April Fool's circle jerk April 1, 2002 12:08 PM Subscribe
April Fool's circle jerk. I know that you know, but do you know that I know?
yes I no.
posted by crunchland at 2:39 PM on April 1, 2002
posted by crunchland at 2:39 PM on April 1, 2002
* cries *
posted by baby_jessamyn at 8:52 PM on April 1, 2002
posted by baby_jessamyn at 8:52 PM on April 1, 2002
Now look at what you've done!
posted by MiguelCardoso at 8:58 PM on April 1, 2002
posted by MiguelCardoso at 8:58 PM on April 1, 2002
It's probably a UK thing. There are too many specific references for international readers.
posted by salmacis at 4:37 AM on April 2, 2002
posted by salmacis at 4:37 AM on April 2, 2002
Yeah, us bothersome international readers ruining it for everybody, as usual. When I studied in England I was considered "overseas", "continental" and, best of all, on my little green permit a "resident alien". You guys sure know how to make a guy feel welcome. Specially your oldest feckin' ally. Chip on my shoulder? You bet.
So could someone please explain to us parochial, uncosmopolitan lumpen what this is all about? It's not a take on the Fast Show's "you haven't seen me" is it? :)
posted by MiguelCardoso at 8:21 AM on April 2, 2002
So could someone please explain to us parochial, uncosmopolitan lumpen what this is all about? It's not a take on the Fast Show's "you haven't seen me" is it? :)
posted by MiguelCardoso at 8:21 AM on April 2, 2002
It's nothing. It's less than nothing. I just thought it was weird that somebody posted a fake article about a fake person, and then the thread filled up with people pretending it was real, even though at the time I posted to metaTalk, there was nobody there fooled by it, so for whose benefit was the whole frigging thing? Each others'? It was meta-stoopid. So I'm coming out. Fake story, fake comments. I knew. I propagated it.
But I did tip my hand secretly within my comment. Go find it, kids!
unless everybody in metatalk also knows it's fake, and they're still not letting on
*wipes skull bits/brain tissue off monitor*
posted by luser at 8:36 AM on April 2, 2002
But I did tip my hand secretly within my comment. Go find it, kids!
unless everybody in metatalk also knows it's fake, and they're still not letting on
*wipes skull bits/brain tissue off monitor*
posted by luser at 8:36 AM on April 2, 2002
Ha.
Stoopid.
*resumes getting drunk on the big bowl of plain Hi-C which he is convinced has vodka in it*
posted by dong_resin at 9:18 AM on April 2, 2002
Stoopid.
*resumes getting drunk on the big bowl of plain Hi-C which he is convinced has vodka in it*
posted by dong_resin at 9:18 AM on April 2, 2002
1: 'The Guardian' runs a fake interview with a fake (but judging by the photo, no less attractive) person which is a parody of their own Monday interviews with similar persons (think Elizabeth Wurtzel) who have such and such a project out.
2: Post said article to Metafilter in the style of a typical heartfelt post about such things (propogated no less by myself and others). Pretend the person really exists and hoping that the article is well enough written for everone to be in on the joke. Throw some off the scent by including a link inside to something found on a Google search, hoping that people know me well enough that I couldn't be in that place at that time listening to that concert.
3: See if other Mefiers would stay in with the joke and pretend that they know of their work to continue things in the manner of the normal thread, even though everything in their is entirely fictional, hoping that no one could believe that any of it is true.
4: Sit back, relax, enjoy, marvel at other Mefier's inventiveness and ability to fish out a hoax.
5: Amazement that some think it's real. Wonder if it's been too cruel. Shock at seeing that someone has posted a metalk thread about something *I've* posted (a first I think).
To be honest I didn't think this would run like this -- I just thought that since it was April Fool's Day it would be fun to post an April Fool and carry on with the joke.
It certain opens up the debate about how a global culture reacts to localised hoaxes. For example, a local newspaper in Texas could publish an April Fool on their website and written well, there is the possibility that globally we could all take it as truth. This interview is an example of that, with people from the US and elsewhere assuming, that all the British references are correct and by turns that the interview is truth not fabrication. This assumption being continued because of it's appearance at 'The Guardian' website which has some integrity. Sorry guys, 'The Guardian' has always been trickster. Just before Diana's death they published a spot-on comment which was poported to be by her. The other media assumed it was an ran with the story as though it was a scoop ...
posted by feelinglistless at 9:49 AM on April 2, 2002
2: Post said article to Metafilter in the style of a typical heartfelt post about such things (propogated no less by myself and others). Pretend the person really exists and hoping that the article is well enough written for everone to be in on the joke. Throw some off the scent by including a link inside to something found on a Google search, hoping that people know me well enough that I couldn't be in that place at that time listening to that concert.
3: See if other Mefiers would stay in with the joke and pretend that they know of their work to continue things in the manner of the normal thread, even though everything in their is entirely fictional, hoping that no one could believe that any of it is true.
4: Sit back, relax, enjoy, marvel at other Mefier's inventiveness and ability to fish out a hoax.
5: Amazement that some think it's real. Wonder if it's been too cruel. Shock at seeing that someone has posted a metalk thread about something *I've* posted (a first I think).
To be honest I didn't think this would run like this -- I just thought that since it was April Fool's Day it would be fun to post an April Fool and carry on with the joke.
