April fools - tedious or grand tradition?

[dosxuk]

So we're round to April fools day again, and I'm once again struggling to get any amusement or joy out of the efforts people have gone to today to create content for it. I always remember April fools day as being a day for quick gags and jokes, aimed at a small number of people, who invariably see the funny side of it when the joke is revealed; but nowadays, the jokes seem to be about who can construct the most believable story to take in the widest audience, but that is actually completely made up.

The days when it was school kids pranking their teacher by adjusting the classroom clock seem to have been replaced with people making up elaborate stories filled with names like Oli Farlop as the only real hint that something is amiss. There also felt like more "joy" to the stories in the past, flying penguins are always going to be fun, but "traffic lights to be changed to red, amber, blue to appease colour blind users" is neither fun or particularly unbelievable.

So, is it just me, am I just being old and grumpy about it, are people trying too hard and missing the point, or is it something that just doesn't really work on the internet? Is it just that we've become too used to people making stuff up all the time on the internet that the fun has gone out of it?

 

[dangie]

…..So, is it just me, am I just being old and grumpy about it, are people trying too hard and missing the point, or is it something that just doesn't really work on the internet? Is it just that we've become too used to people making stuff up all the time on the internet that the fun has gone out of it?

I see nothing wrong with it. I actually enjoy what some are capable of making up. Usually it’s pretty obvious it’s an April Fool, but occasionally………

Note: Studied BBC News this morning and it was difficult to suss out what was genuine news and what was made up

 

[Lost property]

I see nothing wrong with it. I actually enjoy what some are capable of making up. Usually it’s pretty obvious it’s an April Fool, but occasionally………

Note: Studied BBC News this morning and it was difficult to suss out what was genuine news and what was made up

Relax....the Mail and the Express have more than fulfilled this tradition with their respective headlines today..

Newspaper headlines: Biden to ‘miss’ coronation and Sunak on trade deal

The US leader will decline an invite to see King Charles crowned next month, The Telegraph reports.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[JGurney]

I rather liked this one about the Wrexham - Bidston service: https://www.deeside.com/eco-friendl...ham-bidston-line-amid-rolling-stock-shortage/

 

[nlogax]

It's fine within reason. Also a good way to determine if certain website or newspaper readers have two brain cells to rub together.

Today my smartring app suddenly features a Microsoft Clippy-esque character which I have to admit made me laugh. At the same time I hoping and expecting it'll gone tomorrow.

 

[Magdalia]

So, is it just me, am I just being old and grumpy about it, are people trying too hard and missing the point, or is it something that just doesn't really work on the internet? Is it just that we've become too used to people making stuff up all the time on the internet that the fun has gone out of it?

I think that you are right that the internet makes it much more difficult to come up with a story that makes a good April Fool joke. That relies on dancing on the edge of plausibility, which is also much more difficult now that the news is already full of stories that not long ago would have been regarded as well beyond the edge of plausibility.

In times gone by people were both more gullible and less well informed, and I'd be surprised if an April Fool joke could have the same impact now as they did then. The BBC Panorama Spaghetti Harvest was in 1957, before I was born, yet it was the gold standard for April Fool jokes when I was growing up. The Guardian San Serriffe supplement in 1977 is, for me, the high point of April Fool jokes. Has anyone looked at today's paper to see if there are any new San Serriffe stories?

Both of these have substantial coverage on the internet, including their own wikipedia pages.

 

[duncanp]

This one from Avanti West Coast is not a joke though, or at least I don't think it is.

The train will no longer call at

Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Coventry, Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street, Sandwell & Dudley, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western, Preston,

but will instead call at, er,

Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Coventry, Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street, Sandwell & Dudley, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay and Wigan North Western.

16:16 London Euston to Lancaster due 20:09 will be started from London Euston and terminated at Preston.
It will no longer call at London Euston, Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Coventry, Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street, Sandwell & Dudley, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western, Preston and Lancaster but will call additionally at Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Coventry, Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street, Sandwell & Dudley, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay and Wigan North Western.

 

[Calthrop]

This morning, my brother and I got to wondering how the April Fools' Day thing originated. Wikipedia was consulted: it would seem that it's a less-than-highly-ancient phenomenon -- first showed up, at the max. roughly 600 years ago. Assorted possible origins, from assorted countries, were cited. Earliest, from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, first published 1392: in which, in The Nun's Priest's Tale, the wily fox hoodwinks Chanticleer the conceited cockerel, about dates-related intricacies around end March / beginning April.

And the idea was prominently around in France a little later, in the 16th century. Owing largely, it is reckoned, to the general medieval custom which there had been in Europe, of celebrating March 25th as New Year's Day: which celebration ended especially in some parts of France, on April 1st. Come the 16th century, progressive types switched to having the beginning of January mark the New Year; and made fun, as "fools", of the old fogeys who were inclined to stick with the beginning of April for the purpose. In the Netherlands, concerning the wars-of-liberation involving the Dutch and the country's hated Spanish "owners": April Fools' Day has been attributed to the Dutch victory of the capture of Brielle on 1 / 4 / 1572, defeating the Spanish commander the Duke Alvarez de Toledo; with various associated punning.

