Great American Pranks
For today I thought I would write about two of the greatest pranks in American history. The first occurred just last year and is infamously known as the Balloon Boy Hoax. This happened in Colorado when authorities responding to a 911 call from a family saying that their six year old boy climbed into a hot air balloon that looked like a UFO, and that they launched it forgetting the tether that was suppose to keep it grounded. The next day a home video was released of the incident. America for a few hours was enthralled about the fate of the balloon boy. That was until the balloon came down and there was no child to be found. No the boy did not fall out of the balloon like initial suspicions, in fact he was in his parents garage the entire time. The media started to suspect correctly that It was a publicity stunt because the family was about to be put on a reality show. The cost of the stunt to the state of Colorado was over $14,000 paying for helicopter airplanes and the fuel for their use. Later the parents pleaded guilty to the chargers that were filed against them.
The second great American prank is radio related. In 1938 for a Halloween special was aired on the Colombia Broadcasting System network. The special was called “War of the Worlds” Directed by Orson Wells. The first hour of this broadcast was news broadcasts of a Martian attack. Well some listeners believed that they were actually under attack. newspapers reported that panic in some areas ensued and people evacuated their own homes. Surprisingly despite what the public wanted, Wells escaped both criminal punishment and he kept his job.
So the Question of the day is what did you do today for April Fools? or what is the best prank you’ve participated in or was done to you?
By: Skip Scandal
