B.J. Novak Receives Museum Forgiveness for High School Prank
After nearly thirty years, B.J. Novak has been granted forgiveness by the Boston Museum of Fine Arts for a clever high school prank he orchestrated. Discover the story behind the museum's decision to pardon Novak for his past antics.
BJ Novak Gets Pardoned By Museum for Prank He Pulled in High School
FilmMagic for HBO
B.J. Novak is finally making things right with a Boston museum after almost 30 years since he played a big prank.
In a post on Instagram on Wednesday, March 6, Novak, who is 44 years old, announced that he has received an official pardon for the prank he pulled at the @mfaboston. He shared that the prank involved switching the audio cassette guides with an 'original' tour.
The Office alum pulled off a prank at a museum by replacing the audio guides with a voiceover that started off like the usual narration but then took a hilarious turn.
Novak visited the museum recently and discussed his love for "Arts and Pranks." He even had the opportunity to chat with Edwin, the security guard present during the prank.
He joked that he initially thought it might be a sting operation, but everything turned out fine. Novak thanked the MFA for their sense of humor and mercy, as well as everyone in Boston who came to see it.
Novak also shared several photos of his visit to the museum, including a picture of the cassette titled “Tales of the Land of Dragons,” and a snapshot of him holding the pardon with Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts director Matthew Teitelbaum.
He also shared a photo of an old newspaper article that explained the prank. The article stated that during the Museum of Fine Arts’s ‘Tales From the Land of Dragons’ exhibition, a few visitors who took the audio tour received a mischievous guide to the ancient Chinese art display. Some of the regular tapes were swapped with versions narrated by a man claiming to be Lev Davidovich Bronstein. He had a Russian accent and started the tour similarly to the MFA’s official guide, but then went off on a tangent with nonsensical ramblings.
The article went on to describe how ‘Bronstein’ made silly jokes and even suggested that listeners dance the hokeypokey as they moved around the galleries.
The museum announced on Monday, March 4, that Novak was welcomed back and forgiven for his high school prank.
They declared on X, “We officially pardon @bjnovak for the prank he pulled at the MFA in high school. Last Friday, B.J. entertained a full house with stories from his youth as part of our Ruth and Carl J. Shapiro Celebrity Lecture Series.”
The message went on to say that in 1997, B.J. recorded audio guides for an MFA exhibition. This stunt confused many innocent visitors, but it also demonstrated that even the most small-minded pranksters can make a lasting impact on a historic institution.
Editor's P/S:
B.J. Novak's prank at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston was a clever and audacious act that has left a lasting legacy. His replacement of the museum's audio guides with his own humorous narration brought laughter to the unsuspecting visitors and demonstrated his creativity and wit. Novak's recent visit to the museum and his official pardon by the institution's director is a testament to the museum's sense of humor and their appreciation for the prankster's spirit.
Novak's
