocate pranking your guy friends and co-workers.
Another example: I went to a buddy’s birthday party. Someone brought a single layer cake covered in white frosting. It looked delicious, except for the warning” FIND THE FINGERNAIL that was written in red on the surface…
Last example: I went into the office kitchen. Someone had printed a small sign and put it on the toaster. It read: VOICE ACTIVATED. Way stupid but just funny enough to get me to smile.
TASK:
Figure out a prank. There are tons of websites that will help you. The prank has to be legal, it should not be mean or vindictive, but it’s okay if it’s immature. And it has to have panache, style…
Photos by Jim Legans, Jr. and courtesy of the author