A black-and-white photo of a person mid-air in a Superman-style body suspension pose, supported by multiple hooks in their back and legs, smiling joyfully toward the camera. They are suspended horizontally in a large indoor space with high ceilings and visible rigging. A group of onlookers—some seated, some standing—watch with expressions of admiration, amusement, and support. The atmosphere is lively and communal, capturing a moment of shared experience and transformation.

The Funniest Practical Joke of All Time


Photo source: Ninemsn.com.au

Those guys up there? Not happy. Not even a little. And with good reason! Bambang (left) and Nanang (right), two native Indonesians who were looking for government jobs, received word from a local village chief that there was a new requirement to work as an intelligence officer in Jakarta: facial tattoos. The only problem, of course, is that the chief — who received his information via text message — had been lied to, and he passed along some dreadfully poor instructions:

The official, who said it was a job requirement to have their faces tattooed with dragons, was later discovered to be a hoaxer — but not before Nanang, 30, and Bambang, 40, had already undergone the painful and disfiguring procedure.

The three men believe the anonymous trickster was a kind of “mystic”, as they didn’t feel in control of their actions when following his strange instructions.

“I was half conscious when the shop owner tattooed my face, and didn’t think it was a con,” victim Bambang said.

“I just realized it was a con on Friday night. I was shocked and I cried.”

A horrified Sawiyono realised he had been tricked when double-checking the bizarre request with a legitimate government representative.

Yikes. And somehow, this is the third hoax of its kind to go down recently in Jakarta. On the plus side, though? EPIC BURN. Eh? Am I right, fellas? Ashton Kutcher is seething with envy right now. (I’m just kidding, this is horrible.)

Fooled job seekers stuck with facial tattoos [National Nine News]

Comments

57 responses to “The Funniest Practical Joke of All Time”

  1. HereKittyKitty Avatar
    HereKittyKitty

    #38, No Jakarta isn’t rural, nor was I implying it was. It IS a hub that draws many from rural areas looking for work. The reference I made to Africa was simply to illustrate that the belief in magic isn’t isolated. It happens everywhere. Even on other continents and within different “mindsets” . But then I’m sure you were aware of that and just felt the need to give a geography lesson.

  2. katir Avatar
    katir

    pwnd.

  3. Mikie Ears Avatar
    Mikie Ears

    I don’t care about the religious aspect of this. Be it magic, or christianity……..I put people who follow the bible or old scrolls, or magic, in the same category. Their all a damper on the scientific progresses throughout the world. To say you felt under someones control as you did this, is the same as saying “I’m an idiot who can’t think for myself and used this excuse as a crutch to cope with my stupidity.”

  4. Gem Avatar
    Gem

    Clearly they should have looked into some brains and intelligence beforehand.

  5. Tranque Avatar
    Tranque

    While it was horrible of this man to trick them so, I can’t say that I have a lot of pity. Being grown men, they should know not to fall so quickly for something. And have they seen other government workers or men in the same position with full facial coverage? Doubtful.

  6. Lillie Avatar
    Lillie

    Im totally amazed anyone would believe such a ridiculous story and have facial tattooing just to get some job. Didnt anyone around them have one brain cell to have said hey ‘ check this out before going ahead surely it cannot be right!’

  7. Ligo Avatar

    BUH BURN! You’re right, that IS a pretty good burn.

Latest Tattoo, Piercing, and Body Modification News

  • Twelve Points to the Sky
    There’s a particular kind of magic that happens at your first big suspension gathering when you arrive with nerves, an open heart, and the quiet hope of flight. Guided by the encouragement of mentor Lynn Loheide and driven by the quiet confidence of belonging, Alex… Read more: Twelve Points to the Sky
  • Ontario SusCon 2025
    In March 2025, BME attended the Ontario Suspension Convention in Hamilton, hosted by the Kevin Donaghy and the Ontario Suspension Collective. We had the pleasure to take part and help document the event, but also run a booth to sell a bunch of old (but… Read more: Ontario SusCon 2025
  • Welcome Back to Body Modification Ezine
    Dear BME Community, We’ve been gone far too long, but BME is back to give people a voice, a space, a community. With time everything evolves, and BME may be different than you remember. Our goal is to stay true to Shannon and Rachel’s values… Read more: Welcome Back to Body Modification Ezine
  • BME Social Media
    Word of mouth has been our method of reuniting the community, and it has brought a substantial amount of us together. I am inspired by your loyalty and I want to remind more people of BME’s existence. In 2020 we gained control over @bmezine on… Read more: BME Social Media
  • BMEShop
    Despite the hurricanes in 2015 which destroyed almost all of what Rachel owned, she managed to save the original inventory from BME. We have relisted some of the stock on BMEShop.com with the hopes you may be interested.  Our first drop includes a selection of… Read more: BMEShop
  • Rachel Larratt 1980-2022
    Unfortunately, when we lost some of the ModBlog content, it included the post about Rachel’s passing. (Original Post) Rachel passed away on June 22, 2022. She died in her sleep. Even now, it’s extremely difficult to write this post. Rachel meant so much to so… Read more: Rachel Larratt 1980-2022