Everybody enjoys a good laugh, and practical jokes can be a source of harmless fun when shared between friends or family. They’re meant to be lighthearted and amusing. However, sometimes what starts as a simple prank can escalate, leading to “prank wars” or situations that spiral out of control, becoming mean-spirited or even dangerous.
While a well-executed, harmless prank can be a comedic masterpiece, some pranksters don’t know when to draw the line. Others, frankly, should probably avoid pranking altogether. Today, we’re looking at 10 practical jokes that definitely went too far. These so-called “hilarious” stunts involve everything from political impersonations and drug-laced treats to fake national emergencies and relationship-damaging deceptions. What a ride!
As we explore this list of ill-conceived pranks, it’s worth remembering key advice: when it comes to practical jokes, less is often more. Crucially, safety should always be the top priority. None of the pranks below ended as the jokesters intended. Let’s dive in!
10 Richard Nixon Running for President in 1992?
Our first prankster decided to push the boundaries significantly. As most people know, politics and religion are topics many take very seriously. A fake presidential candidate might sound amusing in theory. However, this joker took it to another level by impersonating one of America’s most controversial presidents.
In 1992, a prankster called into NPR claiming to be Richard Nixon, announcing a new presidential bid. During the radio interview, impersonating Nixon, he reiterated his famous line, “I am not a crook!” and mockingly added he “never did anything wrong, and I won’t do it again.” While the impersonation and the line might have seemed funny to some, it caused genuine confusion and concern when thousands of listeners believed the disgraced former president was actually seeking office again. This prank created unnecessary public alarm.
9 Pot-Laced Muffins
High school “senior pranks” have a long history of backfiring, but this particular one really takes the biscuit—or, in this case, the muffin. Two high school students in the Dallas area decided to bake some “special” treats for their school’s faculty members.
These weren’t ordinary muffins; the students had laced them with marijuana. They reportedly left these special muffins in the teachers’ lounge. The muffins must have looked appealing because several teachers ate them. Unfortunately, the prank went seriously wrong, as 19 staff members ended up needing emergency room treatment. It’s safe to say this prank did not achieve the humorous outcome the students had hoped for and instead caused significant harm.
8 UFO Sighting in Jafr, Jordan?
With some pranks, it’s genuinely baffling what the perpetrators were thinking. This next one falls squarely into that category. Imagine being the editor of a newspaper in a small Jordanian city. How do you attract attention and tourists? Perhaps by highlighting local culture or new developments.
However, in 2010, the local newspaper in Jafr, Jordan, chose a far more dramatic—and ultimately chaotic—approach. To bring attention to their city, the newspaper published an article claiming a UFO had landed nearby. Instead of sparking curiosity, the article incited widespread panic. The mayor of Jafr reportedly evacuated over 10,000 people. While the newspaper’s motive remains unclear, the article was printed on April Fools’ Day, which perhaps should have been a hint, but the prank clearly caused mass hysteria instead of amusement.
7 Exploding Chair Gag
Sometimes, couples who prank together don’t always laugh together, especially when things go wrong. This next prank comes from a pair of professional pranksters. Comedian Robin Armstrong and his girlfriend often shared pranks they played on each other on their YouTube channel. His girlfriend devised a prank she thought their audience would find hilarious.
She rigged a chair to explode, intending to launch Armstrong into a nearby pool. Armstrong was caught by surprise, but when the chair exploded, the prank took a dangerous turn. He was propelled over 10 feet (3 meters) into the air but missed the pool entirely, landing hard on the ground and breaking his back. Fortunately for the couple, Armstrong didn’t suffer permanent damage, but he did require several weeks of hospital care. This stunt was a painful reminder of how quickly a prank can become hazardous.
6 Covered Stop Sign
It’s hard to find humor in tampering with traffic signs, which are crucial for public safety. Perhaps some people just aren’t cut out for pranking, especially when it involves such recklessness. Two teenage boys near Columbus, Ohio, decided that existing traffic signs weren’t entertaining enough and opted to make some “adjustments.”
