Practical joke device

A practical joke device is a manufactured prop or toy intended to confuse, frighten, or amuse individuals as a prank. Often, these objects are harmless facsimiles of disgusting or terrifying objects, such as vomit or spilled nail polish. In other instances, they are created as seemingly harmless items designed to humorously malfunction in such a way as to confuse or harm the target of a prank. The devices are frequently sold in magic or specialty shops, purchased over the Internet, or crafted for oneself. Perhaps the most notable such device is the Whoopee cushion.

Fake vomit

Though commonly employed at events and gatherings, practical joke devices are sometimes seen in everyday life, either as a mechanism of play by children, or among adult co-workers in a work environment. In addition to commercially manufactured practical joke devices, everyday objects have been converted into joke devices by purveyors of pranks.

History

Historical accounts of practical joke devices date as far back as Xenophanes (570 - 480 BC), who wrote of such gags.

Types of practical joke devices

Excrement

Fake excrement

Body parts

Artificial body parts can be, for example, attached on or under autos (to pretend as if someone's lost a limb after they're run over).

Horror devices

Animals

Clothing

Smoking articles

Nail polish

Liquids

Embarrassing

Fake leg
Breast-shaped shower gel/shampoo dispenser

Everyday objects

Toiletries

Documents and currency

Others

See also

References

  1. A yellow dye puck for toilet tanks is sold by peepuck.com and various resellers.
  2. An arrow with fake blood appears in Phil Collins - Don't Lose My Number (Official Video) at the 0:04:24 mark.
  3. "Dead dog prop pulled from Walmart, Sears websites". KSDK NBC 5. 2013-09-17. Retrieved 2013-10-27.
  4. "Americans will spend nearly $7 billion on Halloween". MSN Money. Retrieved 2013-10-27.
  5. "Bush Phony As A $200 Bill". The Smoking Gun. September 12, 2003. reports a bogus-denomination $US200 depicting George W. Bush having been accepted at a Food Lion store; other reports list a Dairy Queen in Danville, Kentucky as a victim of this hoax.
  6. "Attention Messrs Gates, Buffett: $1B Bank Notes Discovered". Forbes. 2006-03-15. Retrieved 2013-10-27.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Practical joke devices.