Most April Fool’s jokes get an eye roll out of me at best. Businesses and publications have been posting more frequently trying to get recognized. Usually they can’t even commit and throw in a “April Fool’s” before they are even done.
But some well publicized pranks actually work well. I was reminded of probably the best one from my youth. Sports Illustrated published an article from George Plimpton called The Curious Case of Sidd Finch. It fooled people. It was funny. It was well written. Sports Illustrated, George Plimpton and the NY Mets were all in on it. Very well executed to the point that I remembered it years later. SI reposted it today but I hadn’t forgotten. Damn the Mets really could have used him.
So are there any others? I’m talking about public jokes. Not the time your frat brother Turtle drew a penis on your face when you were passed out.
I don’t know if they still do it or not, but NPR used to have a fake news story that they would run during All Things Considered on April 1. One year they had a story about the Soylent Corp, and even for a few years after that they’d have a “sponsored by” blurb for Soylent Corp. (“Made from the best stuff on earth. People!”)
The infamous BBC spaghetti-tree harvest documentary is a good contender:
Here’s te video: BBC: Spaghetti-Harvest in Ticino | Switzerland Tourism - YouTube
That’s definitely one of my favorites.
I rather liked this year’s BBC advertisement for the Director of Better role. It’s funnier if you’re familiar with the sort of job listing HR-speak this is parodying, which can be particularly bad within the BBC itself.
I know it’s linked to a show but it still made me laugh.