It's not easy spending eight hours behind a desk.  At one point or another, you die of boredom and the prankster in you awakens.  While its fun to imagine all sorts of tricks you would play onto your coworkers, it's even funnier watch how the employees of Dunder Mifflin get trapped into a hoax. After all, pranks have always been a staple on The Office and it's something I'm looking forward to with each episode. 

A lot of characters from The Office have done their own share of practical jokes, but without trying too hard, paper salesman Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) does his best as the ultimate office prankster.  And because he spends much of his time conspiring with office receptionist (and now fiancée) Pam (Jenna Fischer) to engineer pranks on his pompous deskmate Dwight, fans now have an idea of what pranks work, what doesn't and how funny they can be.

I've gathered some of my favorite Jim Halpert pranks and listed my top 5. 

5. Jim the Ally

As downsizing rumors circulate, paranoia takes over the members of the office in “The Alliance.” Dwight (Rainn Wilson) feels particularly threatened by the impending crisis and forms an alliance with his office nemesis Jim against the other employees.  As usual, Jim sees the alliance as an opportunity to play a hoax on Dwight, who then agrees to be sealed in a box in the warehouse so he can overhear the “secret meeting” about the downsizing.  Towards the end, Jim also convinces Dwight to dye his hair blonde and spy on the Stamford branch.


4. Jim the Storyteller

In “Back from Vacation,” Jim runs the staff meeting since Michael (Steve Carell) is not around. Claiming that Michael wants a transcript of the meeting, Dwight brings out a recorder and Jim starts the conference normally but eventually makes up a story about Dwight taking off his clothes and making everyone uncomfortable.  Of course, Dwight tries to deny this on the recorder but Jim continues by saying “Let the record show that Dwight K. Shrute is now completely nude holding a plastic knife to Stanley's neck.”  The rest of the employees are also having fun playing along and ganging up on Dwight until Andy (Ed Helms) ruins the whole thing by saying he's chopping off Phyllis' (Phyllis Smith) head with a chainsaw.  Seeing Andy ruin this scene was funny enough but hearing him utter his rendition of a chainsaw “ringringring” during the awkward silence was even funnier.


3. Jim the Vampire

When a bat goes on the loose in “Business School,” Jim claims that it bit him on the neck and feels all tingly and strangely powerful.  He also gets a sting from cold garlic bread, causing Dwight to ponder on some theories.  Apparently, Dwight believes that Jim is not a vampire but is carrying the vampiric germ.  Dwight doesn't say anything to Jim so Jim continues “playing vampire” by getting a headache from the blinding glare of Angela's crucifix.  By the end of the episode, Jim sneaks up so close to Dwight's neck and then tells him that he's going home since there's so much sun outside, and leaves with his jacket collar up a la Count Dracula.


2. Jim the Inventor

After learning the Oscar is gay in “Gay Witch Hunt," Michael and Dwight are desperate to find out who else in the office is gay.  Jim tells Dwight that Sharper Image sells a “gaydar” device but the store is sold out.  A few days later, Jim sends a modified metal detector to Dwight, who believes it to be a genuine gaydar device.  It's completely inaccurate and when Dwight waves it over his "manly" area it beeps as if to say he's gay.


1. Jim the Fax Messenger vs. Jim the Merchant

It's hard enough to narrow down favorite pranks on The Office but to choose just one favorite prank is even more difficult.  So for the number 1 spot, I decided to make it a tie between pranks featured in the episodes “Branch Closing” and “Conflict Resolution.”  The former features Jim faxing Dwight “messages from the future” with warnings about what's going to happen.  When Dwight receives a fax saying “Dwight, at 8am today someone poisons the coffee. Do not drink the coffee. More instructions to follow - Cordially, Future Dwight,” Dwight then tackles Stanley who is about to sip his coffee.  The latter, on the other hand, finds all of Dwight's desk supplies inside the vending machine, including his wallet.  In the end, Dwight ends up buying back all his supplies from the vending machine with the help of Jim, who gives him a bag full of nickels.  For me, both are classic tricks that embody what an office prank is all about.

I love Jim Halpert even though he's clearly not the funniest character on The Office.  His professional success contrasts sharply with his dissatisfaction and apathy at work, making him the perfect executor of such office pranks.  His pranks are also the funniest when  intended for Dwight, who, more often than not, is always unsuspecting.

What's your favorite prank on The Office?  You can share your own list in the comments below!


-Kris De Leon, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
(Image courtesy of NBC)