Comments on: Life finds a way

Life finds a way

Renoroc — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 16:33:48 -0800

This is the greatest practical joke of all time...(via io9.com)

By: Greg_Ace

Greg_Ace — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 16:51:15 -0800

Apparently he was too frightened to notice the camera operators, let alone the human legs sticking out of the bottom of the costume. I also disagree with an act being called a "great prank" when it involves scaring the mortal shit out of somebody - I'd call it "rank assholery" instead. There'd probably be lawsuits if it happened (and got televised) in the US.

By: Greg_Ace

Greg_Ace — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 16:51:41 -0800

Actually, on second viewing, I'd call it "staged".

By: ShutterBun

ShutterBun — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 16:51:57 -0800

Must go faster...

By: ShutterBun

ShutterBun — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 16:53:17 -0800

I'd call it "rank assholery" instead Lighten up. This is par for the course in Japan.

By: downing street memo

downing street memo — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 16:56:47 -0800

Tough crowd here. That's the funniest thing I've seen this week.

By: Navelgazer

Navelgazer — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 16:57:12 -0800

I prefer my pranks subtler, like a fine scotch.

By: Samizdata

Samizdata — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 16:58:21 -0800

I would have had to be all "Who's a good raptor? Who's a good little predator?" and scratch it under the chin. Culture jamming FTW.

By: filthy light thief

filthy light thief — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 16:59:30 -0800

Direct link to the YouTube clip, from which we learn there are more raptors !!!

By: Kabanos

Kabanos — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 16:59:31 -0800

I liked it better when it scared the kids.

By: Chocolate Pickle

Chocolate Pickle — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 16:59:43 -0800

Someday someone is going to do something like this to a person who is legally carrying a concealed weapon, and one of the pranksters is going to wind up dead.

By: phaedon

phaedon — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 16:59:49 -0800

This kind of killed my this is what a ceremonial first pitch in baseball looks like in Japan post. Damn.

By: Ivan Fyodorovich

Ivan Fyodorovich — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 17:01:26 -0800

"Tough crowd here. That's the funniest thing I've seen this week." Really? I know the truth?fiction thread is thataway, but I want to ask how it could be funny to you if you know that it's staged. Like, er, all comedic narrative, ever. What is funny? Why is funny? How is funny formed?

By: koeselitz

koeselitz — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 17:02:43 -0800

Being chased by an "actual velociraptor" would be kind of like being chased by an "actual chicken," wouldn't it?

By: Ivan Fyodorovich

Ivan Fyodorovich — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 17:03:21 -0800

I'd be all like, holy shit, run!, it's a velociraptor from the parallel universe where velociraptors didn't have feathers! Fuck, what if there's a Jessica Rabbit, too?

By: Ivan Fyodorovich

Ivan Fyodorovich — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 17:03:44 -0800

Curse you, koeselitz.

By: mosk

mosk — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 17:07:45 -0800

Suggested for further reading: a relevant AskMe containing a long series of self-described pranks pulled by Mefites in high school, some of which are quite brilliant and funny.

By: It's Raining Florence Henderson

It's Raining Florence Henderson — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 17:09:59 -0800

Being chased by an "actual velociraptor" would be kind of like being chased by an "actual chicken," wouldn't it? In much the same way that climbing in bed with a wolf wearing Grandma's jammies would be like climbing in bed with Grandma.

By: yaymukund

yaymukund — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 17:17:03 -0800

By: arcticseal

arcticseal — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 17:18:28 -0800

It's all fun and games until someone has a heart attack.

By: davebush

davebush — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 17:28:10 -0800

Look, you can easily outrun it, I mean the costume is damn heavy and he can only go so fast, so when he's chasing you, fall down 2 or 3 times so he can stay close, OK? And...action!

By: ActingTheGoat

ActingTheGoat — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 17:33:42 -0800

I liked it better when it scared the kids. So did I!

By: rtha

rtha — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 17:35:01 -0800

Got all excited to see someone being scared by a raptor. Was disappointed.

By: ActingTheGoat

ActingTheGoat — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 17:35:10 -0800

There was also that dinosaur at the job interview that was going around a while back. I couldn't find a good video, but I did find this.

