In my house, the first day of April isn’t a time of pranking or cruel japes, but instead my wedding anniversary, lessening the desirability of practical or impractical jokes. Even so, I’ve never been particularly into the notion of trying to fool your friends every April first, due to the vast gulfs that exist between differing ideas of what is and isn’t funny. ‘Fear Factor’ style terror experiments just serve to show which of your friends have sadistic sides, whereas the traditional announcement of pregnancy on social media is both banal and insipid. Of course, I’m willing to entertain arguments for either side, which leads us to today’s Beau Geste query…
The MS-QOTD (pronounced, as always, “misquoted”) still loves the Silver Age story ‘The Night of March 31st’, but also notes that the Superman office made it clear what they were doing up front and made sure all the reader were in on the gag, asking: Do you enjoy making with the jokes and pranks every April First? (And if so, why?)
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Not much of a prank guy, I like more spontaneous and a little bit of dry and witty humor more.
Yes and no. I act like a complete idiot most of the time anyway, partially because it lowers everybody’s expectations and makes me sound even more intelligent when I say something serious, partially because I like to make people laugh. There is enough anger and suffering in the world, so I would rather try to make people laugh instead of adding to the misery.
But my actual April Fools jokes and pranks are usually on the boring and simple side solely because people expect something more. Usually along the lines of “I think I might be pregnant” (because I’m a guy and obviously that isn’t possible) or using bad puns, like taking a serious tone and admitting to being a chronic masticater. Sometimes it is just a very old and predictable prank, like a whoopee cushion or joy buzzer or a misfortune cookie, something more eye-rolling tedious than elaborate.
On the occasion that I pull off an elaborate prank for April Fools Day, I do it a few days before or after, not on April 1st because that is when it is expected.