UselessFinds
The Whoopee Cushion, Still In Production After a Century

still funny. that's the scandal.

Prank Gear

The Whoopee Cushion, Still In Production After a Century

A rubber bladder that makes a rude noise when sat on. Invented in the 1920s, unimproved since, and still selling.

Buy this nonsense$4.21$2.11(sponsored link, opens in a new tab)
  • whoopee cushion
  • prank
  • gag gift
  • party
  • classic gag
  • stocking filler

What Is This Thing?

A flat rubber bladder with a narrow neck. Inflate it, place it under a cushion, and wait. When weight lands on it, the air is forced out through the neck and makes the noise you are already thinking of.

There is no mechanism beyond that. No battery, no electronics, no moving part more complex than a fold of rubber. The design has not meaningfully changed since it was commercialised in the 1920s, because there is nothing left to change.

Why You Don't Need It

Its entire output is one sound. You know the sound. Everyone in the room knows the sound, including the person about to sit down, who has probably encountered one of these before and will not be fooled for long.

It also only works on soft furniture, which rules out most of the places people actually sit.

Why You'll Buy It Anyway

Because a century of comedy has failed to retire it. Things that survive that long without improvement survive for a reason, and the reason here is that the joke requires no setup, no timing and no explanation. It lands on contact.

There is also something genuinely funny about a product that reached its final form before the invention of the transistor and has been quietly shipping ever since.

The Whoopee Cushion, Still In Production After a Century — photograph 2

Who It's Actually For

Children discovering it for the first time, which is the only audience that gets the full effect. Office desks, family gatherings, and April Fools' Day. It is a standard stocking filler and party bag item for good reason: nobody has to be told what it is.

It is also the safest prank on this site. Nothing jumps, nothing shocks, nothing stains.

before you click buy

Cheap rubber loses its seal eventually, and the noise goes with it. That is the failure mode, and it is not repairable.

Sizes vary between listings and the small ones are noticeably quieter, so check the dimensions rather than assuming. Inflating it by mouth is the standard method and the reason some people prefer to buy their own rather than borrow one.

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