By: Joey Michaels

Joey Michaels — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 17:38:06 -0800

This is practically the Mona Lisa of pranks. I've pulled a few decent ones in my lifetime, but I would be able to retire from pranking forever if I ever got to do something like this. A prank is always assholery at some level, but the trick is to only pull them on people who would be more than happy to pull the same thing on you - ideally close friends and loved ones. If I chased a friend down a hallway dressed as a velociraptor, I would be profoundly disappointed if I didn't end up being shaken awake at 3:00 am by a living skeleton a month later.

By: webmutant

webmutant — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 17:42:54 -0800

I liked it better when it scared the kids. Pssshhht. Why scare kids with a dinosaur when you can scare them with a zombie?

By: turbid dahlia

turbid dahlia — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 17:46:07 -0800

Someday someone is going to do something like this to a person who is legally carrying a concealed weapon, and one of the pranksters is going to wind up dead. DE-FANG THE RAPTOR

By: brundlefly

brundlefly — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 17:48:54 -0800

Man, I wish I had one of these suits. Not for scaring people, but just because they're cool. The natural history museum in LA has "Dinosaur Encounters" featuring a feathery little T. rex. Fun stuff.

By: brundlefly

brundlefly — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 17:54:40 -0800

There was also that dinosaur at the job interview that was going around a while back. I couldn't find a good video, but I did find this. Here it is.

By: FJT

FJT — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 17:55:38 -0800

Someday someone is going to do something like this to a person who is legally carrying a concealed weapon, and one of the pranksters is going to wind up dead. Knowing Japan, it'll probably be a counter-prank to another prank. Because there was actually a prank on Japanese TV that was a fake sniper attack.

By: FJT

FJT — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 17:58:54 -0800

And not to pick on Japan only, there's also this prank on Brazilian TV that involves having a Ringu-girl appear in an elevator and scream at the rider.

By: the_artificer

the_artificer — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 18:04:06 -0800

Chocolate Pickle: "Someday someone is going to do something like this to a person who is legally carrying a concealed weapon, and one of the pranksters is going to wind up dead." Or kicked in the face.

By: FJT

FJT — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 18:10:05 -0800

Or kicked in the face. Watching that kick to the face multiple times, I see the runner notices the kick coming and tries to use a hand to block and also turned his face away. But, the face turn is what causes the kick to land squarely on the nose, instead of like on his cheek.

By: wenestvedt

wenestvedt — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 18:20:41 -0800

Hmmmm, I wonder if they'd lend that to me for Halloween this year... Just one night, I promise I'll return it on Nov. 1!

By: Naberius

Naberius — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 18:25:00 -0800

Someday someone is going to do something like this to a person who is legally carrying a concealed weapon, and one of the pranksters is going to wind up dead. God, I hope it's one of the Janoskians. (I say one, but really, more than one of them would also be very welcome.)

By: DU

DU — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 18:35:16 -0800

You know what's a great way to make people love something they haven't seen yet? Really aggressively oversell it, then disappoint them.

By: lucidium

lucidium — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 18:35:44 -0800

Um, I like to joke about Bear Grylls style wilderness documentaries glossing over the fact that there is also a cameraman going through the same shit, but there is literally a cut in this video where the camera is suddenly shoulder to shoulder with the velociraptor costume. I think the dude's legs sticking out under the costume are the least of the things the scared man should be noticing.

By: jenfullmoon

jenfullmoon — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 18:38:40 -0800

The weirdest thing about this is that I seriously did not notice the pair of human legs sticking out until the end of the video. And I'm not even panicked like that guy was.

By: DU

DU — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 18:38:42 -0800

I prefer my pranks subtler, like a fine scotch. Oh for crying. Where DO they find these completely unobservant people?

By: Metro Gnome

Metro Gnome — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 18:54:19 -0800

For those wondering why the guy didn't notice the cameraman running alongside - this is shot inside a TV studio building, so having cameras around would not be that unusual.

By: jimmythefish

jimmythefish — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 18:54:24 -0800

Um...they don't exist? Isn't anyone over the age of 6 going to just laugh?

By: jeremias

jeremias — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 18:55:33 -0800

Oh for crying. Where DO they find these completely unobservant people? Have you *been* out in public lately?

By: Navelgazer

Navelgazer — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 18:59:43 -0800

DU: are you referring to the people surprised by a The Ring-type creepy little girl around the corner in a hotel hallway, or the ones trying to figure out why the mirror doesn't work?

By: justkevin

justkevin — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 19:19:57 -0800

Someday someone is going to do something like this to a person who is legally carrying a concealed weapon, and one of the pranksters is going to wind up dead. I guess I can imagine that happening, but I hope most concealed carry permit holders don't just shoot anything that startles them and ask themselves the basic questions: Am I in danger of immediate and grave bodily harm? and Has my assailant been extinct since the cretaceous period?

