Cushioning the Whoopee

Trevor Cox is a Professor of Acoustics. He is currently conducting an on-line study on whoopee cushions and humor here. Take it!

The good professor also has videos on the mysterious workings of whoopee cushions up; here's one now!

Who Wants a Screaming Monkey Wreath?

Did you know the New York Times website ran a little something that included The Pocket Guide to Mischief? Cool. My work is not generally mentioned in the same breath as J. M. Coetzee’s.

The image was part of a slideshow dedicated to— well, here, I’ll just let Rachel Harris explain:

"[O]nce in a while, when we’re pulling the endless books and press releases from publishers out of envelopes, out plops a little item of some sort. In fact, of every sort. From tennis balls to whoopee cushions, we’ve seen it all. Collectors call this kind of stuff 'literary ephemera,' and some of it is quite collectible. But not much of it."

Hey, do I detect a dismissive tone there? Watch it Harris, I'm an expert prankster (left).

Hey, while I’m at the New York Times, I see there’s a piece on other “gifts” that could be misconstrued as unwelcome. Jeff Snoonian (left) bought himself and his brother matching blue velour jumpsuits. This ensemble is accented with pinkie rings. Total cost: $90. Other memorable (and cheap!) gift ideas include:

• a screaming-monkey wreath
• a needlepoint outhouse
• a toilet-plunger lamp
• an annual Chia Pet (every year, a new one!)

(Hey, want to know what I really want? An Annoy-a-tron!)