It’s the baby product that’s left parents horrified and seen death threats levelled at the inventor. But the baby silencing device has, surprisingly, also attracted plenty of support.

Marketed as a ‘soundproof, breathable device to silence your baby’s cries during long flights and movie nights’ the Baby Mute website promises you can watch your favourite movie without having to worry about your bub’s cries disturbing others.

The Baby Mute mask ‘gently cover your baby’s mouth and nose, reducing the sound of their cries by 87%. This means that you can keep your baby calm and comfortable, while still enjoying your favourite movies or TV shows’.

It’s also promoted as being the ideal solution for flying with babies – no more annoying other passengers if your baby won’t settles. And, apparently, it makes the perfect gift for new parents, who could ‘use a little help getting through those challenging first few months’.

The website even includes reviews on the Baby Mute:

“As a new mum, I was dreading taking my baby on long flights, but the Baby Mute has been a game-changer! My baby stays calm and comfortable, and I can actually relax and enjoy my flight.”

“I wish I had found the Baby Mute sooner! It’s made car rides so much easier, and I can actually listen to music or podcasts without being interrupted by my baby’s cries.”

When Canadian comedian Brad Gosse revealed his invention on social media, there was an avalanche of opinion.

“Wtf is this? That’s terrible. Some people shouldn’t have children,” one person commented.

“I’m sure this will have zero effects on psychological and emotional development,” wrote another.

But there were also plenty of comments supporting the device … which, of course, is fake.

Brad eventually revealed that the Baby Mute isn’t actually a real product, and simply a prank.

“Last week I pranked millions of people on the internet with a fake product. The Baby Mute mask promises to silence your baby up to 87% on long flights and movie night. The news media went bananas and so did millions of people. I got phone calls, death threats, angry emails and more Tweets than I could possibly read.”

He said he’s now left with some of the fake promotional material from his prank, and is looking for ideas on what to do with it.

“So my question to you is, what do we do with these bubble mailers? Do I set up a prank mail system where you can send these to your friends with some kind of glitter bomb inside? Or do I just sell the envelopes so you can wrap your own presents in them? What would you do with a Baby Mute envelope?”

What do you think of this prank? Harmless enough? Let us know in the comments below.