By: nicebookrack

nicebookrack — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 19:23:22 -0800

If you long for a raptorsuit of your very own, I saw this beauty in use at Dragoncon 2011. Clever cosplayer!

By: radwolf76

radwolf76 — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 19:28:33 -0800

Thanks, nicebookrack. saw that one but didn't get a photo. You going this year?

By: TheLittlePrince

TheLittlePrince — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 19:29:49 -0800

Greatest prank?!!! Come on! Its so fake and staged that the prank part is getting everyone to laugh at it.

By: jquinby

jquinby — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 19:40:50 -0800

koeselitz: "Being chased by an "actual velociraptor" would be kind of like being chased by an "actual chicken," wouldn't it?" I've seen some shit.

By: Camofrog

Camofrog — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 19:51:23 -0800

Clever girl. Came stumbling most unmenacingly right down the hallway.

By: Mid

Mid — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 19:51:50 -0800

For my money, this is the greatest prank-turned-into-sudden-violence-against-a-costumed-person video. I don't understand at all what is happening in the video with the guy who gets kicked in the face. Is that like a German reform school?

By: crossoverman

crossoverman — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 19:55:56 -0800

From the comments at i09, this one would scare the shit out of me.

By: ActingTheGoat

ActingTheGoat — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 20:10:59 -0800

For my money, this yt is the greatest prank-turned-into-sudden-violence-against-a-costumed-person video. Similarly

By: localroger

localroger — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 20:18:49 -0800

Staged? Staged. STAGED. STAAAAAGGGGEEEEEEDDDD!!!!!!!!!!

By: figurant

figurant — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 20:36:22 -0800

Oh for crying. Where DO they find these completely unobservant people? Everyone saw the guy in the gorilla suit walk past in the background, right?

By: Ivan Fyodorovich

Ivan Fyodorovich — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 20:38:28 -0800

Were the velociraptors tossing a ball back and forth?

By: srboisvert

srboisvert — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 20:40:36 -0800

Why is he running? Throw a saddle on it and ride that sucker and be completely freaking awesome. At least until your lunch break is over.

By: gucci mane

gucci mane — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 21:04:04 -0800

What show is that? I have seen a ton of clips from that show and it looks hilarious. My favorite one was the ski lodge where they launched people down the mountain.

By: cmyk

cmyk — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 21:08:57 -0800

Halloween is coming and I need to know how to get this gigantic velociraptor costume. I also need to work on my Monster Calls because the usual GRAR HARRGH ain't gonna cut it.

By: anothermug

anothermug — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 21:24:14 -0800

I prefer my pranks subtler , like a fine scotch. posted by Navelgazer at 7:57 PM on August 27 [9 favorites +] [!] Thanks, those are great.

By: ROU_Xenophobe

ROU_Xenophobe — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 21:29:42 -0800

Ivan, I'm gonna give you some simple but important advice. Fuck, what if there's a Jessica Rabbit, too? RUN TO HER.

By: anothermug

anothermug — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 21:34:23 -0800

From the comments at i09, this one would scare the shit out of me. A classic. I like the contrast between the people getting the living shit scared out of them, and the heh-heh avuncular laugh of the host of the show.

By: anothermug

anothermug — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 21:38:33 -0800

For my money, this is the greatest prank-turned-into-sudden-violence-against-a-costumed-person. There's the classic scary snowman one, too.

By: Popular Ethics

Popular Ethics — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 21:41:14 -0800

These guys are the undisputed prank champions for my money, if only for their consistently good output. (although I also loves me some Improv everywhere)

By: Bunny Ultramod

Bunny Ultramod — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 21:52:34 -0800

And not to pick on Japan only, there's also this prank yt on Brazilian TV that involves having a Ringu-girl appear in an elevator and scream at the rider. I met Kyra Schon about a year back (went through a haunted house with her, actually) -- she was the little girl in the original Night of the Living Dead, and this image of her was on hundreds of covers of reissues of the film. I asked her if she sees all these films nowadays of little, pale-skinned, blank-eyed girls with their hair covering their face that appear in movies nowadays and thinks "Well, there I am again." "Yes I do," she said.

