Talk:Practical joke

"New messages" joke
Re, this was intended as a good example of a practical joke for wikipedians. whats wrong with it being there?Nerd42 (talk) 03:45, 6 January 2006 (UTC)
 * Nothing at all! Does anybody know of any more Wikipedia practical jokes like the one above? Filmcom 03:17, 25 February 2006 (UTC)
 * The 'new messages' should be linked to Special:Mytalk, so when the person clicks the link it does link to their user talk page, so they will expect a new message even more. ~  Ghelæ  talkcontribs 16:10, 2 April 2006 (UTC)
 * I made it into a template called Practical Joke. I can be found on the top of this page and my Userpage. The Republican 21:03, 6 April 2006 (UTC)
 * which seems to have broken or been deleted. It really shouldn't be a template anyway. Reverted. –Aponar Kestrel (talk) 05:16, 14 May 2006 (UTC)
 * The talk page is for improving the article being discussed, and is not meant to be part of any jokes or pranks we may engage in with each other as editors. All of that type of content should be strictly avoided on article talk pages, let alone articles themselves. We should not place this fake message template so that it directs editors to this page.Mercurywoodrose (talk) 17:53, 11 March 2012 (UTC)

Purim
Is the Jewish holiday Priam? related here? (bad spelling, placemarker) 30 August 2004 DennisDaniels
 * Do you mean Purim? It sounds plausible that practical jokes could be a part of that celebration since it does have a strong element of carnival and mischievous merriment. I'll look it up, and if that is the case I'll add it to the article. Jonas Liljeström 16:01, 20 January 2006 (UTC)

Germany
"Practical jokes are features of various kinds of holidays, such as April Fool's Day, Halloween, the Day of the Holy Innocents (in Spanish-speaking cultures), and the night before May Day in Germany."
 * As a German, I can safely say that I have never heard of pranks being done the night before May Day. There's the April Fool's Day in Germany as well, except that Germans call it "1. April" and whenever they've successfully managed to trick someone, they cry "April, April!".17:11, 6 December 2005 (UTC) Judith
 * Same here. There's no such thing being celebrated on April 30 / May 1 in Germany. April Fool's Day is traditional, Halloween has also become a favourite kid's event over the past few years and there's still Rummelpott on December 31 where kids make some noise in order to get some sweets (similar to Halloween). Therefore I delete this part. 07:05, 17 February 2006 (CET) Sven
 * Judith and Sven, thats not true in large parts of Germany in the night before May 1 the Maibaum is stolen by neighbouring villages and lovelines are drawn between love interests.--Tresckow 09:49, 16 November 2006 (UTC)

Image
I hate this image, File:Joke - phone books in doorway.jpg. It doesn't really resemble a practical joke. -- George Money  Talk Contribs 04:50, 8 May 2006 (UTC)
 * It's a good picture for the article, especially since it is difficult to illustrate most other types of practical jokes, involving some type of action or deception that can't be captured in a still photograph. I think the picture of the phone books is amusing and relevant to the topic.  OneVeryBadMan 08:20, 2 August 2006 (UTC)
 * that image is hillarious. I'm gonna do that one day!8 September 2006 201.252.156.138
 * I agree with the first person. I'm going to remove popular Shakam 05:49, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

Unreferenced Tag
I am of the opinion that the following template:

This does not cite its references or sources. You can help Wikipedia by introducing appropriate citations.

is not needed in this article because the subject itself isn't one that would normally be written about, much less be cited. Whoever disagrees, respond here, or else I'll remove it. Kareeser|Talk! 06:15, 22 November 2006 (UTC)
 * Verifiability is one of Wikipedia's most important policies. -- Jeandré, 2006-12-10t08:01z

New external link
Hello, I recently discovered a new website that contains extremely funny pranks to pull on other people. These pranks however are for your computer such as sending them through e-mail. The web site is http://www.lizardworks.com/pranks.html and I'm not sure if this should be added to the page. Any comments on wether it should or shouldn't be added?Azizza 23:06, 11 December 2006 (UTC)
 * While its shareware, and free, its still a "commercial" site, and not a neutral source. Such sites abound, and this one probably doesnt qualify for inclusion. However, if it ever gets its own article, a "See also" link would suffice.Mercurywoodrose (talk) 18:13, 11 March 2012 (UTC)

