A Brief History
On February 23, 2010, pranksters pulled off what some consider the greatest series of prank calls in history!
Digging Deeper
Digging deeper, we find a neighborhood in Sugar Creek, Missouri the scene of the incident, at least on the victims’ side. (Why do they say Mizz-ur-uh when the state’s name ends in “i?” Just wondering…)
Usually referred to as “A Nightmare on Burton Street” (derived from the film title A Nightmare on Elm Street), the prank calls consisted of 7 calls made by one or two pranksters using soundboards.
Soundboards are recordings of other people, often other victims of prank calls, that are broken down into single words or phrases and put together to “talk” to the victim. For those not familiar with the prankster community, some of these soundboards are quite well known and used by multiple pranksters. Recordings of the calls are often posted on YouTube, and although frequently infuriating to the victims, they are usually harmless enough and sometimes even amuse the person being pranked.
This time, things were different! The Nightmare on Burton Street calls were full of profanity, yelling and threats, causing some controversy amongst prank callers as to whether or not the calls went too far.
Victims apparently thought so, for the police were contacted and the story appeared on television news.
The prank-call community went into panic mode and many pranksters deleted files out of fear of being prosecuted. Calmer heads posted advice to other pranksters to keep things more civil and even amusing for the victims to avoid police investigations. They were also advised to not make multiple calls to the same victim (to avoid harassment charges) and that they should be familiar with laws governing recording phone calls and threats.
Prank (or “crank” as some folks say) calls have been around nearly as long as the telephone and have even generated mainstream media acceptance, such as with the Crank Yankers television show. The advent of soundboards took the hobby to a new level. Please be careful if you are considering joining the prank community and remember the point is to be funny, not mean, demeaning or terrorizing. By the way, is your refrigerator running?
Better go catch it!
Question for students (and subscribers): Have you ever been the victim of a prank call? Please let us know in the comments section below this article.
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Historical Evidence
For some real gems as far as funny prank phone calls go, please listen to…
Touch-Tone Terrorists. A Permanent Lapse of Reason [Explicit]. JunkyardWillie.com, INC, 2008.
Touch-Tone Terrorists. Appetite for Disruption [Explicit]. JunkyardWillie.com, INC, 2008.
Touch-Tone Terrorists. Customer Service Disasters. Infestation Records, 2000. Audio CD.
Touch-Tone Terrorists. Junkyard Willie Prank Call Tapes: Customer Service. Old Chicken, 2002. Audio CD.