By: Ivan Fyodorovich

Ivan Fyodorovich — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 22:37:04 -0800

"I asked her if she sees all these films nowadays of little, pale-skinned, blank-eyed girls with their hair covering their face that appear in movies nowadays and thinks "Well, there I am again." "Yes I do," she said." [An extemporaneous exegesis on the dualistic horror/appeal of this little-girl archetype of evil and innocence, with investigation of latent sexualization and its relationship to the traditional western dichotomy of femininity, in conjunction with physical immaturity, and within the context of notions of the capacity for good and evil in relationship to the moral development of children. Mythical malicious tricksters; projection, externalization, sublimation of a buried self that would pull wings from flies; transgression is alluring and terrifying.]

By: GoingToShopping

GoingToShopping — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 23:18:57 -0800

Shouldn't this be "via YouTube?" The fact that this is fake really ruins it for me. They didn't really even try to make it look real. The stuff like the guy gets chased by flash mob, ski slope massage chair, sky launch port-o-potty, those are good genuine fun, and the illusion never actually gets shattered.

By: phaedon

phaedon — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 23:57:13 -0800

I think this has a lot to do with the magnificence that is Jurassic Park, but if I ever saw a velociraptor turn a corner in an office building, I would first shit myself and only then come to my senses.

By: mwhybark

mwhybark — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 00:06:37 -0800

Apparently he was too frightened to notice the camera operators, let alone the human legs sticking out of the bottom of the costume. About ten years ago at some top-tier natural history museum (Chicago or DC, I think) there was one of these suits in operation around the main floor hallways, I think as a promo for an animated dinos exhibit, which were a burgeoning draw in the field at the time. Differing in that deployment from this, the operator's legs were clad in stagehand black jeans. In essence, these are lifesize muppets which benefit from the skill of the operator. I watched the one with the black legged puppeteer inside for damn near an hour. It was easily fifteen minutes before I noticed the legs. It was fucking awesome. I have seen a dinosaur walk the halls of one of America's great museums, thrilling children and adults and only occasionally provoking tears. It was literally incredible. I have an early digital-camera movie of it, even! Alas, not online.

By: brokkr

brokkr — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 01:23:24 -0800

Popular Ethics: "These guys are the undisputed prank champions for my money, if only for their consistently good output."

Okay, lost it at the pink elephant/police prank. That's delightfully evil.

By: EndsOfInvention

EndsOfInvention — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 02:26:33 -0800

There was an interesting comment on Reddit about how often on this type of TV prank show, they get the prankee to "re-do" their reaction if it wasn't good enough the first time (e.g. if they immediately see the cameraman/human legs and go "oh it's a costume"). Apparently even though everyone knows the reactions are often fake, they still find them entertaining. Not sure how accurate the comment is, but it makes interesting reading.

By: ShutterBun

ShutterBun — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 03:35:46 -0800

Hmmm...they used the T-Rex "train whistle" sound effect in the video, instead of the raptor's "Squawk". This may not be legit.

By: ShutterBun

ShutterBun — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 03:40:59 -0800

These guys are the undisputed prank champions for my money I spent a couple of afternoons looking for old "Candid Camera" clips on YouTube, and always ended up watching clips of that show. And yep, they are nothing if not prolific, and usually pretty consistent (if a bit broad). I guess this doesn't exactly sound like high praise, but it was enough to keep me watching for at least a couple of hours straight, so there's that. For more "shit that would get people sued in the U.S." from Japan, check out 100 vs 1

By: ShutterBun

ShutterBun — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 04:58:29 -0800

On further research I have to agree with those who claim this video is fake. Velociraptors actually went extinct hundreds of years ago.

By: Decani

Decani — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 05:03:22 -0800

Because genuinely scaring people and risking giving them a heart attack is just so hi-fucking-larious. I really hate thoughtless, sniggering shit like this, but not as much as I hate the irresponsible fools who think it's funny to take chances with people's stress-levels and responses.

By: pracowity

pracowity — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 05:54:06 -0800

A prank is always assholery at some level Not really. It doesn't have to scare the fuck out of someone. It just has to be confusing and amusing.

By: ricochet biscuit

ricochet biscuit — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 06:02:40 -0800

These guys are the undisputed prank champions for my money, if only for their consistently yt good yt output yt . Just for Laughs Gags are kind of hit and miss, in my finding, and sometimes wander into the easy and mean-spirited range. That being said, the bicycle race at the "consistently" link is up there with this one as the kind of thing I would do with my time and money if I had their resources at my disposal. These both are beyond the range of any one person to pull off, and meet pracowity's definition of "just has to be confusing and amusing."

