On a platform where millions of people can see your videos, some YouTubers are resorting to pranking their own significant others to gain notoriety. While duping your loved one might seem a bit hostile, entire channels are dedicated to pranking partners.
One such channels is Whealth by Slaiman, which has accrued 2 million subscribers for the relentless pranks the Australia-based protagonist pulls off. Slaiman’s pranks are as unconventional as his name, but they all share the same primary target: his gullible but loving girlfriend Kate.
Sly Slaiman has gone to great lengths to accumulate views, including forgetting his girlfriend’s birthday and their relationship anniversary. In turn, Kate tries to avenge herself by pulling pranks on her not-so-loving husband.
As with any successful genre of video, there are certain themes that are prevalent in prank skits, and Whealth by Slaiman exemplifies many of them. Not all the details mentioned below are required for a prank video to be considered canon, but they definitely increase its chances of success.
Here are the seven unwritten rules of prank videos, as found on the Whealth by Slaiman channel.
1. Make it unexpected.
As with any prank, it’s always best to strike at a time when the target is least expecting it, which is why Slaiman tends to pull off his pranks sporadically and, at times, multiple times a week. Two of the most famous examples of this rule were his “break-up” and “let’s make a baby” pranks.
Both Slaiman and Kate have done a break-up prank on each other, and both times they were completely out of the blue. Slaiman’s break-up prank left Kate dumbfounded because their relationship was in a good state. Cruel as it is, this sort of prank can also check on how your relationships are going.
In the baby prank, Kate corners Slaiman in his room and tries to seduce him into having a baby. Slaiman reacts with shock and confusion, as he has no idea what it’s all about.
2. Make it about something important in the target’s life.
Making the prank about something valuable is key to eliciting an outburst of emotion. In his “moving overseas” ruse, Slaiman pretends he received a job offer in Europe. To make the joke seem authentic, he even creates a fake portfolio full of documents confirming that he received the job and soon will leave Australia. Moved by the unanticipated announcement, Kate gets really emotional and starts sobbing.
Likewise, in his “girlfriend can’t graduate” prank, Slaiman pretends to send Kate an email from her university saying she does not have enough credits to graduate on time. Upon seeing the email, Kate is heartbroken, as her graduation is incredibly important to her.
3. Pull their strings till it hurts.
The most painful pranks emotionally manipulate the target, and as a result they can damage the relationship between the two individuals involved. In one video, Slaiman goes so far as to prank Kate on her birthday.
To do so, Slaiman acts as if the day was like any other in the year. When Kate asks him if he knows what day it is, he gives a hysterical answer, saying that his favorite shoe company has just released a new prototype. At the end Slaiman tries to redeem himself by giving a weeping Kate several gifts, but the stunt still may have left a scar.
In one of these pranks, Slaiman intentionally downplays the significance of their anniversary and attempts to sabotage their night. He gives Kate a Valentine’s Day card, takes her to McDonalds, makes her pay for gas and food and then takes her to his cousin’s house so he can play video games. As a result, Kate was very disappointed and saddened because the night was poorly planned, and the prank went beyond funny into sad.
4. If they don’t get sad, get them mad.
Many of the pranks performed on this channel have really absurd outcomes, including flushing shoes, squirting soda, throwing chips and other threats. One time, to make Kate mad and jealous, Slaiman decided to do a “cheating” prank.
A denim jacket on the floor and an unmade bed made it seem like someone else was in their bedroom. Slaiman also made sure to take Snapchats with other girls at a bar the night before. As Kate started to pick up on the hints, she reached her breaking point when she found a bra on the bedroom floor.
To add fuel to the fire, Slaiman sends a phony text to Kate intended for the “other girl.” When Slaiman tries to deny everything, Kate legitimately calls it quits and storms out. The drama resembles a suspenseful movie and will leave you on the edge of your seat.
5. Revenge is a dish best served hot.
With many couple pranks, whoever instigates the pranking usually has the favor returned. In many cases, Kate pranks Slaiman back, like when she tricks him into eating fiery-hot noodles after he pretended not to care when Kate returned from a long vacation.
In another video, Kate makes Slaiman super jealous as retaliation. To do so, she pretends to meet up with an old friend and dresses extravagantly. By looking hot, she makes Slaiman jealous because Kate is dressing up for another guy. In both pranks, redemption is served HOT, but many partner pranks can include retaliation of different kinds.
6. It’s okay to pull an all-out prank frenzy … occasionally.
The goal with a frenzy is to use small pranks to start chipping away at the target’s patience. One time, to encourage viewership, Slaiman made an all-out prank video purely from audience suggestions. He pretended to be clumsy and trashed Kate’s makeup, accidentally “sneezed” on her, crashed her car and, lastly, tried to bother her by talking in a different accent.
The remorseless prank bombardment is just as effective as one large prank, but this concept is generally rare amongst couple prank videos.
7. Involve third parties only if it improves the prank.
To up the channel’s entertainment value even more, Slaiman’s cousin Mikey participates in many of the videos and has made several of them much more enjoyable. In a prank on Slaiman, Kate accused Mikey of trying to make a move on her, all while he stood by looking dumbfounded.
In another instance, Kate again and Mikey “get together” in a bed to anger Slaiman. In the video, Mikey is hilarious as he tries to calm down an outraged Slaiman.
There are a lot of ways to prank your partner. In fact, I would say it is a form of art that can only be mastered through strategy, timing, preparation and knowing your opponent’s weaknesses.
Slaiman and his channel are only one example; new tactics are always welcome. In fact, Slaiman always encourages his viewers to send ideas and feedback to help partner pranking expand.
