Whoa.

March 31, 2014 9:30 PM

You guys totally got me. So embarrassing!

It would have taken me longer except I noticed the date and I know Metafilter is usually in my time zone.

That was scary.

posted by bluedaisy to MetaFilter-Related at 9:30 PM (286 comments total)

link
posted by mbrubeck at 9:31 PM on March 31, 2014 [5 favorites]

It's still 3/31 here in Hawaii. I was not prepared.
posted by entropyiswinning at 9:32 PM on March 31, 2014 [3 favorites]

It's 9:30pm on March 31 in Portland. Hardly fair and doubly cruel.
posted by bluedaisy at 9:33 PM on March 31, 2014 [7 favorites]

So why was it there, and then all the nutty questions disappeared all of a sudden?
posted by mikeand1 at 9:33 PM on March 31, 2014

Hurray! It's an open beta for Mediafilter!
posted by Monsieur Caution at 9:33 PM on March 31, 2014 [6 favorites]

This metatalk thread confirms that I am not insane! Or at least not insane in one particular way!
posted by Kwine at 9:34 PM on March 31, 2014 [5 favorites]

Sorry western timezoners.

mikeand1, you can get back to it by clicking on the ad with the mirror on the front page of regular-AskMe.

And, just in case I delete anybody's comment over there, we're aiming for answers over there, meta-discussion over here. (So, naming the names happens over here.)
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 9:35 PM on March 31, 2014

Haha, I just sent an email to the mods with a "What the fuck?"
posted by mollymayhem at 9:36 PM on March 31, 2014 [4 favorites]

by clicking on the ad with the mirror on the front page of regular-AskMe.

If you don't see that (I didn't) disable ad blockers for ask.metafilter.com, or go to mbrubeck's link.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:36 PM on March 31, 2014

I FLAGGED IT.

I FLAGGED THE FUCKING ALICE IN WONDERLAND ANSWERS AS NOISE.

I AM SUCH A FUCKING RUBE.
posted by Snarl Furillo at 9:37 PM on March 31, 2014 [192 favorites]

I AM SUCH A FUCKING RUBE.

Dude, that answer from me in that thread... Was when I was modding in the early morning a few days ago and forgot that we were doing this and was like "Who is this dingbat?!" Truly.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:37 PM on March 31, 2014 [137 favorites]

Snarl Furillo, you will be glad to know that several of us got roped in by fake questions in the last week or so, by tabbing over to the work-in-progress page, even though we were working on fake questions.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 9:38 PM on March 31, 2014 [66 favorites]

And that is why we preview.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 9:39 PM on March 31, 2014 [5 favorites]

Honestly thought I was insane for about two minutes.
posted by stray at 9:39 PM on March 31, 2014 [8 favorites]

Um, I was filling out the contact form to say "way too many questions on the AskMe site have zero answers, is something on the backend broken?" Ya got me, Mod Squad. Ya got me.
posted by Charity Garfein at 9:41 PM on March 31, 2014 [3 favorites]

Omg those ask me's were so funny I laughed outloud.
posted by littlesq at 9:43 PM on March 31, 2014 [2 favorites]

I FLAGGED THE FUCKING ALICE IN WONDERLAND ANSWERS AS NOISE.

There are answers? Every thread I look at on the page says it has answers, but when I click through, there aren't any.
posted by ocherdraco at 9:43 PM on March 31, 2014

(It's okay if there aren't any, it's just that if there are, I want to enjoy ALL the jokes!
posted by ocherdraco at 9:44 PM on March 31, 2014

Yeah, you can leave comments. Please do but save "spoilers" for here.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:45 PM on March 31, 2014

Hmm... no comments or comment forms visible for me.
posted by ocherdraco at 9:47 PM on March 31, 2014

Are you logged in? Do you see the one comment on this post? Maybe a weird Greasemonkey thing?
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:48 PM on March 31, 2014

what browser are you using ocherdraco?
posted by pb (staff) at 9:48 PM on March 31, 2014

