I'll apologize now if this seems a bit curmudgeonly, but I don't get the whole April Fool thing. I never did as a kid, and nothing has changed in adulthood.
Aside from the ridiculous notion of having a set day on the calendar for pranks and practical jokes - really, Alphonse, I had absolutely NO idea that you were pulling my figurative leg...such a surprise! - there's the somewhat darker veil of nastiness that pervades a good chunk of the day's activities. The notion that it's perfectly acceptable on this one day to "get" others in some way, all under the veil of supposed humor, is ridiculous. And mean.
Where I come from, none of this is funny. In fact, it smacks of bullying. Which is more than a little ironic given the anti-bullying mantras we all spout on the other 364 days of the year.
Now, please don't get me wrong: I do, in fact, have a sense of humor. And anyone who knows me knows I like to use it. Broadly and often.
But there's something about today, and the way we've evolved this tradition of trickery, that rubs me in all the wrong ways. The journalist in me similarly bristles at the notion of trusted operations willingly turning their coverage streams into "jokes" for the day. There's nothing funny about fake news if it makes you wonder whether they're being serious or not.
I hope this doesn't come across as get-off-my-lawn-ish, but please count me out today, and leave the funnies for times when they are neither expected nor programmed. To be truly funny, one never needs to schedule it.
Your turn: April Fool...pro or con? Why?
Aside from the ridiculous notion of having a set day on the calendar for pranks and practical jokes - really, Alphonse, I had absolutely NO idea that you were pulling my figurative leg...such a surprise! - there's the somewhat darker veil of nastiness that pervades a good chunk of the day's activities. The notion that it's perfectly acceptable on this one day to "get" others in some way, all under the veil of supposed humor, is ridiculous. And mean.
Where I come from, none of this is funny. In fact, it smacks of bullying. Which is more than a little ironic given the anti-bullying mantras we all spout on the other 364 days of the year.
Now, please don't get me wrong: I do, in fact, have a sense of humor. And anyone who knows me knows I like to use it. Broadly and often.
But there's something about today, and the way we've evolved this tradition of trickery, that rubs me in all the wrong ways. The journalist in me similarly bristles at the notion of trusted operations willingly turning their coverage streams into "jokes" for the day. There's nothing funny about fake news if it makes you wonder whether they're being serious or not.
I hope this doesn't come across as get-off-my-lawn-ish, but please count me out today, and leave the funnies for times when they are neither expected nor programmed. To be truly funny, one never needs to schedule it.
Your turn: April Fool...pro or con? Why?
Posts
1 comment:
I agree, the harmless April Fool's joke, (in our school yards) can be funny, but often isn't. Fake news like a giraffe at the zoo had triplets could give you pause to think and laugh. Maybe. I know our WCCO 4 news may find a couple of folks (if not more) biting into an Oreo cookie with toothpaste centers! Sure the prankster aired her devilish plan, but I'll bet a few will take the bite! Yikes.
Post a Comment