(photo courtesy: joeltelling)
April Fool’s Day is mostly lame– because the skillful prank is a dying art. Sure, Penn & Teller keep the dream alive by showing how rubbing a few brain cells together can have hilarious results, but do YOU know how to create a kick-ass gag that they’ll be talking about for weeks around the water cooler? After the jump, we’ll explain how one evil April Fool’s attempt went and how you can learn from it to prank like a pro.
For starters, articles that tell you what practical jokes to play are all over the net. If you can’t come up with your own pranks, maybe you should leave the April Fool’s Day gags to the hardcore jokers in your office or circle of friends. What we’re going to do here is explain how one April Fool’s Day gag worked and actually made people laugh. Take some notes and try your own version. If you dare.
There are three crucial elements of a killer April Fool’s Day joke:
- Surprise
- Believability
- Personalization
April 1st is the day everyone EXPECTS to get scammed and pranked, so you need a gimmick that can’t be seen coming a mile away. The first way to do that is to choose your target well. You need someone you know well enough to guess how they will react when you set up the joke. Take a gent we’ll call Greg as our example–a real life victim of April First tomfoolery.
STEP ONE: The Bait
Greg had a routine, company-mandated polygraph test coming. All employees were required to take this test to continue doing sensitive high-level work in their departments. A formality, but polygraphs make people nervous. Especially Greg. This was an ordeal for the otherwise calm, cool, and collected smart-aleck.
Knowing this about Greg, and the fact that his polygraph test happened two days prior to April Fool’s Day made the perfect setup. On April 1st, Greg got an early morning phone call, disrupting his normally quiet routine. “We’ve had been some “difficulties” with your polygraph test. You are aware you need to successfully complete this in order to remain in your department, correct?”
Poor Greg was in a panic. His tone of voice–normally smartass and just shy of insubordinate, was respectful, almost deferential. Everyone who knew him in earshot of this call was already laughing. He was told to wait for a phone call to summon him down for a re-screening. Because this gag was custom-tailored for the mark, it has maximum effectiveness. The mark walks into the joke without a shred of suspicion.
STEP TWO: Springing The Trap
The setup was completely believeable. No suspicion whatsoever. Greg was on pins and needles waiting for that phone call. 45 minutes went by and he was sweating bullets. The second call would be put on speakerphone in conference room 3B. That is another key to the great practical joke–an appreciative audience. Why prank someone when the only person who will see it is your mark?
Coworkers are gathered round as the phone was dialed. Greg answered the phone on the first ring. Kissing ass already, eh bud? “We need you to come down here immediately for a second polygraph test. We will be asking you some of the, ahem, problem questions a second time.” A pause for effect.
“I don’t think I need to tell you that we expect better results this time.”
Greg naturally wanted to know what the problem was, but he got the brush off. “Get your ass down here to Conference Room 3B and we will administer this again. Report to Mr. Jass in 3B in ten minutes.” Another key to success–the co-workers weren’t sure what the outcome was going to be. They had no idea who Mr. Jass was or what was going to happen next. Keep your onlookers in the dark, too!
Step Three: It’s April, Fool!
Five minutes later, a knock on our locked conference room door. A gruff voice from behind the locked door. “This is Mr. Jass. Are you here for the re-screen?” Oh, yes sir. A humbled Greg is ready to comply with any demand made of him.
The door is opened slightly so “Mr. Jass” can see who it is just in case it’s not the victim. We’re on company time, after all.
A contrite Greg’s face changes as recognizes that the face behind the door is NOT some guy stranger called Mr. Jass. It’s his co-worker, the prankster. The door flies open so he can see the group of co-workers waiting–just as curious as Greg about where all this was going.
“Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Mister Jass.
“Mister Hugh Jass”.
You’ve been pranked with a Bart Simpson ending, Greg.
There was a huge eruption of laughter. Greg was hooked from start to finish. He is a complete wreck of a man after all this, with big damp patches under the armpits of his blue shirt, his forehead beaded with worry-sweat. He looks every bit the sucker he is and his status as April Fool is cemented in company history forever and ever, amen.
Remember, personalize the joke, make it just believeable enough to walk into and you will lure your mark into the practical joke hall of fame without ever resorting to a paper cup with a hole poked in the bottom or chewing gum that turns your teeth funny colors. The prank’s the thing, the more original and dastardly the better. Just beware–one year from now, it will be YOUR TURN. Mark your calendar…
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