101 Funny One-Liners for a Great Joke

How Pranks Went From Harmless Fun To Dangerous Antisocial Behaviour

Fast-forward to 2000 and the American TV show Jackass, and that alien ruse looks downright cuddly. Cast members like Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera and Steve-O regularly put themselves – and the viewers who rushed to copy them, despite "don't try this at home" warnings – in serious peril. Margera let an actual live alligator loose in his parents' house, and, perhaps deservedly, he was trapped in a pit with his worst fear: snakes. Knoxville was tricked into rubbing horse semen into his face for months (he thought it was sun cream); bodily fluids were a puerile recurring trope. 

The Jackass cast became stars thanks to their violent, gross-out, cruel stunts. But opinion is now divided on this frat-boy style of pranking. Many condemn it – and yet, thanks to an increasingly fractured viewership, plus social-media platforms egging people on, today's pranksters are going to ever-more extreme lengths to get attention.

Last year, TikTok star Mizzy was jailed for 18 weeks after breaching a court order when he shared videos of strangers without their consent. He had previously invaded someone's home, abducted a pensioner's dog, knocked people off their bikes and ripped up library books.

Most recently, in January this year, a coroner ruled that 13-year-old Christopher Kapessa had died after a friend pushed him into a river in South Wales in a "dangerous prank".

There's no doubt that this trend has gotten out of hand. But with the likes of TikTok offering the lure of fame and fortune, pranks are more popular than ever.

Jarvo69, as the name suggests, is obsessed with sex, and he's managed to get his juvenile sex noises into some high-profile events and broadcasts. Last month, he pranked the Bowls Championship, while previous victims have included the Euro 2024 draw and an episode of Match of the Day. The latter, in fairness, got a good chuckle from Gary Lineker. 

13 Funny Prank Texts To Send To Friends

Any day's a good day to send a prank text to your friends. Of course, it's always fun to pull a fast one on actual April Fool's Day and confuse the heck out of them with a fun little trick — you know, the kind that has you smiling devilishly down at your phone as you type. But feel free to send prank texts any time of year. Why? Because that's when they'll least expect it.

Once you decide that you would like to add a bit of chaos to the day, go ahead and decide which one of your pals might actually appreciate the joke. You won't want to send a prank text to someone if it's going to truly freak them out. The best pranks (in text form, anyway) are light-hearted and fun and only mildly walk the line of panic, fear, and confusion — unless it's your best friend, of course, in which case all bets are off.

The time of day is also key. If you send the text out of the blue, instead of when you'd usually be chatting, it'll add to the madness and hilarity. Finally, use the fact that you're hidden behind a screen to your full advantage. Take the time to respond to them in the most realistic way, and milk the moment for all its worth. Ready to get them so good? Here are 13 prank text messages you can copy and paste.

"Hello... It's me"

Speak only in song lyrics — think Adele's "Hello" — and see how long it takes your friend to catch on.

You: Hello...

Them: Heyyy, how's it going?

You: It's me...

Them: I know?

That's just an example, though. Feel free to use any lyrics you like.

"You've subscribed to Cat Facts!"

Go to this cat facts website, enter your friend's phone number, and kick back as they become the recipient of anonymous texts from a bot.

Sample cat fact: "A group of kittens is called a 'kindle' while a group of adult cats is called a 'clowder.'"

Bonus points if you never let on that it was you.

"Respond with STOP to opt out."

If you don't want to enter your friend's number into a random website, you can become the Cat Facts bot. Or any bot, for that matter. Come up with a promotional message, complete with coupon offers and prompts — like "Respond with STOP to opt out" — and see how annoyed they get. (If you can somehow manage to change your name in their phone to a fake company name, even better.)

"I just cut my hair!"

Start by excitedly texting your friend that you're finally going to do it, you're finally going to give yourself the haircut you've always wanted. Choose something different from what you have currently, like a fashionable mullet or a pixie cut, then send "progress pics" from your bathroom mirror. Finish by wearing a hat and crying into FaceTime for added effect.

"Who is this?"

Wait for your friend to text and then act like you deleted their number, sort of like you would with an ex. Watch as they try to figure out what they did wrong or ask why you're mad. (This prank likely won't go on for long, but hey — it's still worth it for the fun little shock.)

"OK wow, I have something huge to tell you..."

Send this text, followed by an "omg, this is really tough to say," and then simply *disappear*. Your friend will be left to wonder what major, life-changing announcement is coming their way. The hilarity comes from the relief they'll feel hours (or days) later when you finally admit it was a joke.

"Guys, I just saw something run under the fridge!!!"

If you live with roommates, send a text to the group chat that you just saw something scurry under the fridge. Include a blurry photo as evidence, then say you're terrified and will be hiding in your room until the issue is resolved. Listen as they move the fridge or also hide in their rooms. (Just don't expect them to believe you if there ever really is something under the fridge.)

"I BOUGHT A HOUSE!"

Choose a major purchase — be it a car, a house, etc. — and excitedly text your friend that you just signed the papers and it's all yours! Send a Zillow or AutoTrader link — the more ridiculous and out of your price range, the better — and then engage in award-winning acting as you gush about your new, fancy lifestyle.

"So I got back together with my ex."

If you really want to do them dirty, tell your friend that you got back with your ex. Go into detail about how they called and apologized, and you're heading to their place right now. (Note: This is only funny if your ex was annoying, though, and not toxic.)

"Hey, you watered all my plants, right?"

