Tag Archives: prank

Practical Joke – USA

Nationality: American
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Scarsdale, NY
Performance Date: April 22, 2008
Primary Language: English
Language: Spanish

Practical Joke—USA

“During the first day of practice on the varsity Ice Hockey team at Scarsdale High School, the seniors stole all of the freshman equipment (during a team meeting) and hid it in a closet at the rink.  When the freshman saw that their gear was gone, the upperclassmen acted clueless and suggested that it was stolen.  Finally, right before practice began, the seniors brought the equipment back and everyone found the whole ordeal hilarious.”
I first learned about this practice joke when it was performed on me during my first practice, freshman year.  Unfortunately for me, everyone had me and the other 3 freshman on the team convinced to the point that we were all extremely upset that our equipment had been stolen.  The practical joke was believable because the four of us had all put our equipment in the same locker room, right next to the entrance of the rink.  The rink is located in a somewhat dangerous and crime ridden section of town, and it was therefore believable that someone might have come in quickly and stole our stuff without being seen.  Furthermore for us freshman, it was our first practice on a varsity team and all of us were nervous, not knowing what to expect.  We had been warned that the first practice would be physically difficult, but there were all kind of stories that went around about freshman getting abused during their first varsity practice.  Fortunately, that was not the case.  But the upperclassmen certainly scared us all.

This practical joke occurs virtually every year from what we were told.  While nobody knows exactly which senior class started it, the tradition is kept alive year after year.  This is a great example of folklore because it supports Von Gennup’s theory, which recognizes the importance of practical jokes as a right of passage (Lecture 2/7/08).  He noted that practical jokes were usually present during the liminal period of someone’s life; a life transition like a marriage or initiation to a team or society.  The rational behind this is that you know that you are a member of this “group” when you know the practical jokes that have been played on everyone else.  Just as Von Gennup theorized, the practical joke that was played on myself and the other freshman came during our liminal period, when we were in the process of becoming members of the team.  After the joke was played on us, we now expect it and are “part of the team.”

Contemporary Legend – University of Southern California

Nationality: Japanese-American
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Manhattan Beach, CA
Performance Date: April 20, 2008
Primary Language: English

There are a few legends behind why every year Tommy Trojan get wound in duct tape. I come from a family that has had a few generations go through USC and I have heard a few different reasons why Tommy is dressed in duct tape during the UCLA vs. USC football game week. I originally heard from my dad that UCLA had a few students who got a helicopter and tried to dump blue and gold paint on Tommy, but because of the rotor wash and their bad aim, they were unable to get Tommy with the paint. The other story I heard was that they tired to use cow manure, and instead got a lot of it in the helicopter because of the rotor wash. I think I even heard a variation where the helicopter crashed, but I find that hard to believe.

The fact is that this legend has become very much a part of folklore on the campus of USC. Every year the Trojan Knights camp out in front of Tommy to make sure that nothing happens to him. Also, every year he is wrapped up in duct tape. These two fact keep this legend going. The other reason that they legend is still popular is the fact that we would like to think that we are that much better than people from UCLA, and that these stupid plans and actions are signs of our superiority. The thing is I also know a few people who go to UCLA.

The way their story goes, they succeed in getting Tommy with either the paint, the manure, and in one case both, and that it was because of this success that Tommy is wrapped in duct tape every year. At USC we like to think we are taking precautions from keep this from ever working even though UCLA has failed on numerous occasions to try to do something to Tommy.

Another important fact is that the legend is popular to both people at USC, and UCLA, but probably not even know in other school that do not play either school in sports. This means that they legends around Tommy and the duct tape are continued and popular among a small group of people who go to either school.

Practical Joke

Nationality: Hispanic
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: April 1, 2008
Primary Language: English

Practical Joke

April Fools

The picture above is what Kianni Courtade did to Michael Mesa’s room for an April Fools prank.  April Fools is a day of making pranks and practical jokes.  Kianni first learned that April 1st was a day to play jokes for a classmate when she was in elementary school.  The joke she played on Michael on April 1, 2008 was not the first time Kianni pulled an April Fools Day joke.

