Embracing the lighthearted fun of April Fool’s Day can offer enjoyment to everyone. However, it’s a very slippery slope. Humor at the expense of another person is not okay. Expense can come in many forms: embarrassment, humiliation, stress, hurt, and even grief or rage.
Before anybody can properly pull an April Fool’s prank, they would do well to imagine the feeling it will elicit in the other person. If it’s not a pleasant, lighthearted chuckle or smile, the prank is better left alone.
In fact, the best forms of humor may well be completely harmless puns. They hurt no one – just a simple play on words. We are all incredibly vulnerable creatures.
WELL SAID!
I think this is a very important blog – not just for April Fool’s Day, but year round. I’ve seen many “good” and “bad” pranks. I qualify “bad” as “at the expense” of another.
I’m looking forward to what Google comes up with this year. They’re always well developed and hilarious. Last year, one of them was “Google Fiber Dial-up Mode”. The description was “Google is pioneering the slow internet movement with 56k speeds to help you get back to real life more often”.
Here’s to a funny and light-hearted April Fool’s Day!
Year-before-last, Google unveiled their new “smell” feature…
My family formed a pranking tradition around one hideous Christmas ornament we had. (Not sure if it was a snowman or a bear, but it could clip on to things.) It started when one of us surreptitiously clipped “Clip-bert” on someone else’s back so he wouldn’t disgrace the Christmas tree. As each person discovered him, they hid him on someone else. Soon we all were watching our backs, so we started hiding him in random places around the house. If you found him, within 24 hours, you had to hide him somewhere else, and pull a harmless prank. This kept us entertained for quite a while!
A good reminder!
I love the wisdom embedded in this.
Its not just about April Fools pranks.
I think it applies to all humor.
Humor is really a gift, as long as it does not acquire a sharp cutting edge.
Joy Anna’s comment reminds me of the little elf doll we move around the house. He seems to magically appear here or there but we never admit to being the one who moved him. It mystified they kids when they were little… still has an enchanting feel even though we all know better.
fun…
Thank you!
So true…
When I was a child often times I would stay at my grandparents house. My favorite prank on April fools day was to wake up really early (hard to believe), and go dial their phone number into the phone. Then I’d run to the other room as it rang trying not to laugh as they got up to answer it. Good memories.
Orin,
Very sweet. A wonderful childhood memory.
I remember my dad telling us as kids that teasing should make a person feel loved and accepted, not hurt or humiliated . . . . that you only tease a person on their strengths . . .