Pranking Paralytics: Resources

Is it possible to be a good pranker and a thrifty one? I think our US consumerist mindset has corroded that great frugal value of “resourcefulness” into “able to buy resources.” I for example, in my quest to wreck Tyler Jimmy’s room, got all the way to the shipping supply aisle of a local office goods store. I was sorely tempted to buy the 24-dollar bag of Styrofoam packing peanuts (“biodegradable!”) because the are clingy and annoying, and even better, they are known for being clingy and annoying!

If that instance had been the first time I’d dealt with such trials, I may have caved. And in fact, I have on several occasions in the past. For example I bought duck tape and a tablecloth, with grand schemes in mind… and I still haven’t used them! Though on the other hand, I did buy the trash bags used in the “Bags and Pipes” prank. However, the best part of that prank was free (using Tyler Jimmy’s own stereo and a borrowed CD against him…. For several hours…. At full volume.)

So then, here are a few things to keep in mind when gathering your prank materials:

• Be resourceful: Use what you already have. Especially because there is a special kind of humor in a prank made from things everyone has. Like left-over holiday candy.
• Borrow: people want to be involved in pranking, even if they don’t prank themselves.
• Do site-based pranks: like removing things from the room, or bringing things from outside in.
• Reuse garbage: For example, during my internship I filled my supervisor’s desk drawers with paper scraps from recycling: Sustainable Pranking!