Originally, Kianni wanted to prank someone else, but that person did not seem to be leaving his/her room and since she did not want to waste the supplies she had already purchased, she decided to pull the prank on Michael instead.  Kianni had a friend put tape on the door so the door would not lock when it was closed.  She was surprised that Michael did not notice the tape.  After Michael left, Kianni saran wrapped Michael’s chair, desk, pillows, bed, and dresser.  She placed flower stickers on the walls and strategically placed alarm clocks with different alarm times around the room.  She used pink streamers and put a musical device in one of his drawers so that when he opened his drawer, the music would play.  In addition, Kianni also hid some of Michael’s things.  Michael was shocked when he returned to his room, and later on, Kianni apologized to Michael, who remained a fair sport.

April Fools Day demonstrates how the American culture is one that enjoys pranks and humor, especially at the expense of another person.  The American people enjoy harmless fun.  It is entertaining that Kianni chose pink streamers and flower stickers, which are considered feminine, to put into a male’s room.  The majority of men does not like to own anything feminine, especially anything that makes their room have any hints of feminism; therefore, the prank was funny to spectators, while it was probably embarrassingly funny for Michael to have pink streamers and flower sticks in his room.  The purpose of a practical joke is to make it difficult for the person who the prank was pulled on.  The saran wrap made it extremely difficult for Michael to use anything in his room.  It probably frustrated him that some his possessions had been misplaced.  Having music play when he opened his drawer and having alarm clocks ringing at different odd times must have annoyed Michael.  Practical jokes are supposed to be harmless but also embarrass, frustrate, and annoy the victim, and Kianni was successful.

Rites of Passage – United States Marine Corps

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Nationality: Jamaican
Age: 26
Occupation: Anthropology Student
Residence: Long Beach, California
Performance Date: February 23, 2010
Primary Language: English
Language: Spanish, French

When new Marines join the fleet and are officially part of the United States Marine Corps they are called boots. These Marines are considered boots until they gain seniority and especially when they get junior Marines that they are put in charge of. There are various pranks and tricks played on these new Marines. When a new Marine comes to work he may be asked to find an ID-10 Tag. This Marine will then go around asking others where he might be able to locate an ID-10 Tag. Everyone is usually in on the joke because they have all been through it before and they all usually play along. They will tell the Marine random locations or send him to another Marine who will also keep the wild goose chase going. Eventually the Mane will be told, or find out, that an ID-10 Tag does not actually exist. ID-10 Tag is actually code for IDIOT.

A boot may also be sent to hunt down a PRC-E5 (pronounced prick-ee-five). This prank is a little less forgiving than others. E5 is the pay grade of a Sergeant in the Marine Corps. He is in essence being asked to find a Sergeant who is a prick. When the Marine actually finds the Sergeant and tells him he was told to ask for a PRC-E5 the Sergeant may not be too happy that some boot is calling him a prick. What often ends up happening is the Sergeant hunts down the Marine that sent the boot to him and reprimands that individual. After being scolded, the Marine usually makes it a task to somehow punish the boot that went to the Sergeant. This prank is not exclusive to Sergeants it can be used amongst Marines of any pay grade.

Usually pranks like these occur during a workday when there is not much to do and senior Marines are bored. It is uncommon for these pranks to happen during combat deployment mainly because there is not much time to initiate boots when constant danger exists. These pranks are usually conducted by senior Marines who “know the ropes.” Often someone will take pity on a boot and inform him that he is being screwed with. When I first joined my unit I was sent on a series of wild goose chases and eventually I was pulled aside by a fellow Marine and informed that I as being tricked. I actually became extremely angry because I was more eager to actually do legitimate work than participating in what I felt were sophomoric pranks. I was so angry at being duped, in fact, that I never forgave the Marine that duped me and hold a grudge against him to this very day.

Some Marines swear by the utility in playing pranks on their new Marines. They feel it teaches them to distinguish ridiculous and unfounded orders from legitimate ones. I feel that it is more important to actually do ones job properly and save the games for non-work hours. I have had any arguments with other Marines over this subject and whenever I see a boot being tricked I inform him as soon as humanly possible. This resulted in senior Marines pranking their boots only when I was not around because they knew I would spoil their fun.