If you go away for the weekend, follow up with a random friend once you get back home and ask if they did that important chore that you (totally) asked them to do — like watering your plants. Send a photo of one that's crispy and brown (you know you have at least one that actually is) and act like its untimely demise is all their fault. Throw in an "I trusted you!" for good measure.

"Omg, they canceled Euphoria!"

Maybe it's SNL or Bridgerton or Euphoria. Choose a show they deeply love and hit them with the sad, sorry news that it's gone forever.

"Hi hows you're day?"

Throw grammar out the window and only send texts that are blatantly incorrect. Keep using "they're" instead of "their" and "you're" instead of "your" until they just can't take it anymore.

"OK cool. Yea I'll be there with $300."

Send this text then follow up with "Oh crap, that wasn't for you" and watch as your friend tries to figure out what sort of illicit affair you're involved in this time.

Even though they aren't likely to fall for any of these pranks hook, line, and sinker, your friend will (hopefully) appreciate being the recipient of a dumb prank text.

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This article was originally published on April 23, 2021

20 Best April Fools' Pranks To Pull On Your Family And Friends

Make April Fools' Day a family affair.

With these April Fools' pranks in your back pocket, you'll keep young and old on their toes from the moment they wake up until they crawl back into bed.

Start things off at home with a frozen breakfast (followed up by an edible one, of course), then sprinkle in a few April Fools' jokes throughout the day to keep the laughs coming.

Not only are these pranks easy to pull off, but they all require materials you can find around the house. All you need are common household items like toothpaste, tape, and toilet paper.

With April Fools' approaching, these prank ideas are great ways to get a laugh out of pranksters and prankees alike. Hoping to pull a fast one this April 1? Look no further than these fun, family-friendly April Fools' pranks.

Swap sleepers

If your kids are heavy sleepers, carry them into their sibling's bed and let them wake up in a different room to start April Fools' on the right foot.

Frozen breakfast

Put cereal and milk in a bowl and let it freeze overnight. When your hungry kids try to dig in, they'll get quite the surprise.

Juice joke Amanda Mushro

Care for a drink? When your family tries to taking a sip of this juice, they'll find out it's really Jell-O.

Underwear surprise

Swap out the contents of their underwear drawer for bathing suits for an early morning prank that'll get all the laughs.

"Eye" see you Sally Anscombe / Getty Images

Give your kids a good laugh by attaching googly eyes to, well, everything.

Balloon closet or drawer

Fill your child's closet or dresser drawers with balloons. When they wake up for school and look for an outfit, they'll be in for a colorful surprise.

Toilet paper message Amanda Mushro

Unroll the toilet paper and leave a funny message for the unsuspecting user. One option: "You're going to wash your hands, right?" Scribble a note, roll the toilet paper back up, and wait to see who ends up reading your message.

Honk for April Fools'

Let your practical jokers put a sign on your car that reads "My kids are playing an April Fools' joke on me. Honk and wave at me!" This joke is even funnier if they get to take a ride in the car with you.

Toothpaste switcheroo

Surprise your kids this April Fools' Day with a little toothpaste switcheroo. After breakfast, hand over their toothbrush — but instead of the usual white paste, opt for something creamy and sweet. Cream cheese or vanilla frosting will do the trick; if they use a colored kids' tooth gel, try using cake decorating gel instead.

Bugs in your ice Amanda Mushro

This oldie-but-goodie prank is easy to make at home with this tip. Add almost boiling water to the ice cube trays and toss in a few plastic bugs. The hotter the water, the more clear the ice will be when frozen.

Sweet trick

Offer up brownies as an afternoon snack, but everyone will be shocked when they find brown letter "E"s (get it — brown "E"s?) instead.

Milk shenanigans

Add a few drops of food coloring to the carton of milk; when your child goes to pour it into her glass or bowl of cereal, she'll get a colorful surprise — bright pink (or blue, or green) milk!

Bathtime hoax Amanda Mushro

Using a Q-tip, apply gel food coloring around the inside of the faucet in the bathtub or sink. When the faucet is turned on, you're left with colored water!

Pillow prank

Just when they thought April Fools' Day was over, here's one last prank. Remove the pillows and fill their pillowcases with several partially inflated balloons. When they put their head down to sleep, they'll realize you got the last April Fools' laugh. Obviously if you have younger children, you'll want to take the balloons out of their room before they drift off to sleep.

Cupcakes for dinner

Your kids will think you're the coolest mom ever — for a moment at least. Bake up mini meatloaves in muffin cups (don't forget the colorful wrappers). Then "frost" them with creamy mashed potatoes. See how long it takes for your kids to realize that you really aren't that cool after all.

Whoopee! Mieke Dalle / Getty Images

Put a whoopee cushion under your baby's high-chair cushion, under the booster seat or car seat cover and see if you get a laugh from the baby, his older brother or your partner.

Salty hot chocolate

Instead of adding sugar to the drink, add salt! Your kids may be excited for the first sip of the warm, sweet drink, but that first sip will surprise them. (Make them a mug of regular hot chocolate, too, so that they aren't too disappointed!)

Alarm clock fast forward Karl Tapales / Getty Images

We all want to get as much sleep in before work or class. Push the time on your kid's clock a couple hours forward and watch your kids' reaction when they realize they're ready for their 9 a.M. Class at 7.

Bedtime classic

Borrow a summer camp classic and short sheet your kid's bed before bedtime — when he tries to get in, you'll have the last laugh.

Start laughing in 3, 2, 1...

Sarah W. Caron contributed to this story, which was originally published in 2016 and has been updated.

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