They completely covered a stop sign—arguably one of the most critical traffic signals—with plastic wrap and petroleum jelly, making it invisible to drivers. They were reportedly so proud of their actions that they even boasted about it on social media. While many local drivers who knew the intersection still stopped, their luck eventually ran out. Two elderly sisters, unfamiliar with the obscured sign, drove through the intersection. Their vehicle was struck by oncoming traffic. The passenger died instantly, and the driver later had to have her leg amputated. Both pranksters were held accountable, pleading guilty to reckless homicide. This tragic event underscores the severe consequences of such irresponsible actions.
5 Pregnancy Prank
This next prank is a two-part saga that unfolded on April Fools’ Day in 2013. Prepare yourself, because this one is particularly ill-judged! The pranks involved a young couple in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Tori Wheeler, 18 at the time, decided to play a multi-layered practical joke on her then-boyfriend, Derek Bauer.
Wheeler’s initial prank was straightforward: she told Bauer she was pregnant. However, she wasn’t finished. When Bauer didn’t react to her pregnancy “joke” in the way she had hoped, Wheeler escalated the situation by pulling out a knife. The police were called before anyone was physically harmed, but Wheeler insisted that wielding the knife was also part of the prank. All jokes aside, this situation clearly went far beyond acceptable limits, and it’s fortunate no one was injured.
4 Twins Prank a Bank
We’ve seen pranks involving politics, dangerous objects, and sensitive personal news. What else could possibly be considered hilarious by some? Apparently, simulating a bank robbery. Twin pranksters Alex and Alan Stokes came up with this incredibly poorly thought-out idea.
To their credit, they didn’t actually enter the bank. Instead, they stood outside with bags supposedly full of cash, wearing masks. They then called an Uber, intending for the driver to be the unsuspecting victim of their prank. Understandably, the Uber driver refused to give a ride to two individuals who appeared to have just robbed a bank. Onlookers, not in on the “joke,” called the police. The officers initially let the twins go with a warning. However, undeterred, they attempted the same prank again later that day. This time, they were charged. For YouTube personalities with a significant following, this practical joke was remarkably ill-conceived and crossed a serious line.
3 Blue Hill Eruption?
Our next prank takes us to a Boston television news segment from April Fools’ Day in 1980. Producer Homer Cilley orchestrated an entire fake news broadcast as a practical joke. In the report, the station warned citizens about Great Blue Hill in nearby Milton, Massachusetts.
The broadcast claimed that this hill, which had no history of seismic activity, was suddenly erupting. Newscasters described flowing lava and imminent danger in vivid detail. The segment even included mock warnings from then-President Jimmy Carter. To make the prank more convincing, the producer incorporated actual volcano footage. The prank worked—perhaps too well. Citizens genuinely believed a volcanic eruption was underway, leading to widespread panic and angry calls to the TV station. Cilley was subsequently fired for his role in the elaborate hoax.
2 Students Try to Teach Their Teachers a Lesson
Three high school pranksters from Brooklyn concocted a prank similar to the muffin incident mentioned earlier, but with a far more malicious intent. These students prepared some tasty-looking cakes for their teachers. The cakes were topped with what appeared to be red candy.
However, this “candy” was actually a laxative. Unsurprisingly, none of the teachers found this prank amusing. Five teachers reported significant health issues as a result. It’s difficult to understand how these students expected this prank to end any differently. They were fortunate that no one suffered more severe or lasting harm from this mean-spirited act.
1 Gas Prank (Not What You’re Thinking)
The final prank on our list involves a tool commonly used in manufacturing: compressed air. Compressed air serves various industrial purposes but is absolutely not intended for practical jokes due to its immense power. The force from compressed air can be strong enough to penetrate skin.
In 2018, in Japan, one man thought it would be funny to use an air compressor in a highly unconventional and dangerous way on a colleague. He directed the compressed air nozzle towards his colleague’s backside. The consequences were horrific and tragic. The air blast shot through the victim’s clothes and into his body, ultimately reaching his lungs. This led to the victim’s death. This devastating incident is a stark reminder that pranks must always prioritize safety and that some actions can have irreversible, fatal outcomes.
These stories highlight a crucial point: while pranks are often intended for amusement, they can easily cross the line into dangerous, harmful, or deeply upsetting territory. The best pranks are those where everyone can laugh afterward, without injury, distress, or serious consequences. Thinking about potential outcomes and prioritizing safety is key.
What’s the craziest prank you’ve heard of that went too far? Share your thoughts or other cautionary tales in the comments below!