By: koeselitz

koeselitz — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 07:29:48 -0800

Ivan Fyodorovich: “I'd be all like, holy shit, run!, it's a velociraptor from the parallel universe where velociraptors didn't have feathers! Fuck, what if there's a Jessica Rabbit, too?” Heh. Well, and my own main point was that velociraptors were generally two or three feet tall. They were still carnivores, but being chased by a velociraptor would be kind of like being chased by an eagle with legs instead of wings. It might be slightly scary – I mean, being chased by geese about the same size is scary, I know – but kicking the thing would probably be an effective defense. Yeah, it's sad, and there were probably dinosaurs that were legitimately terrifying, but velociraptors themselves are a bit underwhelming overall, I think.

By: Pyry

Pyry — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 09:31:49 -0800

Yeah, it's sad, and there were probably dinosaurs that were legitimately terrifying, but velociraptors themselves are a bit underwhelming overall, I think. Just substitute "deinonychus" or "utahraptor" in your head whenever anybody says "velociraptor". While deinonychus is only about as big as a large wolf (~160 lbs), unlike a wolf, deinonychus can bite and claw you with its foot claws at the same time. Also, it can give you a terrifying hug while biting and clawing you.

By: basicchannel

basicchannel — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 09:53:41 -0800

Pull that shit in Florida, son. I ain't scurred uh no Velociraptor.

By: brundlefly

brundlefly — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 11:24:19 -0800

You want terrifying? Therizinosaurus is my current favorite dinosaur. 40 feet long, 8 foot arms, and the largest claws of any animal ever (+3 feet). Just be glad it was herbivorous.

By: Greg_Ace

Greg_Ace — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 13:03:26 -0800

Herbivorous animals may not eat you, but they can still mess you up real good. I'll just be glad it's extinct.

By: ROU_Xenophobe

ROU_Xenophobe — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 13:35:53 -0800

They were still carnivores, but being chased by a velociraptor would be kind of like being chased by an eagle with legs instead of wings. Maybe closer to say that it would be like being chased by an immature cassowary. Which should give one pause, since cassowaries will fuck up your shit.

By: Navelgazer

Navelgazer — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 14:40:49 -0800

You heard it here first, folks. Velociraptors were basically Chocobos.

By: Rhomboid

Rhomboid — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 16:01:55 -0800

These guys are the undisputed prank champions for my money, if only for their consistently yt good yt output yt . Their channel is an undisputed time sink hole. Beware! Before you know it you've watched hours of this stuff. Ahem. (Magnetic Madness is the pinnacle of human accomplishment. Shut it down, we're done here. Mission accomplished.)

By: localroger

localroger — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 18:51:34 -0800

being chased by a velociraptor would be kind of like being chased by an eagle with legs instead of wings Don't laugh at eagles. I'm sure I related this elsewhere on the Blue, but my wife traveled to Africa awhile back to do some birdwatching, and beneath one eagle nest there was a pile of monkey skulls. The local bird expert explained that these eagles primarily feed on monkeys, and their capture technique is remarkably consistent; he pointed out in skull after skull the single hole in the rear of the skull, complementing the other two talons sunk into the eye sockets so as to pick up the victim and haul it off to the nest. After consuming with, dumpage to the skull pile below. Although modern humans are a bit too big for the eagles to pull this trick (despite which, the birdwatching group retreated beneath another tree just in case the pair who were displaying and cavorting with vigorous intent might get a little showoffy) the local bird guy was convinced that eagle predation had had a major impact on prehuman primate evolution, possibly driving us out of the trees onto the savannah. His group had identified an umber of specific primate calls identifying various predators, including one they called "OHCRAPEAGLE." He told my wife's group that he thought OHCRAPEAGLE might have been one of the very first words ever spoken by our prehuman ancestors.

By: Greg_Ace

Greg_Ace — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 23:04:40 -0800

FUCK, AN EAGLE!

By: sneebler

sneebler — Thu, 29 Aug 2013 08:19:46 -0800

Also, the scene in Jurassic Park where the young girl is swarmed by cute but persistent little raptors seemed kind of realistic, based on watching geese and hawks deal with humans they don't like.

By: ShutterBun

ShutterBun — Sun, 01 Sep 2013 00:31:56 -0800

Pull that shit in Florida, son. Great, another "stand your ground" test case.