# How would you react to this April Fools joke?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-this-april-fools-joke/717053
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [April 7, 2015, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-this-april-fools-joke/717053 "2015-04-07T18:25:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2015, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-this-april-fools-joke/717053/1 "2015-04-07T18:25:13Z")
For this scenario if you aren’t in a relationship just pretend that you are. Its the morning of April 1st but you’ve forgotten its April Fools day. Your partner comes over to you with a serious look on their face, its obvious they want to talk.
They sit you down and explain that they can’t keep it a secret any longer, they’ve met someone new and they’ve been having an affair for several months, although they still love you very much they want a divorce.
They string it out for a while longer before, boom, gotcha, April Fools!
How would you react?
* * *
I ask because today an acquaintance was quite proudly explaining how she pulled that trick on her husband, she thought it was just _hilarious_ how he was upset and tearful, asking what he had done, how he could put it right, who was the other man etc
She said that when she told him it was just a joke he was so relieved he kissed her. When people questioned the appropriateness of what she’d done she just shrugged it off as them lacking a sense of humour.
Now personally if someone pulled a joke like that on me I wouldn’t see the funny side, you?
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### Author:  [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2015, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-this-april-fools-joke/717053/2 "2015-04-07T18:28:50Z")
I’d file for real. Maybe back off later, but the filing fee, etc would be worth the “gotcha back”.
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### Author:  [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2015, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-this-april-fools-joke/717053/3 "2015-04-07T18:44:44Z")
For me personally, I would consider divorce for real. That’s because I really, really don’t like those kind of jokes. So if my wife did that to me, I’d have to seriously consider if she was the right one for me.
However, I realize that not everyone feels that same way. It could be that her husband likes those kind of extreme jokes and would appreciate how he was pranked. So it totally depends on who is the target of the joke.
That’s one reason I didn’t like the recent PM April Fool’s joke on this board. It went out to a bunch of strangers, and the joker had no idea how the recipients would take it. If he only sent it to people who he thought would appreciate the humor, then that’s fine. But when it affects totally random people, I think it’s uncalled for.
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### Author:  [@AnaMen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnaMen)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2015, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-this-april-fools-joke/717053/4 "2015-04-07T18:52:03Z")
It sounds (from her version anyway) like she knew her audience and both enjoyed the prank.
Personally, I’d be pretty upset that someone thought giving me fake bad news was funny. I’d probably leave them while they slept and refuse any attempts at future contact.
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### Author:  [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2015, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-this-april-fools-joke/717053/5 "2015-04-07T19:05:57Z")
Given that my wife & I are separated, when she got to the word “divorce” I would have said “Okay.”
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### Author:  [@Calatin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Calatin)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2015, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-this-april-fools-joke/717053/6 "2015-04-07T19:12:56Z")
I think that it is important to know one’s audience, but if your prank moved me to tears, then my initial reaction upon hearing the news is going to be more of “anger” than “relief.”
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### Author:  [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2015, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-this-april-fools-joke/717053/7 "2015-04-07T19:20:35Z")
I would have packed my bags and left that very day.
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### Author:  [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2015, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-this-april-fools-joke/717053/8 "2015-04-07T19:24:01Z")
A good April’s Fool joke should be funny for all parties involved. Unless the tears were from laughter, that was a horrible ‘joke’.
If pulled on me, I’d be very angry for quite a while. I’d make sure that the joke wasn’t funny for all parties involved.
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### Author:  [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2015, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-this-april-fools-joke/717053/9 "2015-04-07T19:24:10Z")
> [@AnaMen](#):
>
> It sounds (from her version anyway) like she knew her audience and both enjoyed the prank.
Where’d you get that? “He was upset and tearful, asking what he had done, how he could put it right, who was the other man etc” Those types of things are where you know it’s gone too far. Heck, I’d have probably linked [this article](http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150130-the-man-who-studies-evil) and unfriended her.
It’s completely different from any joke I’ve defended, including **Idle Thoughts** ’ joke. There’s nothing hurtful about them, even if you did happen to think they were true. The only thing you have to worry about are people who get offended at the mere idea that they have been fooled–probably people you couldn’t throw a surprise party for, either.
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### Author:  [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2015, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-this-april-fools-joke/717053/10 "2015-04-07T19:24:11Z")
I would react very badly to that, and Mrs. Enginerd would have an even worse reaction. On the other hand, we both know that ahead of time and can plan our April Fools hijinks accordingly. Horrible smells in the kitchen are ok, emotional torture isn’t.
