I remember how popular pranks were when I was a boy in the 1970’s and 80’s. Whenever I got my hands on a comic book I was infinitely more interested in the ads in the back of the book than I was the comic itself. Most of these contraptions didn’t live up to the hype in the ads and would end up being major disappointments.
A typical comic book ad circa 1970s
The film A Christmas Story captures this childhood disappointment at the hands of false advertisement perfectly as Ralphie’s enthusiasm and excitement is deflated shortly after he receives the Little Orphan Annie decoder ring.
As a small boy, I can remember always wanting a joy buzzer which was a device you’d wind up and put in your hand. The idea was it would vibrate and scare bejeezus out of whichever unsuspecting victim you were shaking hands with. The name joy buzzer now makes me wonder if there were other intended uses for the device.
It was a very different world in the 1970s—people weren’t as easily offended. Jokes and pranks permeated just about every corner of our culture back then. There were entire shops dedicated to pranks called Joke Shops or Novelty Shops. My aunt Betty's pranking skills were next level. Her prank of choice was a fake bible that was quite literally shocking. You’d open this book and it would give you an electric shock that felt like the equivalent of a wet hand touching a 110 watt live wire. I’m certain this book would be illegal now.
Back then you had to have thick skin and always be on guard.
My dad, who was a master-pranker in his own right, once spread limburger cheese on the radiator of a co-worker’s car. If you’ve ever caught a whiff of limburger you can only imagine what that smelled like as the car heated up. If you're lucky enought to have never come in contact with this cheese variety yourself just imagine the scent of a restaurant dumpster in blazing, 110 degree sun. This paints an accurate picture for you.
Once in a great while my friends and I would hop on the city bus and ride up to a shop called Yankee Trader which was a novelty store in downtown Columbus. This shop was a parent's nightmare but a pre-adolescent boy’s dream. Yankee Trader carried everything in the comic book ads and more. Looking back, I'm surprised we weren't arrested due to some of the pranks this shop encouraged.
Our society today has changed a great deal and I’m not sure it’s for the better. We no longer joke or prank as we used to for fear of lawsuits and hurt feelings. Much to the dismay of my sisters-in-law down through the years I made a vow, early on, to try to be the “fun uncle” to my nieces and nephews. Over the decades I’ve gifted items like joy buzzers, whoopee cushions, various pranks/magic tricks, as well as the infamous “Pooter Tooter”.
After hearing my nephew Ryan was becoming interested in golf I simply couldn’t restrain myself. I searched “exploding golf balls” and thanks to the interwebs quickly found The Shanker.
When I’m in Ohio for Thanksgiving in a few weeks I’ll be slipping these bad boys into my nephew’s golf bag. With any luck I’ll still be welcome for future holidays. If not, it would be a small price to pay for continuing this storied Walton legacy of pranking. At the very least, hopefully, I’ll be remembered as the “fun uncle”. Perhaps, by some small miracle, they'll continue on with the tradition.
All for now. Thanks for reading.