It certain opens up the debate about how a global culture reacts to localised hoaxes. For example, a local newspaper in Texas could publish an April Fool on their website and written well, there is the possibility that globally we could all take it as truth. This interview is an example of that, with people from the US and elsewhere assuming, that all the British references are correct and by turns that the interview is truth not fabrication. This assumption being continued because of it's appearance at 'The Guardian' website which has some integrity. Sorry guys, 'The Guardian' has always been trickster. Just before Diana's death they published a spot-on comment which was poported to be by her. The other media assumed it was an ran with the story as though it was a scoop ...
posted by feelinglistless at 9:49 AM on April 2, 2002
Don't sweat it, luser, I think almost everyone knew it was a fake. I was amazed by how everyone played along in the thread. When I first saw the post, my very first thought was "Who the hell is Harmony Cousins??" and then I read the posts and I was too embarrassed to post my first thought, which, for people with really short memories, was "Who the hell is Harmony Cousins??" so I googled the name, and of course, Harmony Cousins never existed until the Guardian article. Those wacky brits ;)
(I think I may have exceeded my daily comma quota with this comment)
posted by iconomy at 9:50 AM on April 2, 2002
(I think I may have exceeded my daily comma quota with this comment)
posted by iconomy at 9:50 AM on April 2, 2002
well, i can always justify my existence on this planet as a professional butt of jokes.
The pay could be a little better, though.
posted by bunnyfire at 10:20 AM on April 2, 2002
The pay could be a little better, though.
posted by bunnyfire at 10:20 AM on April 2, 2002
Why, iconomy! Stone me if you don't use commas in an utterly Portuguese way! *ducks and resumes* There's not a comma too many. Although if you're planning on becoming perfectly Lusitanian, there would be a full stop after Luser; no comma after "saw the post"; a full stop after both instances of "Harmony Cousins??" and, to achieve absolute glory, the last sentence would read: "So I googled the name and, of course, Harmony Cousins...etc."
[This message brought to you by Irrelevancy International Trivia Consultants, Inc.].
posted by MiguelCardoso at 10:26 AM on April 2, 2002
[This message brought to you by Irrelevancy International Trivia Consultants, Inc.].
posted by MiguelCardoso at 10:26 AM on April 2, 2002
bunnyfire, I think you were overpranked to the point of shame on the part of the pranksters. What was it, like 15-3 innies vs. outies? Not only is that not sporting it's near pathetic. Don't feel too bad.
posted by luser at 11:28 AM on April 2, 2002
posted by luser at 11:28 AM on April 2, 2002
Oh and sorry that I made baby_jessamyn cry...
posted by feelinglistless at 11:33 AM on April 2, 2002
posted by feelinglistless at 11:33 AM on April 2, 2002
Look I genuinely thought everyone was in on the joke ... and was marvelling at the ingenuity ...
posted by feelinglistless at 12:25 PM on April 2, 2002
posted by feelinglistless at 12:25 PM on April 2, 2002
At the time I made my comment, I really didn't know whether the article was genuine or not, but, what the hell, I was awash in the holiday spirit and commented anyway. (Was that enough commas?).
Now 'fess up: did anybody really buy into my story about the 'unfortunate grouse incident'?
posted by groundhog at 9:05 AM on April 3, 2002
Now 'fess up: did anybody really buy into my story about the 'unfortunate grouse incident'?
posted by groundhog at 9:05 AM on April 3, 2002
I thought it was a joke when I read the article, but when I read the thread I thought it was serious, and didn't realize that the thread was part of the joke until just now, when I finally read this thread. So...ha ha I guess. How tricky. Next thing you know, some of those mean older kids will be dropping ice cubes down the backs of our shirts.
posted by bingo at 11:19 AM on April 3, 2002
posted by bingo at 11:19 AM on April 3, 2002
I have to cop to this - I tried to create a MeFi username HarmonyCousins to post to this thread but the secret registration backdoor is shut. How funny would that have been though!!!!! Har.
posted by luser at 12:12 PM on April 3, 2002
posted by luser at 12:12 PM on April 3, 2002
I found that out the hard way as well, luser, when I wanted to create "baby lucifer" so I could giggle when certain other deity/members bawled.
Ah, well.
posted by dong_resin at 1:12 PM on April 3, 2002
Ah, well.
posted by dong_resin at 1:12 PM on April 3, 2002
Wait... were you being sincere just then? Crap.
posted by dong_resin at 1:44 PM on April 3, 2002
posted by dong_resin at 1:44 PM on April 3, 2002
before i googled the name [hard to pick a name that doesn't bring up a single real person, that was impressive] i saw the name in the article...Gregory McEwan, which was just too close to Ewan McGregor to be real. I then saw it as a parody of celebrity interviews in general.
posted by th3ph17 at 2:27 PM on April 3, 2002
posted by th3ph17 at 2:27 PM on April 3, 2002
Hey, wha - the secret registration back door is closed?!?
*runs, checks*
*looks around all paranoid and worried*
*hides, shuts the fuck up*
posted by yhbc at 6:59 PM on April 3, 2002
*runs, checks*
*looks around all paranoid and worried*
*hides, shuts the fuck up*
posted by yhbc at 6:59 PM on April 3, 2002
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posted by jessamyn at 1:08 PM on April 1, 2002