A Kentucky Publix grand opening has taken social media by storm after one of its first customers appeared on the evening news with a name that might sound familiar to fans of 90s comedy films.
The clip shows a local news reporter interviewing shoppers at the new grocery store. When they identify one man as “Jack Mehoff,” viewers immediately recognized the reference to a classic prank name — one that sounds inappropriate when said aloud.
I associate this particular gag with Chris Farley’s 1996 film “Black Sheep,” though it’s entirely possible it appeared on “The Simpsons” earlier as one of Bart’s many prank calls to Moe’s Tavern. As a geriatric millennial myself, the Farley connection is what immediately came to mind.
Wait for it… pic.twitter.com/TxHobkCxF1
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 27, 2025
The truly baffling part? How does anyone still fall for this prank in 2025?
There are only two reasonable explanations. Either the segment producer is Gen Z — a generation that rarely makes phone calls and missed the prank call phase that defined millennial adolescence — or they’re a boomer completely disconnected from this slice of pop culture. Either way, they’ve unintentionally created a viral moment that’s bringing joy to thousands.
Here’s one of the first customers at the new @Publix in Richwood. @Local12 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/cJZmXtL86Z
— Chad (@ChadBlue83) March 26, 2025
Some readers might question whether this story deserves coverage. To that I’d say: the internet wasn’t always a doom-scrolling nightmare. It used to be fun.
We desperately need these lighthearted moments to balance the daily barrage of anxiety-inducing headlines. Consider this your sign to bring back harmless pranks and inject a little joy into our increasingly serious world. Be the change you want to see — even if that change is just making people laugh with a juvenile name gag that’s somehow still working after all these years.