Oh no, is this a spoiler thread here? You can delete it, though would someone else start another?
posted by bluedaisy at 9:49 PM on March 31, 2014

No, you did just right with the cryptic above-the-fold. This is good, people can talk about it here.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 9:50 PM on March 31, 2014 [1 favorite]

No worries, bluedaisy. It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a Metafilter in possession of an April Fool's prank must be in want of a metatalk thread.
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:51 PM on March 31, 2014 [47 favorites]

I'm in Chrome (Version 33.0.1750.152 if it matters) and I'm logged in. Screenshot.
posted by ocherdraco at 9:51 PM on March 31, 2014

Lemme check to see if I've got any extensions that might be screwing with things.
posted by ocherdraco at 9:52 PM on March 31, 2014

Haha, good to know I'm not the only one to be tricked! I love them all, Iorek Byrnison is my favorite!
posted by Snarl Furillo at 9:52 PM on March 31, 2014 [2 favorites]

I completely forgot what day it was...and just thought I was in some weird Metafilter loop. I felt a little crazy but also I thought maybe this is the real Metafilter and I've finally found it?
posted by W.S (disambiguation) at 9:53 PM on March 31, 2014 [7 favorites]

I did have a little to drink this evening to ward off the dreadful weather, but I can't seem to find my way back to that wonderful place.
posted by the Real Dan at 9:55 PM on March 31, 2014

Oh my God, I had no idea what was happening. HA.
posted by Aquifer at 9:56 PM on March 31, 2014

Aw, this is why I shouldn't read MeTa first :(
posted by batmonkey at 9:56 PM on March 31, 2014 [8 favorites]

Iorek Byrnison is my favorite!

Totally wanted to end it "i am a bear"
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 9:58 PM on March 31, 2014 [5 favorites]

Found it! (And, honestly, I should have remembered I'd installed this.) It was this comment blocking extension which generally serves to save my sanity on the greater interwebs. Since the joke site is a subdomain, the extension treated it as a new site, thereby bypassing the whitelist I had made that included metafilter.

Sorry for the confusion!
posted by ocherdraco at 10:00 PM on March 31, 2014

I'm high right now and this thread has confused me thoroughly

It's a fake AskMe page with funny questions but real answerers? or all the people knew and were participating together? It seemed sort of like the questions were real but fake
posted by threeants at 10:00 PM on March 31, 2014 [9 favorites]

It's not midnight pacific! You are all tricksy and I am blushing because I flagged something.

April Fools day is the worst day.
posted by dotgirl at 10:01 PM on March 31, 2014 [1 favorite]

LOL swallowed a puzzle piece!

wait is that someone's real problem?

sorry
posted by threeants at 10:01 PM on March 31, 2014 [1 favorite]

Ok this is brilliant. The username here finally killed me.
posted by Dr Dracator at 10:02 PM on March 31, 2014 [3 favorites]

I am blushing because I flagged something.

It's actually genuinely comforting to see the system working even when it doesn't need to.
posted by cortex (staff) at 10:04 PM on March 31, 2014 [13 favorites]

wait, why is tigerbait's question funny, I am really concerned about her situation
posted by threeants at 10:04 PM on March 31, 2014 [1 favorite]

I mean if she were real. which she is CLEARLY NOT
posted by threeants at 10:04 PM on March 31, 2014

Haha yeah I flagged a buncha answers and was wondering if I had lost my mind somewhere. Being as it's still March here it never occurred to me!
posted by Sternmeyer at 10:06 PM on March 31, 2014 [2 favorites]

Just chiming in to say I was delighted and had fun puzzling out the references. Go mods!
posted by tautological at 10:07 PM on March 31, 2014 [1 favorite]

This is great, even though many of the references flew past me. Is there a way to bring up your own comments just for this special subsite?
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 10:09 PM on March 31, 2014

Usul420 was the best though.
posted by littlesq at 10:09 PM on March 31, 2014 [2 favorites]

I am flagging answers that are too on-the-nose.
posted by Kwine at 10:11 PM on March 31, 2014 [3 favorites]

If you can figure this question out, the username on the real first comment is a total thing of beauty. I love when things work out like this.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 10:12 PM on March 31, 2014 [20 favorites]

oh I get this thing now
posted by threeants at 10:13 PM on March 31, 2014

Is there a way to bring up your own comments just for this special subsite?

