steepholm: (Default)
steepholm ([personal profile] steepholm) wrote2012-04-01 12:23 pm
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Will Get Fooled Again

I dislike practical jokes that are aimed at individuals, but have always been a sucker (in every sense) for the elaborate spoofs that broadcasters and newspapers get up to on April Fool's Day. The fact that they are aimed at everyone dilutes the humiliation to acceptable levels.

This morning I woke to a rather nice story on Radio 4's Sunday programme, based on the recent fashion for using real donkeys at Palm Sunday services, which has led - so the story went - to a spate of rustling, and in some cases the substitution of donkeys with llamas (because the prophecy of Zechariah, which Jesus was fulfilling, can be translated as referring simply to a "pack animal").

I've come across several more since - the first email in my inbox this morning was an ad for a machine that would print photographs onto toast - but I'm bound to miss most of them. So, if you've seen a really good April Fool this year, feel free to link to it here, or (if it's not linkable) describe it. I'd like to read it.

Meanwhile, no one knows how to do Relaxed like Jessie.

"As swimmers into cleanness leaping..."


"as swimmers into cleanness leaping" 1
colorwheel: six-hued colorwheel (Default)

[personal profile] colorwheel 2012-04-01 07:24 pm (UTC)(link)
i'm massively into nail polish. my fave nail polish blogger is scrangie, and she's got a post up today.

(not a newpaper or broadcaster so i'm not sure if it's what you wanted?)

[identity profile] steepholm.livejournal.com 2012-04-01 12:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you - that's very cute, especially the illumination.

[identity profile] dorianegray.livejournal.com 2012-04-01 12:18 pm (UTC)(link)
I like this one from Google.

Also, the front page of Wikipedia on April 1st is always very clever.

[identity profile] steepholm.livejournal.com 2012-04-01 12:24 pm (UTC)(link)
I wish they were doing Gmail Tap for real!

[identity profile] dorianegray.livejournal.com 2012-04-01 12:27 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm sure you can probably get morse code apps for smartphones...

[identity profile] steepholm.livejournal.com 2012-04-01 12:32 pm (UTC)(link)
At last - a reason to get a smart phone.

[identity profile] steepholm.livejournal.com 2012-04-01 01:15 pm (UTC)(link)
In a somewhat similar vein, have you seen the YouTube Collection?

[identity profile] dorianegray.livejournal.com 2012-04-01 01:19 pm (UTC)(link)
Nice.
gillo: (hee)

[personal profile] gillo 2012-04-01 12:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Google Maps Japan is quite good fun.

[identity profile] steepholm.livejournal.com 2012-04-01 01:10 pm (UTC)(link)
That is rather cool!
sheenaghpugh: (Do somethin' else!)

[personal profile] sheenaghpugh 2012-04-01 02:04 pm (UTC)(link)
The fact that they are aimed at everyone dilutes the humiliation to acceptable levels.

I don't actually think that. With newspapers, I read them for facts and am furious when they print stuff that isn't true, even in fun. On sites like Facebook, I hate it when people who think they're your friends try to make you feel and look stupid. i admit this may be because I'm quite slow to "get" jokes. But I loathe !st April and usually avoid looking at the internet until 12.

[identity profile] steepholm.livejournal.com 2012-04-01 04:24 pm (UTC)(link)
I did feel some frustration this morning, when this report on the latest Government plan to monitor everyone's email, texts and web use was widely treated as an April Fool. In fact, it's genuine (there's now even a little clip of David Davis condemning it). It seems to be a good day to bury bad news in the mass grave of a bodyguard of lies... or something.

[identity profile] sartorias.livejournal.com 2012-04-01 03:58 pm (UTC)(link)
I love cat weirdness.

[identity profile] steepholm.livejournal.com 2012-04-01 04:19 pm (UTC)(link)
:)

[identity profile] gillpolack.livejournal.com 2012-04-01 11:58 pm (UTC)(link)
This is my current favourite: http://scott-lynch.livejournal.com/273124.html (because others join in)

[identity profile] steepholm.livejournal.com 2012-04-02 06:47 am (UTC)(link)
That's a good one!