It's... not a holiday? It's just a thing people did and sometimes still do.
You sound bitter. Sorry someone tried to have fun around you.
Nah man, keep in mind what people have considered jokes in the past x years. The "its only a prank" crowd in the past years have been absolutely atrocious. In fact they have not been jokes or pranks at all.
They have been things to totally humiliate the people. I have a feeling this is the kind of joke or prank that happened.
Even if its not the case, its totally possible the joke caused multiple people to laugh AT OP instead of WITH everyone.
Yeah, all comedy is bad because I heard some bad jokes lately. Better trash the whole idea of jokes. Same energy.
A good prank gets the prankee to laugh along with everyone. For instance sending a singing telegram to someone would cause slight embarrassment, but would still be entertaining for everyone involved as long as they don't work at a funeral home or something like that.
The dumbest ones are when they mess with someone's car by covering it with something or filling it with something like plastic balls or whatever. That's just mean and not creative.
It was great before all the companies started getting in on it, when it was just people pranking each other. I feel like at some point within the past 10-20 years, most “hip” companies come out with their own version of an April Fool’s day press release that are always so goddamn stale and expected now. They’ve just sucked all the fun out of what should be a spontaneous holiday between individuals, because you know those releases probably took weeks to craft and went through X levels of management to get approved.
It’s absolutely gotten way worse the past 15 years or so.
As someone who works for a newspaper: the days leading up to and directly following april 1st tend to be very frustrating because of this.
Usually starting on the 30th, we get the first ‘funny’ press releases, with most showing up on the 31st. Which means you have to be extra careful not to use something that SEEMS plausible enough not to warrant extra suspicion on days other than april 1st.
As journalists, we’re perhaps more aware than most regarding potential pranks. We’re always taught to question sources. Which makes it all the more annoying that so many companies and organisations try to pull one over on us. Making reliable, accurate news is difficult enough as it is without all these fuckers trying to poison the well.
Basically, companies and organisations who do it usually get their press releases trashed for a month afterwards on principle. Waste my time? Welcome to the trash bin.
For me, the thing i find most annoying about april fools are the days afterwards. I don't know if a piece of recently uploaded media is actually real or satire until I check the date its uploaded.
Its twice as irritating as an Australian because if you dont wait till the day is over to share things you just get bombarded by Americans telling you it isnt April 1st yet because they dont understand time zones.
April Fools! They do understand time zones and they got you!! Those wily Americans!
Upvoted because I disagree. (That's how it works here, right?)
Nobody fooled me IRL and it's been a fun day on the internet.
I absolutely loathe this day. Most of it is just dumb, silly and annoying. Especially when this dumb shit gets forced on you by companies whose marketing teams think they’re clever.
I also used to work at a radio/TV station where we covered pranks during april fools. That was a real eye-opener: there are waaaaay too many idiots out there who fall for jokes and take things at face value. Basically, they’re a cruel way to mess with vulnerable, gullible people.
Now, if someone wants to make a joke at their own expense, go for it. But don’t do it at the expense of others.
Bingo, on both accounts. April 1 is now a marketing tool for companies, and all of those are just annoying now (mostly because they're so worried about the blowback they won't do anything anyway)
And for the second, way too many people forget that jokes end with both parties laughing at the end. Maybe something missed something, or fell for something, but it should be small and lighthearted, not something where they actually feel embarrassment or anger afterwards. If only the joke teller is laughing, then it wasn't funny.
Now lighthearted things where both people end up laughing? Have at it, it's one day of lighthearted joking - but anymore that's rare.
... i should downwote you or not
I think we upvote the post if it is unpopular, but upvote the comments if we think they are contributing to discussion about the unpopular thing.
But the post was created on April the first - so is it meant to be taken seriously or not? Because that inverts the opinion and therefore my vote.
Blame the king who wanted January 1st to be New Year's instead of April 1st. Were it not for him we'd still be using the far more logical start date of April 1st and there wouldn't be any pranks to make fun of people who think that the beginning of spring is a better start to the year than the dead middle of winter.
Curse you Numa Pompilius, second king of Rome! 😤😤😤
Serious question, why is April far more logical?
Yeah I don't know about "logical", I'd say it's arbitrary either way. I think in Asia the calendar traditionally aligned that way, since spring is "beginnings", but it seems every bit as logical to put the new year around the winter solstice.
A good and proper prank leaves both Parties happy and satisfied with the prank. Otherwise it's basically just harassment.
Secondly, it should only be done on willing people, usually this limits you to people you know, and know would be accepting of such interaction.
Prank culture has gotten sour and uncouth at this point so I can agree many people (for lack of a better phrase) "do it wrong". But really it is fun and can be a great form of bonding when done correctly as well as even potentially a way to show how well you know someone by personalizing it in a really fun way.
Years ago I had roomies and we had a figurine that randomly appeared about the apartment. if you saw it or found it you'd move it to a funny spot to prank the other roommates. It'd show up in pantries, the shower, on top of doors, outside your window, holding random stuff, etc. It was great, everyone enjoyed it and left everyone with good memories. That's IMO, a good prank.
I actually enjoy it. Being a dad gives me a different perspective, I guess.
As a dad I have mixed feelings. My five year old has said the words "April fools" probably 600 times today
Eh. It’s 1 day a year. Yeah kinda stupid but it’s not like it’s every week or something.
Anyway, have your upvote.
100 Percent in agreement. Always hated the day, but now that it's the anniversary of my mom's brain cancer diagnosis I cannot stand the stupid jokes and shit eating grins.
You must not watch The Lockpicking Lawyer.
Most "pranks" are just a) terribly unfunny, b) actually bullying by another name, or c) both.
If we could just keep the rare good ones I'd be all for it, but alas!
I agree. Check out this website proving it.
Is the joke that it sits there loading forever, or are the privacy extensions in my browser breaking it?
(Either way, kinda disappointed that it isn't a rickroll.)
The little intentional lags on the loading animations really does sell the idea that it is actually doing something.
I hate it when a news site or otherwise serious site does it
At least in Colorado it's a day for being a hooligan on the ski slopes which I think is way more fun for everybody.
To me, having to pretend that the comodification of romance is remotely romantic is far more stupid. However, I'd say April fools is definitely second place for most dumb.
Hey those marketing execs don't get many chances to show how lol so random they can be. Let them have this one day
April Fools day was fun for me when I was younger and the internet really didn't exist. But today as an adult and dealing with the onslaught of responsibility and mis/disinformation from the internet has made me cynical of this day. Could be that I'm becoming jaded.
I did a spongebob thing and poured myself 400 glasses of lemonade with little umbrellas for breakfast. April Fools on me, I'm not even thirsty!! AH HA HA HA HA oh man, I'm going away with the nice men in white coats now.....
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