Practical joke device
Encyclopedia
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
.
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.
(570 - 480 BC
), who wrote of such gags.
Theatrical property
A theatrical property, commonly referred to as a prop, is an object used on stage by actors to further the plot or story line of a theatrical production. Smaller props are referred to as "hand props". Larger props may also be set decoration, such as a chair or table. The difference between a set...
or toy
Toy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
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
Magic (illusion)
Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means...
or specialty shops, purchased over the Internet, or crafted for oneself. Perhaps the most notable such device is the Whoopee cushion
Whoopee cushion
A whoopee cushion, also known as a poo-poo cushion and Razzberry Cushion, is a practical joke device, used in a form of flatulence humor, which produces a noise resembling a raspberry or human flatulence. It is made from two sheets of rubber that are glued together at the edges...
.
Play (activity)
Play is a term employed in ethology and psychology to describe to a range of voluntary, intrinsically motivated activities normally associated with pleasure and enjoyment...
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 XenophanesXenophanes
of Colophon was a Greek philosopher, theologian, poet, and social and religious critic. Xenophanes life was one of travel, having left Ionia at the age of 25 he continued to travel throughout the Greek world for another 67 years. Some scholars say he lived in exile in Siciliy...
(570 - 480 BC
480 BC
Year 480 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Vibulanus and Cincinnatus...
), who wrote of such gags.
Excrement
- Excrement pileFecesFeces, faeces, or fæces is a waste product from an animal's digestive tract expelled through the anus or cloaca during defecation.-Etymology:...
(various types and sizes, also with shoeprint) - Soiled diaper
- VomitFake vomitFake vomit is a flat plastic disc with indentations and protrusions designed to look like mucus or vomit. It is a practical joke often used by pranksters to disgust victims....
- Snot (for attaching to the nose)
Body parts
Artificial body parts can be, for example, attached on or under autos.- artificial arm
- artificial foot
- jammed finger
- oversized feet
- protruding eyes (accessory or on glasses)
- Truck nuts
Animals
- Mice, rats
- Snakes
- Spiders
- Bugs (ants, roaches)
- Worms, etc.
Clothing
- Groucho glassesGroucho glassesGroucho glasses, often called funny glasses or beaglepuss, are a novelty disguise that caricature Groucho Marx. Typically consisting of black horn-rimmed glasses with attached eyebrows, large plastic nose, and bushy moustache, Groucho glasses were marketed as early as the 1940s. Groucho glasses...
- Beards
- MaskMaskA mask is an article normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance or entertainment. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes...
s (particularly ones made of latexLatex maskLatex mask generally refers to a full-head enclosure or disguise, often worn by someone as a part of a costume and usually made from natural latex rubber, though some masks can be made of vinyl, silicone rubber or foam latex. Latex masks are particularly popular around holidays such as Halloween,...
) - Teeth (such as Dracula teeth, monster teeth, yellow teeth) that are similar to denturesDenturesDentures are prosthetic devices constructed to replace missing teeth, and which are supported by surrounding soft and hard tissues of the oral cavity. Conventional dentures are removable, however there are many different denture designs, some which rely on bonding or clasping onto teeth or dental...
Smoking articles
- Lit cigarette look-a-like device
- Bang-producing matches
- Exploding cigars
- Exploding cigarette inserts
- Cigarette burn sticker
- Squirting cigarette
- Lighters (with electric shock, squirting, or bang-producing)
- Everlasting ash (the ash does not fall off)
Liquids
- Fake blood
- Magic ink (disappears after a short time)
- Stink bombStink bombA stink bomb or stinkbomb is a device designed to create an unpleasant smell. They range in effectiveness from simple pranks to military grade or riot control chemical agents.The Guinness Book of Records lists two smelliest substances...
- Broken egg with shell
- Fake spilled liquid with container, such as nail polish, chocolate syrup, red wine, etc.
- Squirting Flower
Embarrassing
- Whoopee cushionWhoopee cushionA whoopee cushion, also known as a poo-poo cushion and Razzberry Cushion, is a practical joke device, used in a form of flatulence humor, which produces a noise resembling a raspberry or human flatulence. It is made from two sheets of rubber that are glued together at the edges...
- Fart Machine (a remote controlled 3" battery powered speaker that sets off sounds of various farts)
- Fart spray
- Anti-diarrhea cork
- Fart SaltSaltIn chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
& PepperBlack pepperBlack pepper is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit, known as a peppercorn when dried, is approximately in diameter, dark red when fully mature, and, like all drupes, contains a single seed... - Sneezing Powder
- Itching Powder
- Exhaust pipe whistle tips (for the muffler of an auto)
- Fart powder
- Viagra Ring
Everyday objects
- Pen (with electric shock, or to set off a cap)
- Camera (with electric shock or squirting)
- Soot soap - colors the hands black
- Blood soap
- Butt/Face soap (large bar soap one side colored white with the word "FACE" and the other side colored brown with the word "BUTT")
- Bitter candy (or e.g. with garlic flavor)
- Golf ball made of gypsum (breaks when struck)
- Beer mug with enclosed liquid
- Pack of chewing gum (with smacking spring, squirting, electric shock, or to set off a cap)Chewing Gum BugA chewing gum bug is a practical joke gag used to play tricks on people, usually adults. The appearance is of a 5-pack of chewing gum, with one stick of gum remaining. The trick works when the prankster tricks the victim into pulling out the last stick of gum...
- Water balloonWater balloonA water balloon or water bomb is a latex rubber balloon filled with water. They are commonly used in water balloon fights and as a practical joke device.-History:...
s - Squeaking salt shaker
- Banana peels
- Foaming sugar cube
- TelescopeTelescopeA telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...
with ink on lens (leaves a black circle around the victim's eye after use) - Snake nut canSnake Nut CanA snake nut can is a practical joke device that closely resembles a can of nuts, but contains a long wire spring covered by a cloth or vinyl sheath, printed like snake skin, which leaps out of the can and startles the unsuspecting victim....
looks like a can of nuts but has a spring snake inside, surprising the victim when opened.
Others
- Fake lotto tickets
- Bullet hole or glasscrack
- DVD Rewinder
- Covert TV Clicker (a miniature remote that controls TVs)
- Hot candy
- No tear toilet paper
- Cheap inflatable dollsSex dollA sex doll is a type of sex toy in the size and shape of a sexual partner for aid in masturbation....