Everything that exists has characteristics. The characteristics of pranks are distinct from those of closely-related ideas. One question proves highly useful when trying to pinpoint a concept like ‘prank’ within the whole of your knowledge:

What makes this thing different from the other things most like it?

Identifications like these aren’t at all simple. They involve looking across the entire range of examples within the category for similarities and differences. Looking across all sarcasm examples eventually reveals that they all involve saying the opposite of what’s meant.

How does the idea of a ‘prank’ differ from separate-but-closely-related concepts like ridicule, slapstick, tricks, bluffs, and hoaxes? The lengthy chapter on pranks in Why Funny is Funny goes through this process in considerable detail and ends up with an original definition unique to Clash Theory. This definition isn’t seen on this page; instead it’s a secret revealed within the book’s pages. Very attentive readers may also find it elsewhere on this website.

The concept of pranks encompasses a surprisingly large number of subcategories. A list of these can be put together in many ways. Clash Theory’s list is a list of twelve:

1) practical jokes
2) acquaintance pranks
3) school pranks
4) prank calls
5) public pranks
6) online pranks
7) newbie pranks
8) prank games
9) hoaxes
10) dirty tricks
11) animal pranks
12) self-pranks

Pranks is the concluding concept for Clash Theory, or at least the concluding concept of this website’s simplified presentation of it.

Return to the third broad category Culture

Return to the second major Humor Culture category Ridicule

For an overall refresher / cheat sheet for Clash Theory, consult the Clash Theory Humor Model

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