Drunken Clowns, Killer Kittens, and Itchy Pope Hats

Jacob Sullum | September 17, 2009

The Telegraph gathers the "20 most bizarre Craigslist adverts of all the time." See if you can figure out which are jokes and which are sincere (and which interpretation makes them funnier). "While some were undoubtedly posted as pranks," the Telegraph says, "they still reflect the spirit of a website that proudly keeps itself open to all internet life." (Just like prank phone calls reflected the spirit of Ma Bell?) I'm not sure what it says about me that two of my favorites involve kittens (which I like) and clowns (which I don't), but I'm pretty sure both ads are for real.

Katherine Mangu-Ward interviews Craigslist founder Craig Newmark here and notes the removal of Craigslist's "erotic services" section here.

Comments

|9.17.09 @ 6:01PM|#

Jacob-

Have you checked out Craigslist lately? Those both offering and seeking erotic services continue to employ Craigslist to aid their respective causes.

|9.17.09 @ 6:07PM|#

My favorite is the Pope Hats Guy.

"Dogs do not like to wear these pope hats, but maybe a large cat or maybe a nice dog would wear one."

I think Pope Hats Guy and Small, Incontinent Dog Lady would really hit it off.

ed|9.17.09 @ 6:10PM|#

There's no racism at Craigslist. The place is overrun with friendly Nigerians who want to buy my stuff, but first I must deposit their check, and hand over the balance to the pickup guy, who will happily give me a 10% bonus before he drives away with what's left of my faith in humanity.

|9.17.09 @ 6:31PM|#

Living in that old lady's bathroom might be okay, if you could furnish it with three hundred stuffed penguins and an oversized couch.

|9.17.09 @ 6:59PM|#

It wasn't on Craigslist, but my favorite bit from a Woman Seeking Man personal ad about 15 years was: "No body hair. No exceptions."

|9.17.09 @ 7:02PM|#

Doggie diapers (will not work on a cat!) was my favorite.

Michael|9.17.09 @ 7:56PM|#

Twenty most bizarre of all time? Upon what authority did they determine this? To peruse an impossibly large number of these, simply go to either the section titled "best of craigslist" or the section reserved for getting rid of things that no one in their right mind is willing to pay for. Hours of amusement, guaranteed.

$|9.17.09 @ 8:07PM|#

There's no racism at Craigslist.

You joke, but the white BBWs and the ugly black dudes in the personals there are showing us the way. It's like an ad for Benetton abortion clinics.

Maybe that's just a baby step, but...

Oh.

Art-P.O.G.|9.18.09 @ 2:05AM|#

The duck mask thing is still weirdly hilarious.

|9.18.09 @ 9:13AM|#

As the proud author of a "Best of Craigslist" post, I resent not being included in this list.

http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/aus/81735297.html