No, they just live in special bizarro world.
posted by pb (staff) at 10:15 PM on March 31, 2014 [3 favorites]

You totally got me as well, I merrily flagged, thinking all the while "What is WRONG with people!?"
posted by smoke at 10:15 PM on March 31, 2014 [1 favorite]

Oh man. Just came across a comment that tried to answer 100% sincerely. The height of satire?
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 10:16 PM on March 31, 2014

You guyyyyyys. At least I only flagged the first one before realizing "this can't be real..."
posted by Justinian at 10:19 PM on March 31, 2014

Also now I realize it's a Jane Eyre reference. D'Oh.
posted by Justinian at 10:24 PM on March 31, 2014 [3 favorites]

I am totally laughing out loud at a lot of these answers. Thanks, MeFites and staff!
posted by not_on_display at 10:27 PM on March 31, 2014 [1 favorite]

It's even better while listening to Coast to Coast on AM radio.
posted by ambient2 at 10:31 PM on March 31, 2014 [3 favorites]

This made my day. Thanks, mods!
posted by lilac girl at 10:32 PM on March 31, 2014

Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell, your "best laid plans" was my favourite answer. Well played, sir.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 10:35 PM on March 31, 2014

Aw shucks, hurdy gurdy girl! Glad that one didn't gang aft a-gley. :)
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 10:39 PM on March 31, 2014 [1 favorite]

I was mightily confused until I got to the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory AskMe and then noticed the url. A very enjoyable April Fools!
posted by spamandkimchi at 10:40 PM on March 31, 2014 [1 favorite]

Somehow, at first, I knew the responses to the "newest" question were taking the piss, but I thought the question itself was real. I have no idea how my brain decided that was the way to interpret things.

Then I figured it out, and really, this was a great one. I really enjoyed adding a few responses in (until I got stumped on a reference.)
posted by davejay at 10:40 PM on March 31, 2014 [2 favorites]

I can't trust the so-called real questions now.
posted by the fish at 10:41 PM on March 31, 2014 [1 favorite]

until I got stumped on a reference

I helped set the whole thing up and I can only identify about half of them without having to use google to search for clues.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 10:42 PM on March 31, 2014 [5 favorites]

Totally taken in by Alice in Wonderland! And I even checked the time and saw it was 11.30 ish so I flagged comments. Obviously missed the banner at the top :( Nice one, the comments I flagged were funny but I couldn't figure out why so many people were being smartalecky...
posted by variella at 10:44 PM on March 31, 2014 [1 favorite]

Would it be un-fun to create a collaborative Google Doc to work up a list of references for each question?
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 10:44 PM on March 31, 2014

Oh, that Lydia. She simply adores balls.
posted by rewil at 10:47 PM on March 31, 2014 [10 favorites]

Hee hee, I dropped a couple of flags too. It is, however, 16.45 on April 1st here, so, uh, yurg me, and well played you.
posted by Wolof at 11:16 PM on March 31, 2014

Yeah, this totally got me too.

