Alarming/Unreasonable jokes or pranks.

[Ryuugan80]

I have no idea if this is the right place for this topic, so please feel free to move it if necessary.

I was reading through Dear Abby posts and found this: http://www.uexpress.com/dearabby/?uc_full_date=20121013

I'm referring to the "Unengaged" post.

It's....really ridiculous. I actually kinda hope that this is a case of the guy getting cold feet because I cringe at the thought of someone believing that pulling a joke like this would be a good idea.

Does anyone know people that act like that?

====

The only problems I've had with things like that were a sister (and dad, at times) that thought it was hilarious to pop out of nowhere and scare me, even though I would end up screaming with a fast pulse and having difficulty breathing for several minutes. They're loving so they figured out that they needed to stop that soon enough.   

[amylouky]

My MIL told my DH when he was around 8 that she and FIL were getting a divorce. Then said she was just joking after he burst into tears.

[Adelaide]

I really hate those prank scratch-off things that some people put in other people's Christmas gifts. You know the ones where you scratch off three boxes and it automatically says they won like $10,000 or something? I've seen reaction videos on youtube and the face of the person who reads the "this is a joke and nothing more" clause on the back is always very depressed.

[DaDancingPsych]

Wow... that is a cruel joke. A joke is only funny if everyone is laughing afterwards. The GF was NOT laughing; she was hurt. I don't see a way that this would be considered funny and I also feel it was very thoughtless of the BF to not think through her emotions. If she came here for advice, I would recommend a long, honest talk.

I do know thoughtless people who play jokes that hurt others. It's very sad.

[CreteGirl]

When I was much younger, I was friends with a girl in our apartment building who was a bit odd.  One time she pointed to a new car parked near our apartment, and said it was hers.  I did not think it was true, and told her so.  She continued to insist it was her car until I finally believed her.  Then she mocked  me for being so gullible as to believe her.   

I did not find the "joke" the least bit funny.

[Judah]

There are Jokes and there are Jokes. There are people you can play jokes on and people you can't.  There are some jokes you can play on certain people, but not on others, and there are some things that you just don't joke about at all.  The trick is to know your audience, and the guy in the story didn't know his audience very well at all, or, like Abby surmised, he wasn't joking but regretted the offer once it was made and didn't know how to get out of it.

[Sharnita]

I really hate those prank scratch-off things that some people put in other people's Christmas gifts. You know the ones where you scratch off three boxes and it automatically says they won like $10,000 or something? I've seen reaction videos on youtube and the face of the person who reads the "this is a joke and nothing more" clause on the back is always very depressed.

This is what I thought of.

[ettiquit]

I really hate those prank scratch-off things that some people put in other people's Christmas gifts. You know the ones where you scratch off three boxes and it automatically says they won like $10,000 or something? I've seen reaction videos on youtube and the face of the person who reads the "this is a joke and nothing more" clause on the back is always very depressed.

I had that one happen to me.  It was really depressing and embarrassing.  No idea why anyone finds that sort of thing funny.

[NotTheNarcissist]

Does anyone know people that act like that?

Yes, my DH and his family have very poor taste when it comes to jokes. He thinks I have no sense of humor which I do of course. Marrying in to this family I better have a darn good sense of humor.

[siamesecat2965]

This reminds me of something that happened one night, after leaving my PT job.  At that time, the manager and one employee had to drive to the bank, to make the night deposit.  So we usually left after everyone else, and after the mall was pretty much closed down.  Its a fairly safe area, but we are required to park in the far row, closest to the road.  Which not all of us do - so i'm in my car, and i see her go to her car, and suddenly someone runs up to her and grabs her.  I was like whoa, what just happened, then it looked like they were hugging, he left and she got into her car. 

So at the bank I said what was THAT all about? A friend showed up, and thought it woudl be funny to do that, but she wasn't amused, and I told her I wasn't either as I thought she was being carjacked or abducted.  She did say she read him the riot act and told him never to do it again.

[jpcher]

I think that Abby was spot on:

"P.S. If you talk to him in all seriousness, you may find that he did propose, but then got cold feet."

If I got myself all cleaned up and was trying to surprise "Unengaged" and got the response  "I got a little teary-eyed and asked where it came from." I think that I would reply in the same manner . . . what difference does it make where it came from? I put a ring on your finger! Oh. Okay. Just kidding. You care more about where the ring came from than what it symbolizes? Never mind!

I hope the couple talked things through and are now officially engaged.

[Venus193]

I hope she dropped him on his butt.

Not only is this not funny it's rather cruel to be so unpredictable that without a word he changes his entire image.  Someone like that could easily show up in ragged jeans at her boss's black tie dinner.

[Pippen]

I hope she dropped him on his butt.

Not only is this not funny it's rather cruel to be so unpredictable that without a word he changes his entire image.  Someone like that could easily show up in ragged jeans at her boss's black tie dinner.

I'll say. I would have a hard time respecting a man who behaved in such an immature and thoughtless way.

[Clareish]

I think that Abby was spot on:

"P.S. If you talk to him in all seriousness, you may find that he did propose, but then got cold feet."

If I got myself all cleaned up and was trying to surprise "Unengaged" and got the response  "I got a little teary-eyed and asked where it came from." I think that I would reply in the same manner . . . what difference does it make where it came from? I put a ring on your finger! Oh. Okay. Just kidding. You care more about where the ring came from than what it symbolizes? Never mind!

I hope the couple talked things through and are now officially engaged.

POD. That was exactly what I was thinking. I think both of them handled it in a not-great way, and I hope that they worked it out. I know that when my DF proposed, he was really worried that I would say no. Why, I don't know... but sometimes anxiety over a huge life-changing moment happens.

[Ceallach]

I think that Abby was spot on:

"P.S. If you talk to him in all seriousness, you may find that he did propose, but then got cold feet."

If I got myself all cleaned up and was trying to surprise "Unengaged" and got the response  "I got a little teary-eyed and asked where it came from." I think that I would reply in the same manner . . . what difference does it make where it came from? I put a ring on your finger! Oh. Okay. Just kidding. You care more about where the ring came from than what it symbolizes? Never mind!

I hope the couple talked things through and are now officially engaged.

POD. That was exactly what I was thinking. I think both of them handled it in a not-great way, and I hope that they worked it out. I know that when my DF proposed, he was really worried that I would say no. Why, I don't know... but sometimes anxiety over a huge life-changing moment happens.

My DH was really nervous about proposing, which is weird seeing we'd basically picked a wedding date already AND we did the initial ring shopping together!  (Visited the designer and agreed on basic concept etc).   So I was fairly committed to the process.   

So those about to propose can certainly have irrational nerves, it wouldn't surprise me if there was some element of "testing the waters" going on there in this case.    However if it was a prank it would seriously ruin any trust I had for that person forever afterwards.  For one thing, it would make me assume they never intended to ever propose to me "for real" - after all, after that how would you ever take a future proposal seriously?