April Fool! The Purpose of Pranks - New York Times

Practical Jokes - Psychology - April Fool! The Purpose of Pranks - New York Times: "Keep it above the belt, stop short of total humiliation and, if possible, mix in some irony, some drama, maybe even a bogus call from the person’s old flame or new boss. A good prank, of course, involves good stagecraft. But it also requires emotional intuition."