But like what happens when the coffee machine breaks, I hit all the buttons until it worked again, mentally filed it in the 'Huh, that was odd!" file, and then continued on with askmefi reading. My lack of curiousity concerns me.
posted by kjs4 at 11:25 PM on March 31, 2014 [1 favorite]

Are we allowed to comment on that subsite? Like, good comments that are in on the joke?
posted by daq at 11:32 PM on March 31, 2014

Yes!
posted by taz (staff) at 11:34 PM on March 31, 2014

Sweet.
posted by daq at 11:34 PM on March 31, 2014

It's funny, because I just quick loaded AskMe in the bedroom while I was hanging out with my cat. I don't love typing on my phone so I wasn't really intending to answer anything, I was just skimming--and absolutely nothing struck me as particularly out of the ordinary, until I got back and saw this and was like, "Aww, this year's cool thing must not be showing up for me." Until I went back and realized that Alice was probably a bit too over-the-top even for AskMe.
posted by Sequence at 11:36 PM on March 31, 2014 [5 favorites]

I thought the first question was a legitimate april fools troll on (the real) ask who hadn't been flagged and deleted yet. I actually told my boyfriend HEY QUICK READ THIS BEFORE IT GETS TAKEN DOWN. *facepalm*
posted by celtalitha at 11:36 PM on March 31, 2014

I've been a Mefite under one guise or another for a long time and I think this is my favorite April Fool's ever, even better than the one that gradually changed the color of the site. You guys knocked it out of the park.
posted by town of cats at 11:37 PM on March 31, 2014 [19 favorites]

Um. I think I am a bit traumatized. Going to go sit in a quiet corner now.
posted by Vaike at 11:47 PM on March 31, 2014 [2 favorites]

Yes, love it! My clue was that I was about to refresh the front page of AskMe just once before heading off to do something. I read one or two quickly, then started to wonder what happened to the list I'd just commented on, so I sorted by human relations and saw there were six total. That was how long it took me to catch on.
posted by salvia at 11:54 PM on March 31, 2014

RIP, you green April 1 impersonator.
posted by artdrectr at 11:57 PM on March 31, 2014

This is brilliant, thanks all!
posted by carter at 12:11 AM on April 1, 2014

I skimmed the questions and started to clue in when I noticed that so many obviously WTF questions (like Mrs Robinson's) only had single digit answers. Normally, those kinds of questions rack up 20+ answers in the first 10-15 minutes.

Loved these. Thanks, mods!
posted by cybercoitus interruptus at 12:21 AM on April 1, 2014

I was thinking, like wow, I can answer THESE QUESTIONS, unlike the regular questions we get. They were like, all linked to my areas of expertise—smartassery.
posted by a humble nudibranch at 12:34 AM on April 1, 2014 [5 favorites]

Hey, I think I've gotten the wiki back up and stable. Would it be cool to put an answer key up there?
posted by Pronoiac at 12:35 AM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

Oh I want these in my recent activity. So. Badly.
posted by iamkimiam at 12:40 AM on April 1, 2014 [6 favorites]

Would it be cool to put an answer key up there?

Sure!
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane (staff) at 12:44 AM on April 1, 2014

Little bit gutted that I saw this thread before the joke, but it's still brilliant. A happy day ahead figuring out references. (At some point soon my boss is going to sue mathowie for loss of productivity.)
posted by billiebee at 1:26 AM on April 1, 2014

I've just realised that bluedaisy is talking about April 1st, rather than being confusingly shocked by the clocks changing. I've been reading this thread saying to myself 'It's no big deal dude, it's just summertime, it happens every year'. I think I need to get some coffee.
posted by Ned G at 1:35 AM on April 1, 2014 [6 favorites]

The idea of GregNogSamsa reading "The Gift of Fear" is just delightful.
posted by dhoe at 1:39 AM on April 1, 2014 [5 favorites]

Okay, there's an (incomplete) answer key over on the wiki.
posted by Pronoiac at 1:50 AM on April 1, 2014 [15 favorites]

I really really love this.
This is definitely my favorite April Fools version of the site.
posted by julen at 2:13 AM on April 1, 2014

I so totally came in here to post a "WTF guys, be kinder to Jane" and I had an academic last week all confused about me telling her about an apology for a meeting from a (real life named) Mr Darcy (but Mike, not Fitzwilliam). doh me!

