Freak People Out
Do you feel bored, hyper, and mischievous all the time? Don't just sit there! Use your energy to freak your friends out - it's the perfect cure for boredom! All you need to get started is a creative mind, a little bravery, and just a hint of insanity. Use common sense with these tricks - don't do anything that will get you in trouble.
Contents
Steps
Saying weird stuff
- Say strange things. One sure-fire way to freak people out is to casually say things in public that are bizarre or troubling to the average person. You can experiment with speaking directly to people or purposely allowing them to overhear personal conversations. Below are just a few ideas:
- Go to a take out restaurant and ask for your meal to go.
- Have a troubling conversation on a phone or headset. Be loud enough for nearby people to hear you. Say sketchy things like, "Keep eating it! I don't care how many pages there are!" or "Take the shot. Look, I'm paying you to do this."
- Talk in funny voices, like the voice of Darth Vader, Yoda, or Kermit the Frog.
- Develop a strange affectation. For instance, you might say "stranger" after every sentence in an old-fashioned wild west accent.
- Ask strangers for help with bizarre problems. Try asking someone randomly "what year is it?", and, when you get an answer, act surprised and/or worried. You can try other questions, like "what country" or even "what century", "what continent", "what planet" and "what galaxy", etc. Alternatively, you can try asking something really weird that they probably won't have an answer for, like "what section of the universe" or "what coordinates".
- Ask for bizarre advice. For instance, go into a gardening store and ask an assistant "How long do I need to cook potting mix for?" or "How long will I need to water the asparagus before it sprouts its wings?".
- Have conversations with inanimate objects. For instance, in a department store, go up to a shirt and say "Oh, hi Fred! So how’s the building going? Really? Aw, that’s sad. I hope your wife gets better soon! Bye!"
- Surprise people with completely random outbursts. Run up to people on the street and say "Hi", or "I like cheese", then ask them what they prefer - green bums or silver cheeks.
- Say things like "The end is near," "They are watching us," or "They're coming for us."
- Make random noises. Say nonsense words such as "Eeeee!" or "Mmmm!" for no apparent reason.
- Whisper a lot, or all of the time. Whisper random things to someone or hum random creepy things.
Be the noisy one
- Be loud. Making loud, emotional outbursts is a sure way to shock, frighten, and otherwise freak out the people around you. Make reasonable decisions about when and where to be loud, though. Don't shout anywhere that you're likely to get yourself in trouble or cause a serious incident, like in a movie theater, in a room where a test is taking place, or around police.
- Sing loudly and/or in another language. Pick annoying songs. Sing in unusual styles - for instance, sing raunchy raps like an opera singer and well-known gospel tunes like it they are death metal songs.
- Have outsized reactions to small problems. When you experience a small inconvenience, have a reaction that's far louder than necessary. If you notice your shoe is untied, shout, "OH GREAT! THIS AGAIN! JUST WHAT I NEED!" When you kneel down to tie your shoe, keep going: "OH, NO, NO ONE NEEDS TO STOP AND HELP ME HERE. YEAH, JUST KEEP ON WALKING!"
- Pretend to have a very loud speaking voice. In your normal, daily conversations, use a very loud voice, but pretend like it's your normal voice and it's difficult for you to speak more quietly. Don't outright shout - it's funnier if you can convince people your condition is real.
Looking odd
- Have a strange appearance. First impressions are everything. If you can give a really weird one, you'll be able to freak people out without even opening your mouth! See below:
- Wear strange or themed clothing for no reason. Try dressing like it's Christmas Eve in the middle of June.
- Look like you're having a really, really bad day. Dress completely disheveled - leave curlers in your hair, smear your makeup, press your hair into an odd shape, or even leave a slap-mark on your face (you can do the real thing or use makeup).
- Wear clothing that is the wrong size. See if you can disappear inside a giant suit jacket or if you can squeeze into a T shirt that's two sizes too small!
- Wear clothing incorrectly. Try wearing your shirt and/or pants backwards, or, if you're really not faint of heart, try wearing your shirt as pants and your pants as a shirt.
Pranking people
- Pull pranks. Pranks, tricks, and practical jokes can help you pull the wool over your friends' eyes (with hilarious results). Below are a few ideas for pranks that will totally freak your friends out:
- If you have a substitute teacher, switch names with one of your friends for the day/period. Even if they don't consent, say "NO. I AM JOHN DOE! HE'S AL ALLEN!"
