…Exploring the role of the prankster as artist, activist and social observer and the significance of the prank in society.
From Be Nice Art Friends, because prank calls are still funny:
Bart Simpson, Crank Yankers, your Mom, everyone loves a good prank call, but I feel like no one does it better than Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim. The geniuses behind classic American comedy shows* such as, Tom Goes to the Mayor, Steven and Stephen, and of course, the ever beloved Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job, have done plenty of pranks in their time, but personally, I”m loving the following:
*They WILL be.
Incognit-O phone prank
by Lukas I. Alpert
New York Post
December 23, 2009
Move over, Vinny from Queens. There’s a new radio call-in king — and he’s dialing from the White House.
President Obama played a prank on his friend, outgoing Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, phoning Kaine’s radio show as “Barry from DC” to gripe about traffic.
The ruse didn’t last long, as Obama quickly said, “Well, Governor Kaine, this is actually the president of the United States calling. I have some questions about traffic in northern Virginia. But rather than go there, I’d just like to say how proud we are of your service.”
A stunned Kaine said his happiest moment as governor came when Obama was elected president with Virginia’s help.
photo: dailymail.co.uk
Submitted by W.J. Elvin III:
FBI probes PrankNET over thousands of dollars in damage caused to hotels and restaurants
by Tom Leonard
Telegraph.co.uk
15 July 2009
The FBI is investigating an anonymous prank-calling internet group which has reportedly duped people into causing thousands of dollars of damage to hotels and restaurants.
Some former fans of PrankNET have expressed misgivings about the increasingly violent nature of the pranks
PrankNET posts its “greatest hits” on YouTube and streams its calls live on internet radio.
Investigators say its creators are difficult to identify due to the diffficulty of tracing prank calls placed online.
Dex, the pseudonym for the group’s purported leader, has claimed credit for various expensive scare calls, although others have been attributed to “copycats”. Continue reading “FBI Probes PrankNET Over Hotel Pranks”
