How fast can something ruin your mood? Ten seconds? For most people, a headline reading “OPEC To Reduce Oil Output” is usually enough to put a wet blanket on their day’s good vibes.
When that has happened to you, something may have come along to make you feel better. It could have been a hug from a loved one or a glimpse of a happy cardinal frolicking outside your window. But in these highly-wired days, the bird with the greatest likelihood of pepping you up is the Twitter bird. It could also be something on Facebook, Instagram, or email.
Whatever the source, it gave you a good laugh that turned your day completely around. Knowing the impact of something like that, you can provide that needed laugh for your friends, co-workers, and relatives.
Here’s how to ambush them with a laugh by becoming a sniper of snark, a marksman of mirth.
eCards for Pinpoint Attacks
Sometimes you know when somebody is going to have a bad day, and not because you’re the one responsible for it. There’s a kid heading off to college, or a job is being transferred, or something else is circled on the calendar in a blue shade of red.
When you know it’s coming, you can check for funny cards that will break the ice of their no-good, very bad day. Its arrival in their inbox can be scheduled for any future date, so as soon as they know the date when they’ll need cheering up, you can set the date for doing so.
Given that a laugh anytime is a good thing, this may seem like an awfully Mr. Spock way to do Dr. Demento work. But there are times we all have a particularly acute need for a laugh, and when you can smart-bomb a friend at their command and depression center, it’s worth it.
Carpet Bombs of Cartoons
Here’s where you can go all cloak-and-dagger on a friend. Kidnap their smartphone while they’re in the john. Surreptitiously install a comic app that will notify them when there’s an update to the cartoons you have chosen for them. And wait. There’s a good chance you’ll receive a daily text when the strip arrives, advising that you’re clearly sick and evil and shouldn’t be permitted to live among decent society.
That’s when you know you’ve done well.
There are also other apps out there for daily jokes, funny quotes, and acres of other laughs. You’re limited only by your own deviance.
Shock and Awe…
As in, “Aw, crap. You got me.” The pranking world has gone completely insane thanks to the internet. You no longer need to handle the logistics of deftly placing a whoopee cushion under your math teacher as she takes her seat, then following up in English, history, and science.
Instead, if somebody can pull off the prank one time, they can post it online and get a million views. They’ll make somebody think you’ve broken a brand new iPhone. They’ll simulate a gory injury. There seems to be no limit on the levels of bad taste and cruelty they’ll reach, and that’s terrific!
While the effort of actually executing one of these pranks on a melancholy pal can preclude your actual performance of the joke, you can still share the achievements of others. Tag, share, or message the video to your friend. Or intercept a TV connection and preempt their stupid soap opera or made-for-TV movie. Just get it in front of their eyes and give them a laugh. Who knows. They might take on the pranking lifestyle themselves.
Yep. Brainwashing. They’ve come to the dark side with you. And together, you’ll drive sadness from the universe.