I hope your acquaintance was more considerate than it sounds like she was.
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### Author:  [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2015, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-this-april-fools-joke/717053/11 "2015-04-07T19:25:13Z")
Holy shit. What a bitch! I’d be questioning the marriage.
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### Author:  [@oft\_wears\_hats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oft_wears_hats)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2015, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-this-april-fools-joke/717053/12 "2015-04-07T19:25:34Z")
If I was pranked like that, **and** my SO thought it was hilarious that I was brought to tears over it, I would seriously start reevaluating our relationship. It’s one thing if she was just planning on a quick “gotcha!” and didn’t expect such a strong reaction from me, and felt bad that she had upset me so much. But if I broke down crying and she thought that was funny, that’s quite another.
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### Author:  [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2015, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-this-april-fools-joke/717053/13 "2015-04-07T19:31:08Z")
That wasn’t a “prank.” That was just dressed up bullshit. And while I wouldn’t head straight out the door and file, I’d make damn certain that my spouse knew there’d be no next time. What a complete idiot.
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### Author:  [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2015, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-this-april-fools-joke/717053/14 "2015-04-07T19:32:08Z")
A basic rule of pranks is that they should be bizarre. Pranking someone by making them think there’s a ghost girl in the darkened elevator? Cool. Pranking someone by making them think someone is having a heart attack in the elevator? Not cool.
An optional rule of pranks is that they should elicit wonder, confusion, and delight, rather than fear, sadness, or anger. It’s better to prank someone by making them think that spaghetti grows on trees than to prank someone by toilet-papering their car.
This prank fails on both counts. All it says is, “Ha ha, you trusted me, you idiot!” It calls on a wholly plausible fear people have, and it does nothing except make the person sad.
It’s not clever, it’s not funny. This person’s defense of “where’s your sense of humor” is obnoxious. I love a good prank, and that ain’t it.
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### Author:  [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2015, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-this-april-fools-joke/717053/15 "2015-04-07T19:33:06Z")
Thanks for the answers everyone, the people she told it to today had pretty much the same reaction as the people here, but she got all defensive and couldn’t understand why we didn’t think it was funny. :eek:
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### Author:  [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2015, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-this-april-fools-joke/717053/16 "2015-04-07T19:33:21Z")
That is pretty cruel. And obviously the guy didn’t enjoy it or he wouldn’t have cried.
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### Author:  [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2015, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-this-april-fools-joke/717053/17 "2015-04-07T19:41:08Z")
> [@oft\_wears\_hats](#):
>
> If I was pranked like that, **and** my SO thought it was hilarious that I was brought to tears over it, I would seriously start reevaluating our relationship. It’s one thing if she was just planning on a quick “gotcha!” and didn’t expect such a strong reaction from me, and felt bad that she had upset me so much. But if I broke down crying and she thought that was funny, that’s quite another.
This is me too. I’d be upset about the “prank”, and would have a discussion about what pranks are. They aren’t just lies that could plausibly be true.
But if I was so upset that I was crying, and my SO was laughing at that, and telling other people about the hilarious prank he pulled, I would be seriously questioning the relationship.
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### Author:  [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2015, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-this-april-fools-joke/717053/18 "2015-04-07T19:44:06Z")
I wouldn’t react well to this at all. I don’t think April Fool’s should be used as hoaxes for death, serious injury, divorce/breakup, etc. Too serious.
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### Author:  [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2015, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-this-april-fools-joke/717053/19 "2015-04-07T19:50:01Z")
> [@Disposable Hero](#):
>
> Thanks for the answers everyone, the people she told it to today had pretty much the same reaction as the people here, but she got all defensive and couldn’t understand why we didn’t think it was funny. :eek:
Why would it be funny? Where’s the humor–that her husband trusts her? Ha, ha! Good one!
It’s the prank equivalent of a knock-knock joke told by a five-year-old, if the knock-knock joke ended with the kid punching you in the nads.
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### Author:  [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)
#### Post date: [April 7, 2015, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-react-to-this-april-fools-joke/717053/20 "2015-04-07T19:54:27Z")
Next year she can get someone to call him posing as the police and tell him one of their kids was killed in a car wreck. Have him to come to the morgue to identify the body and then have everyone act confused when they bring out one body after another and none of them match. Classic! She can laugh and laugh over that one for years.
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