Joey Skaggs (born 1945) is an American prankster who has organized numerous successful media pranks, hoaxes, and other presentations. Skaggs is one of the originators of the phenomenon known as culture jamming. Skaggs has used Kim Yung Soo,[1][2][3]Joe Bones,[4]Joseph Bonuso,[5][6]Giuseppe Scaggioli, Dr. Joseph Gregor, and the Rev. Anthony Joseph as aliases.[7]
According to his web site, Skaggs does not care for "vicious" pranks such as letters containing fake anthrax; he also states that he is not doing anything illegal. He uses volunteer actors to play his customers, refusing to really scam anyone except the media. Often the prank is launched with nothing more than a press release with a phone number; in these press releases, Skaggs leaves hints or details that easily could be checked for accuracy. Eventually, he reveals the hoax to make his point.
In a 2015 interview, Skaggs revealed that he has a hoax that is "out there" that no one has discovered yet.[8] After the interview, Chinese news agency SinoVision promptly fell for his then 30-year-old annual New York City April Fools' Day parade hoax and ran a four-minute segment in English on the non-event.[9]
In 2017, "Art of the Prank", Andrea Marini's award-winning feature documentary about artist Joey Skaggs, was released internationally on television and streaming platforms.[10]
In 2020, production began on a series of short oral history documentaries featuring Skaggs and materials from his archive titled, “Joey Skaggs Satire and Art Activism, 1960s to the Present and Beyond”. [11]
Dog Meat Soup (1994): Skaggs portrayed Kim Yung Soo, an entrepreneur who wanted to purchase unwanted dogs for human consumption. His purpose was to bring to light issues of cultural bias, intolerance and racism, as well as to demonstrate the media's tendency to be reactionary, gullible and irresponsible.[12]
The Solomon Project (1995): Joseph Bonuso (Skaggs) claimed to have created a computer program that would work as both judge and jury and announce sentences. It pronounced O. J. Simpson guilty.[13]
The Final Curtain (2000): Skaggs' creation was a combined funeral company, virtual graveyard and theme park. It was meant to satirize showmanship in places like Forest Lawn cemeteries. Some investors were actually interested. Final Curtain's website is still functioning.
Bigfoot & The Tiny Top Circus (2014): Bigfoot, the world's most illusive and terrifying creature, was captured and put on display by the Tiny Top Circus in New York City's Washington Square Park. The creature (Joey Skaggs dressed literally as a big foot) made a daring escape and disappeared into the West Fourth Street subway station.[14]
Trump's Golden Throne (2017): For New York City's 32nd annual April Fools' Day Parade, after 31 years promoting a parade that didn't exist, Joey Skaggs orchestrated a real one. He held a Trumpathon, the world's largest gathering of Trump look-alikes, and together they paraded a golden outhouse, featuring President Donald Trump tweeting on his phone as he sat on his throne, to Trump Tower on 5th Avenue.[15]
^Yang, Jeff. "ASIAN POP Putting On The Dog." San Francisco Chronicle. Thursday October 13, 2005.
^Kennedy, Mike. "Relax, Rover: 'Dogs for food' was just a hoax Exposing racism and bias was the aim says a New York artist." Kansas City Star. May 28, 1994. C3.
^Sinisi, J. Sebastian. "Fido-as-food letter offends Offer to buy dogs is apparent hoax." Denver Post. May 21, 1994. B-1.
^Starita, Joe. "FAT SQUAD HOAX HOOKED THE MEDIA." San Jose Mercury News. May 17, 1986. 1C.
^Poniewozik, James. "." TIME. Monday November 13, 2000.
^Landler, Mark. "MEDIA: PRESS;Joey Skaggs, who delights in practical jokes on the press, has got a million of them." The New York Times. January 29, 1996. 1.
^Jauregui, Andres (April 1, 2015). "Chinese News Agency SinoVision Falls For Joey Skaggs' 30-Year-Old April Fools' Day Prank". The Huffington Post. New York City: TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. from the original on April 1, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2015. 'I have perpetrated a hoax, and its out there in the world, and no one knows it's me,' Skaggs said. 'Lots of people witnessed it, but no one has put it together.'
^Clements, Christie (March 31, 2015). April Fool's Day. YouTube: SinoVision English Channel Archives. from the original on April 1, 2015. Retrieved April 1, 2015. wow. I almost feel bad for her. Almost.
