Prank bros have practically become the bane of our existence—it’s just not funny anymore. But when an innocent (and genuinely hilarious) prank is set in motion by a woman on TikTok to confuse her best friend, you can bet we’re giggling right along with her.
This brilliant prank idea came from TikTok user @oofieee, who enlisted her followers to flood her best friend’s comment section with accusations of illiteracy — all while blocking the account to keep her friend in the dark about the master plan. The timing was perfect: her best friend, Lesley, had just launched a TikTok account dedicated to book reviews and recommendations, making the prank even funnier. “She’s our very own Lea Michele,” @oofieee captioned the video, proving the prank was layered with comedic genius.
The video announcing the start of the prank has amassed over 400,000 likes, with comments like, “I’ve done my bit, but she won’t read it anyway,” pouring in as countless users joined the fun. “The Wirral Reader is our new Lea Michele,” added another, referencing the widespread meme that Lea Michele allegedly cannot read — a claim that has reportedly been denied, but who’s to say for sure?
TikTok users embraced the prank wholeheartedly. A quick look at her friend’s TikTok account (@thewirralreader) is all the proof you need that when people rally behind a shared cause, the results can be absolutely hilarious. In every single one of her videos, Lesley is bombarded with side-splitting comments. Here are just a few of our favorites:
“I wish you could read these comments there’s good tips xx,”
“The covers are so fun to look at!”
My grandpa never learned to read, but collected pretty books too. I respect that so much.
If it weren’t enough that every single one of Lesley’s videos is filled with comments about her supposed “illiteracy,” even booksellers, universities, and the Wendy’s TikTok account have joined in on the fun. In one particular video where Lesley shared her favorite reads of 2024, a quick look at the comment section reveals the prank in full swing.
“Have you tried board books? The pictures pop out, it’s really fun (someone can read this to you),” joked Wendy’s TikTok account. “Hey! We also sell picture books, hope this helps! xx,” chimed in Waterstones, the UK bookseller. “Once you’re comfortable progressing beyond picture books, reach out and we can discuss your next steps! We’re so excited for your reading journey!” added Stambrose University.
But the prank didn’t stop there. Jodi Picoult, author of novels like My Sister’s Keeper and comics like Wonder Woman, made a special video dedicated to Lesley. “Hi Wirral! My name is Jodi Picoult, and I’m an author — someone who writes books,” Picoult begins, hilariously. “I heard you’re beginning your reading journey and wanted to recommend a few beginner books to get you started,” she says, holding up children’s classics like If You Give a Pig a Pancake.
We don’t even need to imagine how confused Wirral was, because since the prank began, we’ve been treated to a little storytime from the original prankster, who revealed that someone had messaged Lesley, exposing the prank — and stealing her big reveal moment. Nonetheless, Lesley was apparently very confused about the accusations of illiteracy — which is absolutely hysterical, considering she thought she’d be getting death threats.
In the end, though, that might have been for the best. With how far this prank escalated, Lesley might not have found it as funny as the rest of us did. Either way, this was harmless fun, and we can’t help but adore the wonderfully quirky world we live in.