If you were to look solely at the examples cited above, you could be forgiven for imagining that all pranks and gags on April 1st are clever, and that they typically range somewhere between mildly and wildly amusing. But these are the unicorns of pranks. Unfortunately, in reality, most pranks are unfunny, unimaginative, painfully predictable and often mean-spirited. Even after Eleanor left me! With a regular joke, the laugh will often come if the outcome feels totally unexpected.
But with a prank, instead of enjoying an unforeseen twist like in that hilarious story I just told you you did think that was hilarious, right? But beyond merely being unfunny or predictable, many other pranks are just plain weird; totally lacking even an attempt at what we know to be humour. Like everything else in the world, the internet offers us an entire online library of this species of pranks.
For instance, a man named Joey Salads gives his alt-righty take on the transgender washroom issue by throwing on a dress and bugging some women in a ladies room who are clearly in on it.
Another YouTuber pranks his girlfriend by having her catch him in bed with three other women. A rare double prank! Or something. But enough of the unsuccessful, pedestrian pranks. The pranks mentioned at the beginning of this piece represent something enjoyable. When people really buy into a crazy situation being thrown at them, their honest reaction can be not only hilarious, but also revealing.
Which brings me to the real reason why I hate pranks: even at their best, they have the potential to tell you something about yourself that can never be unlearned. I grew up in a very rural area, with no nearby neighbours. You remember Scream. Legend has it that the holiday originated with a switch in the calendar that moved the beginning of the year. Those people who incorrectly believed the year began in April were the first April Fools.
Smith disagrees. Spring weather is notoriously unpredictable, and a day that calls for shorts and sandals can be followed by a blizzard.
Carrie Arnold is an award-winning freelance science journalist based in Virginia. Credit: Nick Higgins. Already a subscriber? Sign in. Thanks for reading Scientific American. Create your free account or Sign in to continue. See Subscription Options. Go Paperless with Digital. Part of the hilarious Funny Kid book series, new release Prank Aliens is about a boy named Max who is searching for the greatest prank of all time.
He said pranking in the home can build strong relationships and grow trust between parents and kids. But playing a trick can come with unintended consequences, said psychiatrist Mark Cross.
That process can be a bonding one. When you laugh, you breathe deeper, which helps anxiety. Mum of two Emily said her husband David and their kids Cassie, 10, and Jake, 8, enjoy the odd prank. So rub some slime on a door knob or cover brussels sprouts with chocolate.
It might just be good for you and everyone involved. YouTube told Trending that privacy is important to them and that if you are disturbed to find yourself in a prank video without your permission, you can report it and it will be taken down.
Next story: Why are some Egyptians pining away for their long-gone King? Amidst the turmoil and unrest of Egypt today, some are reminiscing about life under the country's last monarch - prompting an online debate about how good the "good old days" really were. All our stories are at bbc. Image source, Getty Images. Dom Joly says that for the comics themselves, pranking is all about adrenaline.
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