Another theory -- generally considered a decidedly "fringe" one -- harks back to Genesis, and Noah and the Ark. Concerning -- when the worst seemed to be over -- Noah's sending the dove out on April 1st, to reconnoitre; this seen as a mistake on Noah's part, it being before the waters had abated. Re Noah's bloomer, "to perpetuate the memory... it was thought proper, whoever forgot so memorable a circumstance, to punish them by sending them upon some sleeveless errand similar to that ineffectual message upon which the bird was sent by the patriarch".

It appears that, basically: you pays your money and you takes your choice.

 

[duncanp]

A couple I found from this year.

April Fool's Day 2023 - all the best jokes and pranks from today

April Fool's Day has rolled around one more, and the Mirror has selected some of the best jokes and pranks played by newspapers, companies and celebrities this year

www.mirror.co.uk

Matt Hancock to launch a new cheese brand - a 'cheese for the people'​

A London advertising agency says it has been hired to launch Matt Hancock's very own cheddar cheese brand.

A mock-up of the dairy label, named Matt Hancock's Cheddar, features the politician's face and the strapline “Cheese for the people”.

Creative agency isobel says: "Mature, tangy and quintessentially British, Hancock’s eponymous dairy brand looks set to capitalise on the MP’s jungle notoriety, although whether the UK consumer is ready for Matt Hancock in their fridge remains to be seen."

When asked about the branding strategy and creative execution, an agency spokesperson said that one of Hancock’s primary aims for launching the brand was to "normalise politicians" and make them more "relatable".

They add: “Everyone loves cheese so why not create a cheese brand for the people?”

Dulux 'to replace its iconic Old English Sheepdog with a King Charles Spaniel'​

Dulux says it has a royal announcement which is 'hound' to cause a stir... by "retiring its iconic Old English Sheepdog" after a 60-year reign.

The paint brand writes: "Fans must now wave goodbye to the beloved icon, and all rise to welcome the new face of the paint brand – a King Charles Spaniel."

The change-up is said to be in homage to King Charles' Coronation on May 6.

Karen Wilkinson, Marketing Director at Dulux, says: “We understand this might cause an upset amongst devoted fans of our beautiful sheepdog.

"However we think its high time she put her paws up for a little TLC – and what better time to take a step back than April Fool’s Day…?!”

 

[dk1]

Tedious.

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Way too predictable now. Tedious to me

 

[swt_passenger]

It would be good if any threads launched here got the discussion strangled at about 1200 mid-day…

 

[GusB]

So, is it just me, am I just being old and grumpy about it

Yes, you are! It's just a bit of fun. Fun that's completely spoiled by people over-analysing things and saying stupid things like "you do know what day it is, don't you?"

 

[DunsBus]

The problem with April Fools is that they are now so obvious that you can spot them a mile off. There's a place for juvenile japes, it's called the school playground.

 

[PeterY]

I rather liked this one about the Wrexham - Bidston service: https://www.deeside.com/eco-friendl...ham-bidston-line-amid-rolling-stock-shortage/

Also needed the Bedford - Bletchley line

 

[brad465]

A couple I found from this year.

April Fool's Day 2023 - all the best jokes and pranks from today

April Fool's Day has rolled around one more, and the Mirror has selected some of the best jokes and pranks played by newspapers, companies and celebrities this year

www.mirror.co.uk

Hancock would be a good role model for advertising cheese: mouldy with an awful stench that won't go away.

 

[Bevan Price]

One thing I found tedious is that some April issues of magazines (including some rail magazines) included "April Fool" stories - even though those magazines were often on sale from early March.

 

[birchesgreen]

I used to like the April Fool stories but as more and more lies and false news for more nefarious purposes gets published 365 days a year now the appeal of AF has diminished somewhat.

 

[JohnMcL7]

Years ago I used to enjoy some of the clever April Fools but there's so many rubbish ones and it's just about every site doing it now, I'm fed up with it and pretty much ignore it all until it's passed.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Just a bit of a laugh

 

[Magdalia]

I was half listening to You and Yours on Radio 4 just now, while they did an item on 50 years since the invention of the barcode.

Much to my surprise they mentioned the April Fool joke that was in one of the railway magazines back some time in the 1980s, which reported that locomotives would have barcodes instead of numbers.

 

[PeterY]

I was half listening to You and Yours on Radio 4 just now, while they did an item on 50 years since the invention of the barcode.

Much to my surprise they mentioned the April Fool joke that was in one of the railway magazines back some time in the 1980s, which reported that locomotives would have barcodes instead of numbers.

Train spotters would only need a scanner.

I'm surprised barcodes are already 50 years old.