“AITAH For Using Fart Spray To Get My Uncle To Stop With His Cruel Prank?”

How do you stop an annoying prankster? By turning the tables and pranking them, of course! It’s the good ol’ rule of ethics: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” If you can’t take someone pranking you, you shouldn’t be playing practical jokes on others, right?

The uncle in this story had to find this out the hard way. As he enjoyed pranking kids by literally bursting their balloons, one family member decided to teach him a lesson. During one party, they rigged the balloons with fart spray, and when temptation hit, the uncle got positively skunkified.

One family member found a way to get back at a balloon-popping prankster uncle

Man holding balloons at a fairground, dressed in a white shirt and suspenders, smiling about a prank.

Image credits: LeylaCamomile / Envato (not the actual photo)

They filled the balloons in a balloon arch with fart spray, which resulted in the uncle getting skunkified

Text discussing an uncle's prank using lemon oil on balloons; related to fart spray and pranks.

Text describing a prank involving torn latex balloons and upset children at parties.

Quinceañera celebration text about a sister's balloon arch contribution.

Text about a party arch, uncle's prank, and request to leave it alone.

Text about using fart spray with balloons for a prank.

Text about resisting temptation and being warned not to touch decorations, related to prank context.

Text about someone using fart spray in response to a prank.

Text description about a balloon prank involving a less inflated inner balloon.

Man in a blue shirt covering his nose, surrounded by smoke, reacting to an unpleasant smell.

Image credits: shotprime / Envato (not the actual photo)

Text describing extreme reactions to fart spray, including gagging and watery eyes.

Text snippet discussing the aftermath of using a prank involving aerosolized spray.

Text discussing a prank involving fart spray causing someone to go home and change.

Text excerpt discussing a prank involving balloons and a warning not to touch them.

Text discussing a family divided over using fart spray to stop a cruel prank at a sister's party.

Image credits: Narrow_Zucchini_6263

Adults pranking children can quickly turn into bullying

Child in a green shirt sitting against a white brick wall, covering face.

Image credits: Image by Freepik (not the actual photo)

Practical jokes are not everybody’s cup of tea. While some like sneaking a fart cushion on someone else’s seat, others might find it wildly distasteful. According to a 2021 survey, 47% of Americans say they think April Fool’s Day pranks are annoying, and 45% think they’re funny.

But what about the times the prankster is a grown-up and directs the prank at a child? Are kids always able to understand when something is a joke or might they sometimes take pranks too literally?

Experts say that in order to “get” a prank, a person requires a well-developed “theory of mind.” Children start developing it around the age of 4, and that’s when most kids start to understand what a prank means. From 4 to 12 years old, kids lack critical reasoning, so they’re perfect targets for pranks. And they even might pull some practical jokes of their own.

However, experts also say that there’s a thin line between pranking and bullying. When it’s adults pranking children, it’s often from the realm of “punching-down” humor. When a practical joke violates trust, it’s no longer funny for the one who’s being pranked.

“What we want to do is laugh together – laughing together creates cohesion in social groups,” child psychotherapist Rachel Melville-Thomas explained to the BBC. “If you’re the victim of a prank, [for it to be funny], you have to very quickly join in and go ‘Ah, that was such a clever prank’. It’s hard to see how that happens if you smack someone on the head.”

It’s not entirely clear what’s supposed to be funny to a child about their balloon going boom – it’s not like they can join in on the laughs. They feel rather hurt that a thing they view as akin to a toy just got destroyed. So, were the uncle’s pranks really practical jokes or just a form of bullying?

Both the prankster and the prankee should be able to laugh after a truly good prank

Children looking down at the camera, smiling and excited, indoors.

Image credits: Image by Freepik (not the actual photo)

No one enjoys being the butt of the joke. That’s why more people say they like pranking others than being pranked themselves. There’s also a gender component to pranking: the aforementioned survey found that 60% of men under 30 think practical jokes are funny, while only 42% of women in the same age group think the same.

When pranks go too far, they can even be a form of emotional and psychological abuse. When a prank scares or humiliates a person, it’s not really a joke, is it? Professor of Psychology Kathleen M. Pike writes that the relationship between the prankster and the prankee comes into play here.

“The psychology of what makes something a fun-loving prank versus an act of aggression lies in the relationship between participants and the prankster’s motivation. When the outcome of the prank is hurtful instead of humorous, play drains away. It is no longer fun and games but something else masquerading as a prank.”

A good prank is one where both sides can have a laugh afterward. If the intention is to humiliate the prankee, pranks backfire spectacularly. “Many downright nasty and malicious tricks that have no other purpose are sometimes excused as a prank,” senior lecturer in psychology Rachael Sharman writes. “If this happens, ask the pranker a simple question: ‘What about this was funny to me? Break it down and explain it to me.'”

“He deserved every stinky bit of it”: people were delighted by this creative way to get back at a prankster

Reddit discussion about prank with fart spray, showing user comments and points.

Reddit comment discussing prank and fairness in response to a cruel joke.

Reddit comment with username “PigletTechnical9336” stating, "NTA he had it coming," related to prank dispute.

Comment from user FairyFartDaydreams applauding a revenge prank, with 774 points and posted 4 days ago.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing the use of fart spray as a prank.

Text exchange about warning an uncle not to touch a party decoration balloon, highlighting prank consequences.

Reddit comment discussing fart spray prank as a response to a cruel uncle's behavior.

Reddit comment criticizing an uncle for his cruel prank behavior.

Comment discussing prank with fart spray, supporting the action taken against the prankster.

Reddit comment stating the uncle deserved a prank, supporting the use of fart spray to stop his cruel joke.

Reddit comment defending the use of fart spray against a prankster uncle.

Reddit comment discussing a prank involving fart spray to stop an uncle's cruel behavior.

Comment discussing an uncle's cruel prank and fart spray use with an opinion on who's the antagonist.

Reddit comment discussing concern over uncle's behavior, related to cruel prank and fart spray usage.

Comment discussing using fart spray as a prank deterrent for balloon popping.

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