(Please note that this is a Friends-Only Entry.)
Main Entry: 1prank
Pronunciation: ‘pra[ng]k
Function: noun
Etymology: obsolete prank to play tricks
: TRICK: a obsolete : a malicious act b : a mildly mischievous act c : a ludicrous act
“I thought it was funny.”
— Andy Kaufman
There is a temptation to say, “If you didn’t get it, you won’t get it.”
There is a temptation to say, “If you’re angry, that’s because you can’t take a joke.”
There’s even a temptation to say, “Even Oedepus didn’t see his mother coming.”
(Okay, that last line was about the only good line from the movie last night and it has nothing to do with anything that happened. Honest.)
Jared pulled a prank. I was a minor part of it. For the better part of a month, he lamented about legal problems with Memento Mori Theatricks and people responded with heart-felt sympathy and offers to help.
And the whole time, Jared followed the only rule a good prankster should follow: he only told people who asked him if it was a prank.
It was the first thing I asked him. Okay, that’s a lie, it was the second thing I asked him. But, when I asked, “Is this a gag?” he confessed right up front. “Yes,” he told me.
Because that’s what you do.
April 1st was rushing up and he was being more than cryptic about the whole thing. He told people, “Don’t over-react, just wait and see what happends.” That exact language over and over again. And, if someone asked, “Is this a prank?” he confirmed it.
Now, here’s an important caveat: those of us who figured it out aren’t smarter than the folks who didn’t; we’re just more familiar with the way pranks work. We aren’t smarter, but we may be a little more savvy.
Anyway, if someone asked me “Is this a prank?” I would have directed them to Jared. Nobody did. Nobody.
I played a small part in the hustle. I threw a ranty tirade over at RPG.net to distract from the question. It worked. But now that the prank is revealed, a lot of people are pissed. A lot of people are also chortling, but even a Moderator over there started dropping F-bombs at folks. I guess he didn’t appreciate being fooled.
But then again, who does? I mean, it’s a prank. By the very definition, it’s a “cruel joke.” I’ve been the victim of pranks before and I’ve felt that anger. I sympathize. But I do not apologize. Apologizing would be insincere. I don’t feel sorry about participating in Jared’s prank. I enjoyed every minute of it. To apologize would put me in the same camp as Janet Jackson, sitting in front of America, tears in her eyes, telling the world she was sorry for revealing her breast.
Come on, Janet. We know you did it. You know you did it. Apologizing just makes you look insincere about the whole thing.
And for those who demonstrated legitimate emotion and concern, please do not feel like that emotion was wasted. When the “John Wick is Dead” hoax went off, I got a ton of phone calls from people I hadn’t heard from in years–all for Jennifer, of course–offering condolences. The internet overflowed with, “Goddamn, that’s a fucking shame,” sentiments and I felt awful about having to tell people I was actually still alive. Frankly, it was the first time anyone had said something nice about me on the internet for a long time.
(And after this little debacle, it may be an even longer time.) 😉
But those emotions were genuine. And trust me, Jared talked to me about it. “People are gonna want to lynch me,” he told me. “Some of them,” I said. “But they’ll get over their anger. And others will pat you on the back and say, ‘Damn, you got me.'”
Now, there’s another rule that folks should know about. By participating in such a ruse, you have to make yourself open to the same. I’ve always been a good sport about pranks and have been the subject of more than my fair share. I love a good prank. And by participating in this one, I’ve communicated to the world that I’m a fair target.
Give me your best shot.
So, no apologies, but if you are pissed about it, I do offer my condolences. I know what it feels like to be on the other end of a prank.
Anyway, that’s the explanation. And, in the wake of writing this, I feel like the guy who has to explain his joke to someone who didn’t get it. And it isn’t even my joke. But, I played a part in it, so here’s my little explanation.
For those who didn’t get it.