- Pretend you are a lost foreigner. For example, learn a few Japanese phrases and then speak only in Japanese, acting as if you don't understand English. You can also try with other exotic languages, like Swahili.
- When you’re in a lift, stare into your bag and randomly say, "Are you all right? Got enough air in there? Yes you can eat the clothes..." For added effect, make weird replies in strange voices, ventriloquist-style.
- Put your friends in awkward situations. Make your friends feel like they've accidentally said something that has hurt your feelings, but make sure the connection you make is a ridiculous one. For instance, if your friend says, "Hey, do you want to go biking after school over at the bridge?", get a sad look in your eye and say, "Last time I went biking at the bridge... I never saw my pet guppy again."
- Tell everyone you changed your name. The name can be serious or funny, but be drop-dead serious when you try to convince people that that's actually your name. If they don't buy it, pester them until they do. Once the person/people finally agree to call you by that name, switch it back again.
- Celebrate random holidays, like “Talk Like a Pirate Day” and "Hedgehog Awareness Week”. Make tee-shirts and show your spirit! Shout greetings to people at random.
- Play pretend. Pretending to be someone (or something) you're not can have a truly freaky effect if you pick your roles right. This is a great chance to exercise your acting ability - the crazier you can act without breaking into giggles, the better! Keep in mind that impersonating police or government officials is a crime!
- Run into a store and ask what year it is when they tell you run out yelling it worked ,it worked! (best if you wear old fashioned clothing)
- Act like a character from a TV show that you like. This is best if your chosen character has a distinctive costume and voice. For example, you might try wearing a skirt and suit jacket and talking in an angry tone as if everyone is House and you are Dr. Cuddy.
- Pretend to have a phony affliction. For instance, pretend to be a blind person in public, then get into a car and drive off, or have a friend push you around in a wheelchair, then stand up to shake his hand.
- Pretend to be on the run from the law. Get a friend to wear a dark suit. In public, run around as if you are trying to get away or hide from someone. After people see you, make sure your friend comes into the scene right away, following your path. Allow your friend to chase you.
- Pretend to be any fantasy character. Dress and act like a witch, robot, zombie, vampire, Werewolf, ghost, warlock, etc. For instance, if you choose to be a vampire, then wear a cape and hold your hand in front of your face as you hiss, “AHH! Sunlight! I'm burning!"
- Pretend to be a psychic. Have strange premonitions in public. For instance, if you're at a fast food restaurant, look up at the menu for a while, squinting and rubbing your temples. Lean over to the person next to you in line and say, "Don't try the fries" or something like that, then mysteriously leave so that the person can't ask why.
- Pretend to be part of a tragic romance. If there's a bench nearby, pretend to be dying on it as if it's a deathbed. Have a friend with you - the two of you should dress up like a prince and princess or another star-crossed couple. Hold your partner's hand and say things like "I'll always love you." You might even try bizarre ideas like, "Tell my mum I love... waffles."
Up close and a little too personal
- Be too personal. Saying and doing things that are too intimate or personal for the situation at hand is super awkward and creepy. Freak people out with one of the suggestions below, or make your own:
- Propose to random strangers in random places. Be sure to choose places with some romantic value, like fountains, bridges, or Walmart.
- Ask for advice with very personal problems. Involving people in problems that no sensible person would want to be a part of can be quite freaky indeed. Try asking strangers for advice treating hemorrhoids, for instance!
- Act like you're old friends with a stranger. Talk to a stranger like you've known him or her since you were children. For instance, make bizarre inside jokes and try to get him or her to do a secret handshake that you make up as you go.
- Make bizarre romantic remarks. Pretend that you've fallen in love with someone, but that you're hopelessly awkward. Shuffle up to someone and say something like, "Hey.... I, uh... I, um. I like your glasses."
- Expose the world to personal arguments. On the phone (or with a willing friend), have a loud argument about something extremely personal, childish, or petty. You might try saying something like, "I can't believe you ate the last waffle! This is so like you. You just walk into people's lives and take, take, take, but you never give!"
- Interweave very revealing things in a normal conversation and continue with the normal conversation as if nothing untoward was said. For example: "Can you direct me to the library? I grow horns on harvest moons. Is the library this way?"
