Hilarious moms lure 40 unwitting dads into purple shirt prank at high school graduation

A group of moms pulled off an unforgettable prank at their kids' 8th-grade graduation, and the internet is loving it. TikTok user Jolee Windnagle (@jonichole84) shared a video capturing the moment when 40 dads arrived at the event—all wearing the exact same purple shirt. The hilarious scene left onlookers confused before the realization set in: the dads had been tricked by their wives.

The video, part of the viral "same shirt prank" trend, initially had viewers wondering who orchestrated the joke. Was it the kids or the dads? But after some discussion online, people came to a surprising conclusion—it was the moms who masterminded the whole thing.

"They were all surprised, shocked, maybe a few mad—I don’t know."

— Jolee Windnagle

How the moms made it happen

In the TikTok video, Windnagle’s husband, Wayne, is the first to enter the venue, donning the now-famous purple shirt. As the camera pans across the room, more and more dads appear, all sporting the same look. Some men immediately realize what’s happened, while others take a moment to process before laughing it off and posing for a group picture.

TikTok | @jonichole84

Windnagle later shared how the prank came together:

“A week before the graduation, I had been seeing a lot of the same prank shirts, so thought that I would attempt it,” she explained.

She reached out to other 8th-grade moms via Facebook, describing the prank and inviting them to join in. The idea quickly spread, with moms adding more parents to the group.

"I added a link to the shirt from Amazon, so it was easy, and we ended up with between 40 and 50 dads."

— Jolee Windnagle

The unsuspecting dads followed their wives' suggestion without question—until they walked into graduation and saw their identical outfits.

The internet reacts

The prank didn’t just go viral on TikTok—it made its way to Reddit, where users praised the lighthearted joke.

"They're what a prank should be. Confuse, don't abuse."

— u/DanielBWeston

Another user, u/Tight_Stable, found the reactions priceless:

"The looks of obvious confusion on their faces and their body language is hilarious."

— u/Tight_Stable

What started as a simple joke turned into a standout moment for everyone involved. The kids got a graduation they won’t forget, and the dads got a story they'll be telling for years. They also got nice new shirts!