^Razi Syed, The Art of the Prank Unmasks Joey Skaggs, Father of Fake News, in BedfordandBowery.com, Sept.28, 2017
^Justin Almodovar, Joey Skaggs: Fish Condos screens at the Spring 2022 New Jersey Film Festival on February 11, in newjerseystage.com, Feb.10, 2022
joey, skaggs, this, biography, living, person, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, adding, reliable, sources, contentious, material, about, living, persons, that, unsourced, poorly, sourced, must, removed, immediately, from, article, talk. This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification Please help by adding reliable sources Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page especially if potentially libelous Find sources Joey Skaggs news newspapers books scholar JSTOR September 2020 Learn how and when to remove this message Joey Skaggs born 1945 is an American prankster who has organized numerous successful media pranks hoaxes and other presentations Skaggs is one of the originators of the phenomenon known as culture jamming Skaggs has used Kim Yung Soo 1 2 3 Joe Bones 4 Joseph Bonuso 5 6 Giuseppe Scaggioli Dr Joseph Gregor and the Rev Anthony Joseph as aliases 7 Joey SkaggsBorn1945 age 78 79 United StatesEducationHigh School of Art and DesignSchool of Visual Arts BFA Occupation s Artist prankster writer Contents 1 Artistic career 2 Select pranks 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksArtistic career editAccording to his web site Skaggs does not care for vicious pranks such as letters containing fake anthrax he also states that he is not doing anything illegal He uses volunteer actors to play his customers refusing to really scam anyone except the media Often the prank is launched with nothing more than a press release with a phone number in these press releases Skaggs leaves hints or details that easily could be checked for accuracy Eventually he reveals the hoax to make his point On some occasions Skaggs has sent a substitute to interviews with programs such as Entertainment Tonight and To Tell the Truth Producers did not notice 7 Also photographs in the National Enquirer and Playback have depicted the wrong man In a 2015 interview Skaggs revealed that he has a hoax that is out there that no one has discovered yet 8 After the interview Chinese news agency SinoVision promptly fell for his then 30 year old annual New York City April Fools Day parade hoax and ran a four minute segment in English on the non event 9 In 2017 Art of the Prank Andrea Marini s award winning feature documentary about artist Joey Skaggs was released internationally on television and streaming platforms 10 In 2020 production began on a series of short oral history documentaries featuring Skaggs and materials from his archive titled Joey Skaggs Satire and Art Activism 1960s to the Present and Beyond 11 Select pranks editThis section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources Please help by adding reliable sources Contentious material about living people that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately Find sources Joey Skaggs news newspapers books scholar JSTOR May 2012 Learn how and when to remove this message Dog Meat Soup 1994 Skaggs portrayed Kim Yung Soo an entrepreneur who wanted to purchase unwanted dogs for human consumption His purpose was to bring to light issues of cultural bias intolerance and racism as well as to demonstrate the media s tendency to be reactionary gullible and irresponsible 12 The Solomon Project 1995 Joseph Bonuso Skaggs claimed to have created a computer program that would work as both judge and jury and announce sentences It pronounced O J Simpson guilty 13 The Final Curtain 2000 Skaggs creation was a combined funeral company virtual graveyard and theme park It was meant to satirize showmanship in places like Forest Lawn cemeteries Some investors were actually interested Final Curtain s website is still functioning Bigfoot amp The Tiny Top Circus 2014 Bigfoot the world s most illusive and terrifying creature was captured and put on display by the Tiny Top Circus in New York City s Washington Square Park The creature Joey Skaggs dressed literally as a big foot made a daring escape and disappeared into the West Fourth Street subway station 14 Trump s Golden Throne 2017 For New York City s 32nd annual April Fools Day Parade after 31 years promoting a parade that didn t exist Joey Skaggs orchestrated a real one He held a Trumpathon the world s largest gathering of Trump look alikes and together they paraded a golden outhouse featuring President Donald Trump tweeting on his phone as he sat on his throne to Trump Tower on 5th Avenue 15 See also editAlan Abel another American performer of media hoaxes including the Society for Indecency to Naked Animals SINA References edit Yang Jeff ASIAN POP Putting On The Dog San Francisco Chronicle Thursday October 13 2005 Kennedy Mike Relax Rover Dogs for food was just a hoax Exposing racism and bias was the aim says a New York artist Kansas City Star May 28 1994 C3 Sinisi J Sebastian Fido as food letter offends Offer to buy dogs is apparent hoax Denver Post May 21 1994 B 1 Starita Joe FAT SQUAD HOAX HOOKED THE MEDIA San Jose Mercury News May 17 1986 1C Poniewozik James Justice in the Blood TIME Monday November 13 2000 Landler Mark MEDIA PRESS Joey Skaggs who delights in practical jokes on the press has got a million of them The New York Times January 29 1996 1 a b Korean Dog Soup Snopes Jauregui Andres April 1 2015 Chinese News Agency SinoVision Falls For Joey Skaggs 30 Year Old April Fools Day Prank The Huffington Post New York City TheHuffingtonPost com Inc Archived from the original on April 1 2015 Retrieved April 1 2015 I have perpetrated a hoax and its out there in the world and no one knows it s me Skaggs said Lots of people witnessed it but no one has put it together Clements Christie March 31 2015 April Fool s Day YouTube SinoVision English Channel Archives Archived from the original on April 1 2015 Retrieved April 1 2015 wow I almost feel bad for her Almost Razi Syed The Art of the Prank Unmasks Joey Skaggs Father of Fake News in BedfordandBowery com Sept 28 2017 Justin Almodovar Joey Skaggs Fish Condos screens at the Spring 2022 New Jersey Film Festival on February 11 innewjerseystage com Feb 10 2022 John Tierney The Big wasCity Falling For It in The New York Times Magazine July 17 1994 p 16 St John Warren The talk of the town Jury tampering in The New Yorker Feb 5 1996 pp 24 5 Lee Speigel Bigfoot Unveiling Turns Into Huge Toe Job in Huffington Post June 7 2014 Lincoln Anderson Scoopy s Notebook Week of April 6 in The Villager April 6 2017External links editOfficial website The Art of the Prank RE Search Interview with Joey Skaggs Joey Skaggs at IMDb Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Joey Skaggs amp oldid 1222211723, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