Book title
The correct title of the H. Allen Smith referred to is indeed THE COMPLEAT PRACTICAL JOKER. Mr. Smith used the archaic spelling of COMPLEAT, NOT the modern COMPLETE. The reason I know is that I own this book. 71.214.94.108 21:59, 30 January 2007 (UTC)
 * Confirmed & changed in the article. - SCEhard T 22:13, 30 January 2007 (UTC)

Well known practical jokers
Should Ashton Kutcher be added to the list? Just a thought. JordanZed 22:24, 25 April 2007 (UTC)
 * What about Jim Carrey? He's a practical joker, I suppose!   - Iris virus  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 121.97.0.238 (talk) 08:17, 12 August 2008 (UTC)
 * This well known stuff is easily vandalized. Considering that this article has more vandalizations than contributions and the amount of wonder involved to consider if the person or thing has anything to do with this article I think it would be best to minimize the lists. There are dead wrestlers, rock stars and other people that I have no idea what to think about them. I think the article is broad enough to give the reader a gist without the lists. Blackwidowhex (talk) 03:22, 4 April 2011 (UTC)
 * Agree David Spector (talk) 14:54, 20 August 2020 (UTC)

Movies / fraternities
Isn't there a connection between pranks and college fraternities, or, at least, with a certain type of movie featuring fraternities and their pranks? The article doesn't reflect this at this point. -- 790 08:35, 23 May 2007 (UTC)

Types of practical jokes
(hidden text) PLEASE READ BEFORE ADDING A JOKE: This section is intended to cover types (or categories) of jokes, not specific jokes. A list of all possible jokes would be impossibly long. (end hidden text)

Most of the content above has no place in an encyclopedia. If you think there's something salvageable in the section, then please by all means restore four or five, encyclopedic examples or types or whatever they're supposed to be of practical jokes. But not the whole list. Please. - ∅  ( ∅ ), 16:27, 9 July 2007 (UTC)
 * PC Pranks, practical jokes that one does to anothers computer such as disconnecting their keyboard. These pranks are usually found in an office or classroom scenario.
 * False signaling, such as a "kick me" note stuck on someone's back, an 'automatic door' sign on a normal swinging door, or dropping an empty carton on someone's foot after pretending it is heavy.
 * Removing someone's clothing so that it exposes a private body part or their undergarments, particularly in public. See sharking and pantsing.
 * Surprise disruption, employing (for example) trip-wires, whoopee cushions or other practical joke devices, peanut butter on the inside of a car door handle, punctured ketchup packets under the toilet seat, a three-legged lectern for a public speaker, defecating in the toilet's holding tank, or putting a bucket full of cold water above a door.
 * Visual deception; such as water-filled balloons, plastic wrap on a toilet seat, 'apple-pie beds' which have had the top blanket artfully folded back so the victim cannot get all the way in (also known as "short-sheeting"), loosening the tops of salt shakers, causing its entire contents to spill on one's meal, fake flowers in the lapel which squirt water, rubber fruit, and guns which unfurl a flag saying 'bang'.
 * Fool's errands such as sending someone to buy striped paint, water-proof towels, left-handed wrenches or screwdrivers, or elbow grease (see also: snipe hunt).
 * Hoax stories or situations perpetrated on or by the media such as fabricated UFO landings and fake celebrity interviews involving rude or ludicrous questions. One famous hoax was played by BBC on April 1st around 1959. It depicted a Swedish family going out and picking spaghetti off of trees. Operators were told to tell people who asked how to grow their own spaghetti tree to put a sprig of spaghetti in a can of tomato sauce and hope for the best. (see also: culture jamming).
 * Spontaneous impersonations, such as taking an order for takeaway food from someone who has actually dialed a wrong number.
 * Verbal and typographical pranks, such as printing a block of text so that the first letters of every line spell out an irreverent message (see also Acrostic), or teaching someone a purportedly useful phrase in another language which transpires to be an insult (such as "(Tú) eres una vaca", which means "You are a cow" in Spanish.)
 * Internet Jokes - Fooling to be thought playing a game, and midway through the game be interrupted by a scary or obscene animation or photograph.
 * Practical jokes are features of various kinds of holidays, such as April Fool's Day, Halloween, the Day of the Holy Innocents (in Spanish-speaking cultures). They also feature in various rites of passage, such as stag nights.
 * Physical pranks, such as sticking a sleeping person's hand in warm water so that they wet the bed, or putting shaving cream or whipped cream on a sleeping person's hand and tickling their face—the object being to cause them to essentially pie themselves.
 * Gross out pranks, such as "cup-a-soup"ing someone by shoving a fart in their face or placing dog poop in their coffee. The aforementioned Tank Prank is also a popular gross out joke.
 * The burning-paper-bag-of-excrement joke, which involves filling a brown paper bag with excrement, placing it on the doorstep of the house of the victim, setting the bag on fire, ringing the doorbell or knocking on the door, and then running away. The theory then goes that the excited party--who answers the door and then sees the burning paper bag, will stomp on the bag to extinguish the flames, thereby coating the victim's foot with the contents of the bag. The humor purportedly arises particularly intensely when the victim answers the door while in bare feet. This joke is only known to be effective against those individuals of comparable ignorance to the joke perpetrator, since clear-thinking individuals would simply seek to extinguish the flames by an alternate method such as dousing the flames or using a fire extinguisher.
 * You are completely wrong. This should go back to the article, because it lacks examples. Damn deletionists like you should be removed from wikipedia, because you simply destroy the articles by your useless behaviour 89.77.118.185 (talk) 15:38, 1 August 2008 (UTC)
 * While the entire section was unsourced, it did have links to articles on well known types of pranks. A simple list of links to notable pranks is fine, though each one, strictly speaking, should also have a reference HERE showing notability, as well as being linked to the article. the sentences describing them here can be very brief, as the article will describe in more detail. I know im writing this 4 years later, but in all instances, its appropriate to remind people to be civil. Both points of view presented above have some validity.Mercurywoodrose (talk) 18:30, 11 March 2012 (UTC)