Dancing like there's no tomorrow
- Dance like a fool. A high-energy approach can go a long way when it comes to freaking people out. Ridiculous dancing is a great way to employ your physical comedy skills. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Dance in inappropriate places. Try moonwalking through the library or doing the electric slide through the checkout line at the grocery store.
- Do spontaneous, flash mob-style choreographed routines. Learn complicated dance or cheerleading routines with your friends and do them in random places, like Walmart or in the middle of the street.
- Try to involve strangers in spontaneous dance parties. Bring a radio or laptop into a shop or supermarket. Play a song by Parry Gripp or Bryant Oden (eg. "Do You Like Waffles?"). Start dancing and ask random people if they want to join in. Some people actually may join in if you wait long enough.
- Give in to sudden dancing fits. In a mall or another public place, walk around casually, fall to the ground, start dancing, then go back to walking.
Creeping people out
- Be disturbing. When all else fails, acting in ways that are creepy or downright startling will freak people out for sure. Use common sense here - don't do anything that will get you arrested. Below are a few good ideas:
- There's always the old classic - simply hide somewhere, then pop out and scare anyone who walks by. Sometimes simple is better.
- Startle people with your appearance. Try wearing a crazy amount of makeup on your eyes, but covering them with huge, dark sunglasses. Try to look sullen and silent, but not scary, or people will avoid you. If someone tries to talk to you, pull the sunglasses off and surprise your victim with your look.
- Walk around with your eyes open really wide and/or smile grandly so the edges of your eyes crinkle. If someone asks why, tell them a crazy reason, like that goblins told you to.
- Carry suspicious objects. For example, label a suitcase "livers" and walk around with it throughout the day.
- Appear disturbed by security cameras. For instance, stand in the corner of an elevator and stare at the camera with a horrified look on your face. Keep your eyes on the camera even if people come in.
- Develop a bizarre, freaky talent like kicking your own head or turning your eyelids inside out.
- Eat weird foods in public. This is even better if the food has a noticeable odor. You might try olives, pickled onions or gherkins.
- Name your planner/pencil/ruler/calculator/binder. Call it by its name all day. If anyone asks you why your planner has a name, give him or her a weird look.
- Pretend to draw strangers into criminal conspiracies. Go up to someone and whisper, "I've got it in the truck outside. Where do you want it?" emphasizing the word "it". If they ask what "it" is, say "Sir/Ma'am, you told me not to say it out loud," then run out of sight before they can ask any questions. For added effect, you can wear a high-collared jacket and/or dark sunglasses to make yourself look shady and hard to recognize. If you're spotted later in your normal clothes, pretend not to remember ever talking to the person. For obvious reasons, don't do this near police, at airports, etc.
Tips
- Make sure you do the following things around people you don't know, like the general public.
- Do not do too much in one area. The same people might see you again and figure out that you're doing everything on purpose.
- Once you get experienced you can spot good opportunities and act completely insane on the spot.
- Don't be gross. Picking your nose or farting doesn't freak people out, it disgusts them.
- The point is to surprise people, so do things unexpected and crazy. Its okay to be weird and random and impulsive, but make sure no one is being offended or truly freaked out.
- Put lots of time thinking of what to say. You could think of something the day before so you can perfect it when the moment comes.
- Don't jump out at or scare people who seem like they may accidentally throw a punch due to natural reflex.
- Don't get tangled up with the cops. Even if you're just trying to fool around, it's never a good idea.
- Next time a stranger talks to you look shocked and whisper you can see me?
- If there's a person ten feet, about three meters in front of you on the sidewalk and there is few to no people between you two, point to them, yell something along the lines of, "You there! We have business to take care of!" and start chasing them. However, this may scare them really bad, so don't do it often.
- Look out for the people you prank. Serious individuals will not take a prank lightly.
Warnings
- Doing this stuff could get you tangled up with security and people may think you're crazy or something.
- Don't take random pictures of cops,that would be suspicious.
- Do not do this around teachers, bosses, important officials, or anyone else who's opinion of you really matters unless you don't care if you get fired/expelled/deported.
- Don't do this in large malls, in front of cameras, or at/in other largely public places.
Related Articles
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- Fake Breaking Your Nose
- Pretend to Faint
- Make People Think You're a Witch
- Creep People Out Without Embarrassing Yourself
- Weird People Out (For Kids)