Anyway, major kudos. Loved it. Total great fantastic, and the answers from the smarter members of the community - you rascals! - also totally awesome. I figured it was a day off for mods, a US holiday that I knew nothing about.
posted by b33j at 2:18 AM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

If you can figure this question out, the username on the real first comment is a total thing of beauty. I love when things work out like this.

Okay I know he's a game developer but did he actually work on Minecraft?
posted by IndigoRain at 2:25 AM on April 1, 2014

The very first comment I saw in there was a fucking Robert Pickton joke, which kinda soured the taste of the whole thing.
posted by avocet at 2:32 AM on April 1, 2014

Also, how long did you guys have meetings where this was the topic? Why aren't the meetings I go to like that?
posted by b33j at 2:44 AM on April 1, 2014

And the one day I didn't look at Ask. Tsk.
posted by solarion at 2:52 AM on April 1, 2014

This is super adorable. Thanks for making this happen!
posted by Sticherbeast at 2:58 AM on April 1, 2014

Loaded Ask, read the first question, got distracted, loaded Ask again and thought I must have been hallucinating after checking if 259590 or 259591 or so would bring the question back....
Good job, folks.
posted by travelwithcats at 3:02 AM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

Okay I know he's a game developer but did he actually work on Minecraft?

Not that I know. It's apt because the username is the narrator-protagonist's password. The question does play on the notion of Microserfs having presaged Minecraft — the game in the novel, Oop!, does bear an uncanny resemblance to the real-life game.

Also, how long did you guys have meetings where this was the topic?

Let's just say that there's a point where Gmail throws up its hands and says "okay, you've been talking for so long, clearly this is a new conversation" (100 messages?) and just starts a new thread. I never noticed this before I started working here — even now it happens rarely, but this was one of those times.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane (staff) at 3:24 AM on April 1, 2014 [14 favorites]

Can't...stop...laughing...
posted by miss tea at 3:24 AM on April 1, 2014

Absolutely amazing! I looked at the profile on the first question so thankfully didn't start flagging!
posted by ellieBOA at 3:24 AM on April 1, 2014

Yeah, at some point we wanted to really write those profiles (would have been tons of fun) but thankfully were able to stop ourselves when we realized April 1st was actually a day in the very near future.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane (staff) at 3:31 AM on April 1, 2014 [14 favorites]

This is the best April Fools' joke I've seen on Metafiter ever, and possibly on the internet ever. I <3 MetaFilter. Thank you, mods!
posted by daisyk at 3:35 AM on April 1, 2014 [3 favorites]

Ha! It took me a little while to twig that something was up! The sheer number of new posts did make me suspicious however :)

Some of these are great. Shall be testing the family with them later.
posted by pharm at 3:37 AM on April 1, 2014

Ooh, I got a mefimail from gingerest with some answers, so we're down to the last four:
* Some theology and geometry, some taste and decency
* Major fashion crisis - help!
* ISO Ivied Walls and Ivory Towers
* Sudden Unemployment - Help!
posted by Pronoiac at 3:49 AM on April 1, 2014

Getting deleted thread: 53

Who is 53, if I may ask?

(Have deleted questions script running)

Also, great url name of the alternate site!

I knew something was up when I read "no real questions and no real answers posted since your last visit" and thought no that can't be right, I haven't checked the site since yesterday afternoon! What are they up to now?
posted by Melismata at 3:55 AM on April 1, 2014

Is ivied walls Bunny in Donna Tartt's Secret History?
posted by Admiral Haddock at 3:56 AM on April 1, 2014 [2 favorites]

Or "Dead Poets Society" ? (Carpe Diem & all that...)
posted by pharm at 3:57 AM on April 1, 2014

Pretty sure it's Bunny. Otherwise my answer's not going to make much sense. :P
posted by daisyk at 4:05 AM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

It's now much harder to read real AskMe seriously...
posted by ellieBOA at 4:10 AM on April 1, 2014 [2 favorites]

53 was a double! Of this one, to be exact. I deleted it, with reason "This is not for you." thinking that was all clever and stuff, but it looks like it was super-deleted at some point, boo. There's another pair that's technically a double but which we decided to keep.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane (staff) at 4:15 AM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

I keep double-checking to make sure this question is actually on the real Ask. I can't believe everyone is like, "yeah, eat it!"
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 4:25 AM on April 1, 2014 [2 favorites]

I can't believe everyone is like, "yeah, eat it!"

