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April Fool's Day ("practical jokes"/pranks)

Has everybody had a say, about April Fool's jokes/pranks?
Or as they say in meetings, are there any additions or corrections? LOL
 
There were some odd ones where I grew up, you made red paper fish and stuck them on people's backs and shouted Poisson d'avril! Which I'm certain you know means April fish(?) Everyone would laugh and do the same thing. http://www.frenchmoments.eu/april-fools-day-traditions-in-france-le-1er-avril/

Most april fools jokes I've played on my spouse have been harmless, as are the ones he's played on me, things such as varnishing a bar of soap so that it can't be used.

In general the fools jokes that I see online appear to be rather cruel and unsafe. More of a indicator for me of someone making someone else look foolish or silly or stupid as a kind of revenge. There is a kind of cruelty to them as each person escalates the surprise of them.
 
Mia said:
There were some odd ones where I grew up, you made red paper fish and stuck them on people's backs and shouted Poisson d'avril! Which I'm certain you know means April fish(?) Everyone would laugh and do the same thing. http://www.frenchmoments.eu/april-fools-day-traditions-in-france-le-1er-avril/
Click to expand...

http://www.handmadecharlotte.com/traditional-french-april-fools-fish-game/
Directions for how to make a paper fish.

http://www.athomeintuscany.org/2010/04/01/pesce-daprile/
They do the fish thing in Italy, too.
The link above relates April Fool's Day to older traditions. [see below]
http://www.athomeintuscany.org/2010/03/25/capodanno-pisano/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proserpina#Myth_of_a_Springtime
 
I notice how people keep pulling the same dumb prank saying I like despite that I tell them I hate it... Neurotypical Logic!
 
I enjoy the idea of doing something that harkens back to a previous century and has it roots in the changing of the seasons. When I skipped as a child, we sang songs that our mother's taught us:

Sur le Pont d'Avignon
On y danse, On y danse
Sur le Pont d'Avignon
On y danse tous en rond

Like the idea that I learned songs from another century through an oral tradition, in the same way as I did poisson d'avril.
 
On the Bridge of Avignon
We will dance there,we will dance there
On the bridge of Avignon
We will dance there in a ring :)
 
I have a sense of humor, as many on here can attest to. However, I'm not a fan of practical jokes when they come at the expense of others, especially me. Over the years I have been the victim of practical jokes where I was left standing wondering "Why?' while everyone else was standing around laughing; and if I didn't laugh at myself they'd ridicule me for not having a sense of humor. In most cases I find practical jokes to be cruel. For example, not long ago one of the campus police officers was parked in front of the carpenter shop at work. Our supervisor said, "They need to talk to you." When I went over to find out what they wanted, everyone broke out in laughter. I just looked at them wondering why they thought that was funny; what sort of pleasure did they derive from that?
 
I am not big on April Fools, but don't mind safe practical jokes.* When my wife was pregnant with our first baby, we set up a nursery, as expected. Frequently, I set up small teddy bears on the edge of the nursery door so they would fall on her when she went in. She thought it was funny and we had a good laugh, but neither of us would consider pranks that were dangerous or potentially damaging. Teasing is a form of affection in our family.

*Snakes-in-a-can and whoopee cushions are great examples. Most water gags can damage electronics, like cell phones (not to mention the risk posed by a falling bucket), but ping pong balls (or the more messy confetti) might be workable options.
 
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I do have a sense of humor, and I don't mind pranks as long as they're not used to harm others. I have seen pranks where people push each other down the stairs, this one guy put a candle flame near his room-mate's foot... Those are not ok. I don't think people need to be cruel to come across as funny.
 
I only like harmless pranks like the aforementioned one with the Teddy bears, or something like when I was expecting my eldest and as a joke my husband put the c/o name on the order as 'James Fraudster' and we were rolling round with laughter when it actually came to us with James Fraudster in big letters. Also when my husband kept calling his brother and asking for Derek, his brother didn't realise it was him at all. So that was amusing (husband apologised afterwards and his brother found it funny too). I have been a victim of violent and threatening 'pranks' like being pushed down the stairs, threatened with an improvised blow torch, and had snowballs with glass and stones in them thrown at my face-that is just violent vile bullying and pathetic. There was also a time when at school, everyone kept telling this fake joke and laughing at it around me, because they figured out sometimes I don't get jokes. The fake joke was

'A man walks into a butchers shop and asks for two pounds of lamb, the butcher replies 'sorry we've only got beef'. The man says 'don't worry, my bikes outside'.'

I remember it word for word. Eventually one of my 'friends' took pity on me and explained that it was a fake joke designed to trip up those who don't really get jokes. I replied that was illogical and pointless to tell a fake joke and a waste of everyone's time.
 
Done with people you know well, and if you know who they are and what they are like, all their intricacies, and not overdoing it, then I'm okay with it. If I don't know you, then don't do it at all. I like it most when people get what they deserve.

For instance, I have a friendish acquaintance who gets too lazy and always wants to stick to the same routine even though he has enjoyed getting out and trying some different things. A good prank for this person would've been to celebrate his "birthday" at a restaurant nearby. I don't know when his birthday is, but I know it's not that day. No harm done, and someone I know well enough.
 
Now, I LOVE messing with folks. And I love Batman; ESPECIALLY a little somethin-somethin known as The Killing Joke. With April 1st around the corner...THIS came to me. I want your opinion. Illegal or no? Good idea or bad idea?:

  • The "Barbara Gordon": First, find a willing, female friend. One who won't flinch at being asked to pose nude or in her underwear. Also make sure she's good at playing dead. THEN you work make-up magic to simulate bullet holes, as well as add the (fake) blood. Call your victim and exclaim, in a panicky voice, that something happened or they need to come over ASAP.
Ya know...Reading it now, it DOES sound kinda cruel. And I don't REALLY wanna do this in real life. Just wanted to get it out there.
 
This is the end of March.
Tomorrow will be the first of April.

So many new members in the past year.
I wonder if any of them plan to do pranks.
And how many of them despise or are bored by
that activity.

Somebody suggested that there be Surprise Chat Bans for a prank.
Not me. I didn't suggest that.
 
Practical jokes alone are not illegal. It's what can go wrong that potentially turns them into a criminal or civil matter. Namely unintended bodily injury or emotional/psychological trauma, and/or property damage.
 
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It's a terrible idea, but you know that. I can certainly relate, though. My cousin and sister and I used to discuss what we could stuff in some clothes and toss out the window of the hospital just as a car was going by. We were looking for a good blood and guts sort of splatter. Anyhoo, we were kids, bored in the waiting room more often than is good, and had a similar sense of humor. And we knew better than actually do it, besides, the windows didn't even open. :rolleyes:
 
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