Classic pranks to annoy the people you love

Pretend to be a telemarketer to learn about your crush or tap into the most famous prankster in America. This episode is all about tricks and the tricksters behind them.

CBC Radio · Posted: Mar 31, 2017 12:48 PM EDT | Last Updated: March 31, 2017

A police officer stands guard in a Manhattan subway station as three pantless people stroll by during the 15th annual No Pants Subway Ride, Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016, in New York. The group prank, meant to amuse, has been going on since 2002. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens) (The Associated Press)

Seven podcasts celebrating April Fools.

1. Reply All

"Twist and Shout hates me. I'm banished from their store. I really am." — Professional prank caller, Longmont Potion Castle

Host Alex Goldman finally gets to meet someone he's been chasing for years - a legendary prank caller with three decades worth of experience and over a dozen albums to his name.

2. Snap Judgment

"I was playing at the Radio City Music Hall with the orchestra there. But then after a while... I didn't want to just pound the drums all my life. I wanted to be different." — Alan Abel

Legendary prankster Alan Abel talks about his first big media hoax: The Society for Indecency to Naked Animals.

3. The Dinner Party Download

"As an incoming freshman, he was accidentally mailed two student enrolment forms. Instead of throwing the extra one away, he decided to use it… to create a fictional student." — Michelle Philippe

A tale of a person who registered twice to the Georgia Institute of Technology, once as himself, and once as a fictional person. The twist? That fictional self has graduated to become a real folk hero, even acknowledged by President Obama.

4. To the Best of Our Knowledge

"Art is a lie that makes us realize truth." — Pablo Picasso, as quoted by author Lewis Hyde

Lewis Hyde, author of Trickster Makes this World, explores importance to our culture of having a character that breaks the boundaries and rules in order for our world to grow.

5. Grownups Read Things They Wrote as Kids

"Hi, this is Taylor Craig calling from Calgary 7 newsroom. I am doing a small survey on the lives of young male adolescents." — Song prank calls her childhood crush

Song pulls a telemarketing prank to try and suss out information her grade school crush.

6. Tuner

"I don't want no beef unless it's about this cheese…" — Dan D raps about Hamburger Helper

Hamburger Helper drops a successful April Fools mixtape (called Watch the Stove) thanks in large part to the emerging hip-hop artists they approached. Don't believe the hype? Listen for yourself.

7. The Spoke

"I looked at him and I said 'You know, if you and your vice president can't seem to coordinate your work flow, then I think it's a clear indication that there is a lack of communication in your company!'" — Antoine Yared says all the wrong things in a fake job interview.

Live at The Spoke, actor Antoine Yared tells his story about the time he posed as a fake job applicant to help his friend prank her boss.

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