September 26, 2002

9:46 PM

And now, from the news of the weird..
It appears some weird pranks have been played on some people in Kansas City

The items used in these pranks:
A TV, A bag of trash, A Tire.

And, the link between all these:
They were all painted white and the Elvis song "Return to Sender" was playing on a recorder from all these items.

Weeeeeeeird...
posted by RobbieFal (18 comments total)

Darn kids and their wacky pranks!

My friends in HS once hung a pair of shorts in my tree as a joke. The kicker? They hung a hot dog out of the fly. My poor mom was disturbed for weeks.

At least the hot dog didn't burn her hands.
posted by TheManWhoKnowsMostThings at 10:15 PM on September 26, 2002

I'm guessing it was an environmental protest, though what disturbs me is they are takling about charging those who did it with terrorism. Because there were exposed wires (you have to play the music somehow), it can be construed as a threat of a bomb which somehow makes it terrorism. That really concerns me.

Beyond that it's freaking hilarious.
posted by geoff. at 10:19 PM on September 26, 2002

whatever happened to the good ol' bag-of-shit-on-fire prank?!


Skinner: [answers door, looks down] Hmm. A flaming bag, eh? Well, these new Italian loafers will make short work of it.
posted by uncanny hengeman at 10:26 PM on September 26, 2002

looks like someone totally subverted the dominant paradigm!

*sound of guitar wailing.
posted by luckyclone at 10:31 PM on September 26, 2002

This is crazy pants.

Or MC Hammer pants, even.
posted by holloway at 10:38 PM on September 26, 2002

Prank schmank. That's art.

MC Hammer pants art, even.
posted by mccreath at 11:10 PM on September 26, 2002

I sense a prank-pulling paradigm shift.*

-----

The terrorism thing bugs me, too. Unless it turns out they are terrorists, in which case, boy, is my face red!



*the phrase "paradigm shift" means I'm full of shit, according to someone I can't remember from the MetaTalk sleuthing thread. In all honestly, that's a fair judgement, as I've never considered myself as any sort of prank doctor--though if I was, I'd definitely be a prank gynecologist, because then... Phew, for a minute there, I lost myself...
posted by The God Complex at 11:21 PM on September 26, 2002

It's probably a guerilla marketing campaign by an ad agency.
posted by Jubey at 12:16 AM on September 27, 2002

I often bring things to work and just randomly place them in co-workers offices. It works best if you use weird things like a wacky stuffed animal, or a box of Zingers marked down at the Dolly Madison thrift store, or a giant red vase. Then pick someone you really don't know, and just sit it in his office. Never mention it to anyone.

You don't have to pick up something special to do this. You can just get rid of things laying around the house that you no longer want or need.

That's just me.
posted by internook at 2:12 AM on September 27, 2002

internook: I have found my new calling at work! From now on I have a constructive use for my junk. Thank you.
posted by Dr_Octavius at 5:12 AM on September 27, 2002

Haven't the people of Kansas City suffered enough by actually having to live in Kansas City?
posted by Thunderslut at 8:12 AM on September 27, 2002

so what was on the bags that made the folks' hands burn?
posted by tolkhan at 8:19 AM on September 27, 2002

T******slut?
posted by yhbc at 8:25 AM on September 27, 2002

"The Devil in Disguise" would have been a better song choice. Woulda brought in that whole "religion" angle.
posted by ColdChef at 9:07 AM on September 27, 2002

I love the last paragraph of the second linked article:

Bomb Squad and hazmat teams investigated the findings. Late Thursday evening, police said that they received a call from the person responsible. The items were all apparently part of an art project. No charges will be filed.

I'm trying to picture the Kansas City police talking to this guy on the phone: "Listen, mister, you're in big--huh? Oh, an art project. Very clever. Carry on, sir."
posted by Acetylene at 9:23 AM on September 27, 2002

How far away from KCAI is this neighborhood?

My guess is the paint was an oil-based or enamel paint(spraypaint, perhaps?) that didn't dry on the plastic bag. Either type will irritate sensitive skin.
posted by me3dia at 9:36 AM on September 27, 2002

internook: Thanks for the tip. I now know what to do with old televisions. I don't think I'll be paying for trash pickup either. I'll just bring the bags to work. One man's trash is another man's puzzled find.
posted by Lusy P Hur at 11:11 PM on September 27, 2002

The items were all apparently part of an art project. No charges will be filed.

Just wait til they see what Andres Serrano, the artist famous for Piss Christ, has in mind!
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 4:09 PM on September 28, 2002