Origin
Could someone cite the origins of the pranks or possibly the origins of the names of the pranks? (E.G. Atomic Sit Up) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.119.248.253 (talk) 22:49, 21 March 2008 (UTC)

Derivation?
Why is it called a practical joke? And when was the term first used? Kingturtle (talk) 17:39, 21 April 2009 (UTC)

Piltdown Man
I was trying to place a serious study result on the main page regarding this. This is now well tabulated. However, as my entry was deleted, I see no further reason to pursue it.MacOfJesus (talk) 09:49, 18 July 2009 (UTC)
 * Even the entry I made in "see also" section on the main page to; "Piltdown Man" was deleted, whereas in anyone's understanding a link would be appropriate.MacOfJesus (talk) 14:40, 21 July 2009 (UTC)
 * This was a hoax, not a practical joke, though the 2 are similar.Mercurywoodrose (talk) 18:41, 11 March 2012 (UTC)

Canadian engineers
As I'm sure all Canadians know engineers are very widely known for their pranking. I've added a little info (mostly from the UBC engineers wikipedia page but edited - it's not cut and paste), I'm sure there are more cases and also noticed the footnotes didn't transfer (I don't know how to do this). This has been going on for decades, particularly the hanging of volkswagen beetles from bridges, sticking on top of buidings, etc. Also the abduction of a life sized metal cow, it goes on and on. Trophies have been stolen, in Ontario I know there are all sorts of crazy things too. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.180.218.83 (talk) 23:00, 21 December 2010 (UTC)

Cartoon Character
There's a cartoon character I've been trying to remember that was known as a practical joker around his neighborhood (and no, it's not Dennis the Menace, although he does remind me of him). I believe it was a white boy who had a black boy friend. I think this cartoon was from the 80s. It might have been a spin or rip off of Dennis the Menace. — Preceding unsigned comment added by JeremeK (talk • contribs) 14:23, 15 July 2012 (UTC)

Antics and Pranks are the same.
Antics should also be included as another name for pranksAlbesanti123 (talk) 14:09, 3 March 2013 (UTC)Albesantii123

