Best of Community: Tips for the Perfect April Fools’ Day Prank

College is a magical place, where students expand their minds and build lifelong friendships. For Greendale Community College’s favorite study group, however, it’s also the site of some truly unforgettable shenanigans.

In honor of April Fools’ Day and the arrival of Community on Peacock (no joke!), we’re bringing you 5 tips for planning the perfect prank, just like the Greendale Seven.

1. Know Your Target

The best pranks are personalized. So, put yourself into your target’s mind. How do they think? How do they act? What do they wear?

For a masterclass, watch Troy (Donald Glover), Abed (Danny Pudi), and Annie (Alison Brie) take “walking a mile in someone’s shoes” a step further, by aping Jeff (Joel McHale) in one of his own meticulously curated outfits.

2. Play With Their Emotions

Infuse emotion into your pranks for maximum impact.

Though we don’t condone his teaching style, we can’t deny that Spanish professor Señor Chang (Ken Jeong) is a master of emotional mind games. See how he sets the tone for the new semester with a shocking return from the dead, and a rocking theme song.

3. Aim Carefully

Make sure to prank only the intended person.

Abed and Troy learn this lesson the hard way while trying to scare Jeff in his office. When Professor Buzz Hickey (Jonathan Banks) enters instead, the duo finds themselves trapped in ridiculous disguises, eavesdropping on a deeply personal phone call. Mission failed…

4. Don’t “Britta” It

Britta [‘bɹɪ tə]

verb

1. To make a huge mess of something small and simple. A term coined and used by the study group, inspired by group member and social activist extraordinaire, Britta Perry (Gillian Jacobs).

Example: “When Britta tried to prank Señor Chang with a frog in a tiny sombrero, she ended up launching a cadaver through a window instead… she Britta’d it!”

Whatever your prank idea is, don’t Britta it.

5. Keep Them Guessing

Talented pranksters know how to harness the power of an unexpected plot twist. Or sometimes… several.

When Dean Pelton accuses Jeff of inventing a phony conspiracy theory class, it sends him, Jeff, and Annie into the dark and deceptive world of Greendale Night School. Everything culminates in this explosive finale; just try to keep up with the many layers of scheming as they learn lessons about integrity, friendship, and prop gun safety.

Though Greendale may not be the strongest institution academically, we hope these tips have helped you improve your japes, jokes, and capers! Enjoy even more scholastic antics by watching Community on Peacock.