Most of us woke up as cockroaches this morning so what do you expect?
posted by Mr. Yuck at 4:28 AM on April 1, 2014 [4 favorites]

Looks like these aren't being indexed. Treaty of Wesphalia here I come.
posted by vapidave at 4:32 AM on April 1, 2014 [3 favorites]

Loved this, but I really wanted fake profiles, especially for folks like 6079 Smith W.
posted by anotherpanacea at 4:36 AM on April 1, 2014

And yes, I nearly bit but was credulous.
posted by vapidave at 4:39 AM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

Surely 'Sudden Unemployment - Help!' is Fantine from Les Misérables.
posted by zamboni at 4:43 AM on April 1, 2014 [6 favorites]

* Some theology and geometry, some taste and decency

Confederacy of Dunces?
posted by Sticherbeast at 5:05 AM on April 1, 2014 [2 favorites]

Don't feel too bad, Snarl. I read the Call me Al post in the wee hours of the morn, and while I eventually caught on to the joke, I didn't realize what day it was. "What the hell? This is like a ten page Alice in Wonderland joke. Doesn't this violate the – Ohhhhhhhhhhh... riiiiiight."
posted by deathpanels at 5:10 AM on April 1, 2014 [2 favorites]

I feel like I am seriously not smart enough for this April Fool's Joke. It's all flying right over my head.

I am glad everyone else is having fun with it though!
posted by royalsong at 5:22 AM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

Oh my god I flagged that north by northwest question and was so angry! What is this drunken noise I thought as I waxed full wrothful.

Then I noticed the URL and thought what the hell has the site been hacked?

Then I remembered today is the maddest merriest day of all the year and I'm the queen of the mugs, mother. Hurrah for April first!
posted by winna at 5:22 AM on April 1, 2014 [4 favorites]

YOU BASTARDS! April Fools has been over for 11 hours and 21 minutes in Australia, and I sent a gushing email telling the mod on duty that they were doing a great job weeding out the fruit loops!

And then I had to send another email saying, "er, don't mind me", when I found this thread.

That's it. I've had enough. You've been doing this to me ALL MY... last 3 minutes.

I'm pouring a massive glass of wine and going to bed to read The Shining.
posted by malibustacey9999 at 5:24 AM on April 1, 2014 [10 favorites]

ISO Ivied Walls and Ivory Towers is definitely A Secret History.

Lovely work, mods. Thanks for the fun. :)
posted by sockermom at 5:30 AM on April 1, 2014

I was just coming here to start a MeTa about how mean and snarky everyone was being to that poor woman who was dating her boss.
posted by 4ster at 5:35 AM on April 1, 2014 [8 favorites]

I went into this from mbrubeck's link, so I knew it was a joke. But it took me about 5 questions to get that these were media references. Up until that point, I thought the mods were just, like, doing us. As in, just straight up making fun of the most annoying questions they see posted to AskMe.

