When Petty Revenge Goes Meta: The Workplace Prank That Made a Coworker Question Reality
Some pranks are harmless. Some are legendary. And then, there’s the kind of petty revenge that’s so diabolically creative it borders on psychological warfare—like the time one Redditor took inspiration from Futurama and made their coworker question the very nature of reality. If you’ve ever had your sanity tested by a mischievous colleague, buckle up. This is a story of burgers, whispers, and the fine line between “gotcha” and “please don’t call HR.”
It all started with a simple act of workplace mischief, but ended with a truce forged in existential dread and sleep deprivation. And the best part? The internet absolutely ate it up.
The Setup: When Gaslighting Begets Gaslighting
Our story’s protagonist, u/almightylulu, was just a regular employee trying to make it through the grind—until a coworker (let's call him Joel) decided to mess with their head. Joel spent an entire shift subtly moving, hiding, and then returning Lulu’s things, all the while insisting nothing was amiss. As any victim of a good gaslighting prank can attest, the result wasn’t just confusion; it was a creeping sense of “Am I losing my mind?”
If you’re wondering if this qualifies as psychological warfare, you’re not alone. As u/GoldenFaeWattle pointed out, “He didn’t psychologically torture you.” But Lulu fired back, explaining just how off-kilter Joel’s original prank was: “He threw away an entire order I knew I made and convinced me I never made it.” By the end, Lulu admits, “To this day...if I lose something at work, I wonder if I actually misplaced it or if someone is f***ing with me.”
So, payback was not just warranted—it was practically required by the sacred laws of petty revenge.
The Prank: Whispering Into the Matrix
Armed with inspiration from the Futurama episode where Leela struggles to distinguish dreams from reality, Lulu launched their campaign. The plan? At random intervals, whenever Joel wasn’t looking directly at them, Lulu would whisper, “I need you to wake up.” Just loud enough for Joel to hear, but always deniable. Over time, the whispers got slightly louder, but remained just out of clear detection.
At first, Joel suspected Lulu was messing with him. But Lulu, channeling their inner Academy Award winner, feigned annoyance and frustration at the accusation—eventually convincing Joel that something stranger was afoot. To make matters worse (or better, depending on your perspective), a coworker named Brandy joined in, looking Joel dead in the eyes and dropping the same cryptic whisper. The result? “He was visibly distressed,” Lulu wrote, “thank you Brandy for the assist.”
The beauty of this prank was in the details. Lulu would sneak the whisper into the middle of sentences—“Hey, did you get that burger on the grill yet?” became a seamless blend of normalcy and eerie suggestion. Every time Joel tried to confront the weirdness, Lulu doubled down, acting like Joel was the one losing it. “Are you high?” they’d ask. “Are you drunk?” All the while, Joel’s grip on reality frayed.
Commenters were both horrified and delighted. “You’re a monster, my god, lmao,” wrote u/aspiringvampire, speaking for everyone who’s been both victim and perpetrator of office shenanigans. “It was worth it!” Lulu replied.
The Fallout: Existential Crisis Served with Fries
The prank reached its apex when Joel, desperate to prove he was awake, nearly plunged his hand into a fryer. Only then did Lulu relent, assuring Joel that everything was real (for now). But the pièce de résistance came at the end of the shift. As they parted ways in the parking lot, Lulu shouted, “By the way Joel, I need you to wake up!” Joel’s response: the loudest, most cathartic “f*** you!” the building had ever heard.
The next day, Joel showed up looking like he’d spent the night wrestling with the very fabric of existence. He got right in Lulu’s face and demanded, “Don’t ever fing do that again! I couldn’t fing sleep because I didn’t know if I would wake up!” It was a petty revenge masterclass—a lesson learned, a truce brokered, and a boundary (hopefully) set for future pranks.
Reddit’s response? Applause all around. “That’s a master class of petty revenge,” declared u/EfficientInitial0, while u/KrazyKitt admitted, “A little unsettling maybe but definitely funny.”
Some even shared their own tales of gaslighting-for-good. u/inderu recounted staging his own simulation for a coffee-slurping coworker, standing motionless until the “NPC” entered the room. “Diabolical! I love it!” Lulu replied, suggesting that a little Simlish would’ve made it perfect.
Lessons Learned: How Far Is Too Far in the Name of Petty Revenge?
Amid the laughter, some commenters raised questions about the ethical boundaries of pranks. “As someone who actually suffers from knowing I’m dreaming and being unable to wake up, this would be terrifying,” wrote u/MichaelKerk. Lulu responded with empathy, noting their own struggles with lucid dreams and acknowledging the prank may have gone a bit too far—“A little too far was the answer to that question apparently 😬👉👈 oops…”
But the community consensus was clear: sometimes, when someone makes you feel like you’re losing your mind, it’s only fair to return the favor—just maybe not to the point of sleep deprivation or industrial accidents.
And as u/Sylestiya pointed out, Joel may never escape the prank’s legacy: “He’s going to randomly scroll across those posts that say ‘We’ve been trying to contact you. You need to wake up now.’ and get a split moment of panic.”
Conclusion: The Fine Art of Petty—But Not Harmful—Revenge
In the end, Lulu and Joel called a truce. They kept pranking each other, but agreed to steer clear of anything requiring future therapy bills. As Lulu reflected, “That was almost 20 years ago and to this day that was the best prank I have ever pulled. Am I proud of it? Absolutely! Would I pull it on someone again? No (unless they reeeeeeally deserved it).”
So, what’s the takeaway? Petty revenge, when executed with creativity and a dash of surrealism, can be as cathartic as it is hilarious. Just remember: when you mess with someone’s sense of reality, the line between “petty” and “psychological” can get blurry fast.
Have you ever pulled off a legendary workplace prank—or been the victim of one? Share your stories below! And remember: if you ever hear a whisper telling you to wake up, maybe check who’s on shift with you.
Original Reddit Post: I psychologically tortured a friend at work one night.