Definition
At the start of the article, the word "joke" is used in the definition of "Practical Joke." You shouldn't use [one of the] words that you're defining in the definition. The author has enough synonyms in the definition that (s)he can remove the word "joke." 72.25.48.239 (talk) 13:43, 26 September 2013 (UTC)

If Jokes are our weakness/weak spot? What risks?
Can a discipline repel jokes. If anyone gives jokes to us, should they be given disciplinary action? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 112.209.81.37 (talk) 22:48, 13 January 2015 (UTC)


 * I think that disciples should repel jokes. That is their discipline, action or not. Their weak spot rappels too quickly; that is their risk, what? David Spector (talk) 15:00, 20 August 2020 (UTC)

infobox
does this article need an infobox — Preceding unsigned comment added by 90.198.250.127 (talk) 12:29, 19 March 2018 (UTC)
 * I don't think so. Infoboxes are not required for an article, and I can't think which one would be appropriate here anyway:  List of infoboxes.  Chaheel Riens (talk) 13:55, 19 March 2018 (UTC)

Sir Montgomery Cecil
Why does the entry "Sir Montgomery Cecil" redirect here? 194.136.115.86 (talk) 08:42, 27 September 2018 (UTC)
 * Said entry was deleted a couple months after the above post. For the reason why, as well as why the article redirected here in the first place, see this discussion.--Martin IIIa (talk) 23:36, 1 February 2019 (UTC)

Proposed merge of Student prank into Practical joke
Both of these articles are very undeveloped; they need further expansion before they'll be ready to split. I'm also not convinced there's anything so fundamentally different about pranks done by students as opposed to those from non-students that require separating the pages; student pranks can just be a section of the main article. &#123;{u&#124; Sdkb  }&#125;  talk 19:53, 31 August 2020 (UTC)
 * ✅ Klbrain (talk) 17:05, 6 April 2021 (UTC)

Cars under bridges
The Durham prank preceded the BC pranks by many years and may have been an inspiration for them. Also there is a picture if you follow the link, but I'm not sure of copyright status so can't load it. Perhaps you'll think again? Regards, Martin of Sheffield (talk) 16:45, 30 November 2020 (UTC)
 * We currently have UBC and Cambridge as examples of car pranks. If you think Durham has the more notable car prank, then feel free to use it instead, but it has to be because it's the more notable prank rather than just because of any ties you might have to Durham, and we'd want to swap out one of the other examples since three is too many. WP:EXAMPLECRUFT is a huge risk for this page. (Also, while you're here, your input at the merge proposal for this and Student prank would be appreciated if you're inclined.) &#123;{u&#124; Sdkb  }&#125;  talk 17:08, 30 November 2020 (UTC)

Authority control
I'm not overly familiar with the rules about when to add authority control, but this isn't the sort of article I'd normally expect to see it at; are you sure it's justified? &#123;{u&#124; Sdkb  }&#125;  talk 16:27, 17 February 2021 (UTC)
 * for anyone wanting to lookup works related to (in this case) practical jokes in the various institutions listed, I think it is useful. Feel free to revert, of course.  ~ Tom.Reding (talk ⋅dgaf)  18:05, 17 February 2021 (UTC)

Balance of the jest
Fundamentally, all comedy relies on contrast, and the practical joke falls under the oldest form, slapstick, in that the audience finds the comedy in the thought, "Thank heavens that didn't happen to me!" However, it does rely on the goodwill of the subject, and when that's missing, for whatever reason, it becomes bullying. Simply apologising does not suffice for the psychological harm done: I therefore urge you to add a caveat critique along these lines because at the moment, it's lacking NPOV. I won't do that myself because I'm neurodiverse and have been the subject of this far too often: my neutrality can be questioned.
 * Do you know of any newspapers, books, or other reliable sources that talk about this? If so, we could definitely add it to the article, but we need references to support it, as otherwise it's original research. Cheers, &#123;{u&#124; Sdkb  }&#125;  talk 18:39, 3 September 2021 (UTC)

panrk
Hhu 113.211.139.128 (talk) 02:47, 26 October 2022 (UTC)

Prank
[Https://youtube.com/shorts/OzDx6tWO7Rk?feature=share https://youtube.com/shorts/OzDx6tWO7Rk?feature=share] Andaz8 (talk) 20:50, 20 April 2023 (UTC)