Obviously, the topic of death and funerals isn’t a cheery one. Most people tend to avoid these morose subjects until they’re actually faced with them.
Other people, however, understand that a sense of humor is sometimes the best way to deal with difficult situations.
Author and journalist Dana Schwartz hilariously tweeted about showing up at stranger’s funerals to make their families believe they had a secret double life and Twitter is loving it.
Say hello to Dana Schwartz, a 26-year-old author, journalist, and cat-lover.
Dana recently posted a hilariously clever tweet telling her followers that, in exchange for $50, she’d show up at their funerals with a black umbrella to make people think they died with some sort of crazy secret.
https://twitter.com/DanaSchwartzzz/status/1080888071552266242
The tweet has since garnered more than 470K likes and 93K retweets.
She even went as far as to share her Venmo information along with more instructions.
https://twitter.com/DanaSchwartzzz/status/1080916579313827840
Schwartz insisted that there must be a printed obituary. Gotta keep it legit, people.
It wasn’t long before the responses came rolling in, the first being from fellow author Neil Gaiman and the pair settled on a few specifics.
If you promise to dab your cheeks from time to time with a black lace handkerchief you’ve got a deal.
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) January 3, 2019
https://twitter.com/DanaSchwartzzz/status/1080964071640391680
https://twitter.com/DanaSchwartzzz/status/1080995999059914753
People even started sending Dana money.
https://twitter.com/DanaSchwartzzz/status/1080929549792112640
https://twitter.com/DanaSchwartzzz/status/1081045223893983232
And others offered their own suggestions.
Ill give you $75 if when the casket is going down you walk over and place a small box on top and say only loud enough for a few people to hear "if they only knew"
— Dick (@spursyyank) January 5, 2019
Or how about as the burial ends, taking out your phone, ringing someone and just saying “it’s done” before pausing & hanging up, then just turning and walking away?
— Dave Nevett (@_GLB) January 5, 2019
How much to arrange for a solemn child to hold your hand at the same time?
— Robin Hart-Jones (@Roblex) January 5, 2019
Can you disguise yourself as me and smoke a cigarette as you stand a row or 2 away from my funeral while you look at it go on so people think I faxed my death
— . (@clendeninjon) January 5, 2019
https://twitter.com/agingprophet/status/1081572124215496706
https://twitter.com/sreedharIyer/status/1081565231967436801
For €100, I would like a long stemmed red rose tossed into my open grave as you wipe a single tear away from under your huge black sunglasses. I already plan to do this at a certain man's funeral:)
— regina kealy (@kealycopy) January 5, 2019
For an extra £50 please will you pick up a call and say, "yes, they believe it", then leave inconspicuously in a chauffer driven black car?
— Stan Gaskell (@cameramanstan_) January 5, 2019
One person wanted to be Dana’s partner in crime.
Can I be the guy by the black car wearing black leather gloves, sunglasses, and chewing gum, slowly? We might have a legit biz here!
— Southern New Yorker (@SouthernNYorker) January 5, 2019