I got fired last month. No, really, I did--in spite of the post title, I'm not making this up. I was tasked with doing some research that required looking through the Atlanta Historical Society newsletters from the 1970s. While doing my scholarly duty, my colleagues and I stumbled upon a picture of my boss' boss, taken when he was first hired by the institution. I confess it was a most unflattering photo--he had a rather goofy expression on his face and he looked about fifteen. We were delighted! And I'm the first to admit that it was me who commented on how funny it would be to put said picture on the side of a milk carton.
WELL--my co-workers (including my boss) egged me on. The next day, a quart size milk carton (complete with black and white cow markings) was the perfect receptacle for the ridiculous photograph and a caption that read something like "Have You Seen This Child? Name: Mikey Rose. Last seen: At the Pig & Chick on Roswell Road. Age: SUBSTANTIALLY older than this photo." I placed it carefully on top of the coffee maker and waited patiently for my quarry to spot it. He did. And then he promptly informed me that I had had the shortest tenure of any of his employees, having held on to my job for less than one week.
This got me thinking. Pranks are a WONDERFUL thing--especially when you're on the pranking end, not the pranked end. A few classic examples spring to mind....
First, the Great Breast Pump Escapade. This is a classic, and brilliant in its execution. Many years ago Randy's mom, Alice, was asked to bring a White Elephant gift to a church party. She chose to bring an old breast pump. Bob Panian, the husband of one of her best friends, was the unfortunate recipient. Now this would be funny enough, but what happened over and over again for years is what brings this particular prank into the realm of genius. At every church occasion for years and years to come, Alice and Bob continued to exchange the same breast pump, each one trying to outdo the other in the method of delivery. One year Alice baked it into a cake--another year one or the other of them had it canned at the local cannery. They got more mileage out of that breast pump, I'm sure, than the baby it was originally purchased for! Classic.
I worked with a gal who's husband received a nearly life size inflatable cow as a gift. (Don't ask why--apparently he collected cow memorabilia and somebody thought this particular object would be a great addition to the kitchen counter). Anyway, my co-worker, the administrative assistant for the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at a local university, brought the cow to work, blew it up, placed it carefully in the Dean's office chair, and propped the current copy of the Journal of Higher Education in it's hooves. This is the same woman who later encased every single object in the Dean's office (desk, chair, phone, computer, books, etc.) in aluminum foil while he was on vacation. And yes, she's still employed!
But I think the best prank I have ever heard of, I discovered just about the same time I got fired. The Atlanta History Center is the proud recipient of the Olympic torch used for this summer's Beijing games. While doing some research on the whole torch-lighting thing, I stumbled upon this prank--arguably the best I've ever heard of.
It seems that in 1956, during the torch run for the games in Melbourne, Australia, a few blokes decided to protest the ceremony since it actually came into existence at the Berlin games, at Hitler's bequest (a little known fact). Anyway, as it came through Sydney, they decided to run their own version of the torch, which consisted of a chair leg, a plum pudding can, and a pair of underpants. (Yes, I'm quite sure alcohol was involved.)
What happened next is priceless--somehow the real torch runner got waylayed in the crowd and these guys with the flaming underwear were mistaken for the real thing! The crowd pushed them forward to the mayor of Sydney who, not expecting the torch so soon, officially received it for the city! By the time the mixup was revealed, the fake torch bearer slipped into the crowd--and into the prankster hall of fame! For more info on this delightful episode, click here. (scroll down to 1956 Melbourne)
SO--back to the milk carton incident. It turns out that getting fired is sort of a rite of passage at the Atlanta History Center. I was informed that a food offering was required in order to redeem myself. Two dozen carrot cake cupcakes later, I am still employed, and my exploits have been duly noted across the entire campus.
These are my people!
p.s. the photo at the top of the page is Deena Millett. When faced with such a lovely cannon, what else can one do?
p.s.s. if I have any readers, I would LOVE comments about your favorite pranks....
5 comments:
What a way to go out!!! Ok, the breast pump story, HILARIOUS!!! I never knew she had a mischievous side to her.
LOVE the Olympic torch story - what a hoot! (And you're right, only in Australia!)
I don't know if it counts as a prank, but I always loved hearing about Dad and Tanguay at KFC freezing chickens into compromising positions - I've always thought that was hilarious! Too bad we don't have photos!
OMIGOSH--I had COMPLETELY forgotten that one!!! Yes, that one is all too true and certainly qualifies as a prank--THANK you for making sure it gets inducted into the Prankster's Hall of Fame!!
I never understood why we would target intentionally the Bishop, but Jeremy, Isaac and I's escapades rolling the house of Bishop Mayfield with toilet paper were hilarious. What makes it better is that we didn't clean up after our mess once!
The worst prank I have been a recipient to was one night in the office of the mission, I get a phone call from a missionary saying he has a fever of 103 degrees and rising and needed to get to the hospital. Burr was out of town so I took the secretary with me and when we arrived at the house of the member where the missionary was staying, one of the member's comes out of the house and stone-faced says the missionary has died. About near crapped my pants. It later turns out that he had yellow fever so dying would've been a distinct possibility! I could've shot that member.
You almost gave me a heart attack! I'm so glad the cupcakes saved the day. :o) And I think the milk carton idea was brilliant.
I think my favorite prank was when I was working at the Georgia Historical Society. I was put in charge of artifacts and thus read through all the old files about the collection. In the 1800s, people used to give the Society all sorts of odd things, most of which were quietly disposed of in the days before so much paperwork was required. One such gift was a mummy's hand. I told everyone about it and all the staff kept hoping to come across it just in case it was still around. Finally, one Halloween, I built my own mummy's hand out of wooden dowels, gauze dyed with tea, Fimo sculptor's clay, tiny hook-and-eyes, fake fingernails, and fishing string. I attached it to the bottom of a battered cardboard box with the strings invisibly running out the corner. When someone would lean over to look at the hand closely, I'd pull the strings and it would draw into a fist. I got quite a few people with that one! When I left, I quietly placed the hand in the stacks of unprocessed papers and artifacts for someone else to find.
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