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April Fool’s Day and Consent
I hate April Fool’s Day. It’s rare that the pranks are funny, a lot of the time they are cringeworthy. Many depend on fooling people and thus laughing at, not with them.
I do like some of the joke news stories, but it sucks to have a day when I can’t believe anything I hear.
I’ve mused for a while on just why I hate this “holiday” so much, when I find pranks like the time one set of my friends house sat for another and left plastic horse heads all over the house hilarious.
And I finally think I have nailed it.
I Didn’t Consent to April Fool’s Day
A good prank, or a good roast for that matter, is to some degree consensual. My friends knew that their friends would find plastic horse heads funny. It didn’t hurt anyone. It was well thought out.
The problem is that April Fool’s Day has become the day of mass produced pranks.
Do you find the idea of Ryan Reynolds playing goal for Wrexham funny? Maybe, maybe not, although at least that one’s obviously a joke.
The problem with commercial April Fools’ jokes is they aren’t personalized, and there is little more annoying that humor you don’t find funny. But you’re expected to, if not laugh along, at least…acknowledge it.