Hey, look at me, I'm Ask Metafilter, "Should I cheat on my husband with his best friend who has a drinking problem and a history of violence, or focus on kicking my crystal meth addiction before pursuing any new romantic relationships?" That's totally what you jerks sound like.
posted by 256 at 5:36 AM on April 1, 2014 [16 favorites]

Last night I was microseconds away from contacting the mods to complain about some jokesters infesting AskMe when all the comments disappeared. Then I was milliseconds away from making a Metatalk post when I saw the April Fools banner. Thanks for the 10-second mind trip, mods!
posted by muddgirl at 5:37 AM on April 1, 2014

Yes, I came very close to being Serious and Helpful Answering Person in one last night and then I remembered what day it was about to be. This is excellent - thanks!
posted by rtha at 5:42 AM on April 1, 2014

man that is a lot of creative effort involved in a very cool prank
well done
posted by angrycat at 5:43 AM on April 1, 2014 [5 favorites]

Metafilter: they were doing a great job weeding out the fruit loops!

(It took me years, YEARS, to notice that the cereal is spelled differently!!)
posted by Melismata at 5:46 AM on April 1, 2014 [4 favorites]

Well, I was in the middle of rather ordinary Portland-style ask.mefi wandering when I came to the next question which referenced shitting silk and I was all...wha? That's...not good. Someone is seriously off their meds. Glancing around, I figured something was up and I decided right then and there that I ought to just go to bed and hope things were sorted in the morning.
posted by amanda at 5:47 AM on April 1, 2014 [3 favorites]

Now I don't even know how I got onto the prank, because I can't get back to it. I swear it didn't have a banner for April Fool on mobile?

I'm blaming my jet lag.
posted by winna at 5:47 AM on April 1, 2014

Major fashion crisis - help!
is the last unidentified book in the answer key. Any ideas, folks?
posted by zamboni at 5:48 AM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

Basically a random guess, but is it Starship Troopers?
posted by ocherdraco at 5:51 AM on April 1, 2014

First post I saw was the one posted by iamcuriousg, and I flagged it, wondering why the hell no one else had.

Second post I saw was the one by D. P. Roberts IV. I had a couple of graphs written commiserating that he should DTMFA before realizing.

The Princess Bride is literally one of my favorite movies, I've probably seen it like a hundred times... and I MISSED LIKE FIVE OR TEN references to the bloody thing.

YOU ARE ALL NOT VERY SPORTSMANLIKE

*grumps*



Okay, it was a great joke. Pbpbpbpppbpbptht!
posted by zarq at 5:53 AM on April 1, 2014 [3 favorites]

I can't tell real from fake any more. Everything is spinning!
posted by Think_Long at 5:54 AM on April 1, 2014

This is marvelous.
posted by gladly at 5:57 AM on April 1, 2014

Best. April 1. Ever.
posted by FelliniBlank at 5:58 AM on April 1, 2014

Ugh, it took me all the way to the Shining question to get it. Sheesh. I R dum.
posted by chainsofreedom at 6:03 AM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

Part of me thinks Major fashion crisis is about Metroid and wants to make a comment assuming the asker is male but I don't know the video game well enough to know if I'm right.
posted by mountmccabe at 6:06 AM on April 1, 2014

I adored this.
posted by gadge emeritus at 6:17 AM on April 1, 2014

I just want to point out how Elsa absolutely nailed her answer to this question. Well played.
posted by Rock Steady at 6:22 AM on April 1, 2014 [4 favorites]

At first, I didn't really pay attention to the questions, because I was completely thrown by the wardrobe banner at the top. I was thinking "Hey, I thought I'd turned off ads! Wait, why is there an ad for AskMe on the AskMe page?" And then I looked at the actual questions.

"no real questions and no real answers posted since your last visit" is a nice touch.
posted by Metroid Baby at 6:24 AM on April 1, 2014 [3 favorites]

What does it say about me that I thought the Wind in the Willows one was a reference to J.G. Balkard's Crash before reading the comments?
posted by Diablevert at 6:24 AM on April 1, 2014 [3 favorites]

Laughing so hard at this - what a great way to start my morning!
posted by leslies at 6:27 AM on April 1, 2014

256: " Hey, look at me, I'm Ask Metafilter, "Should I cheat on my husband with his best friend who has a drinking problem and a history of violence, or focus on kicking my crystal meth addiction before pursuing any new romantic relationships?" That's totally what you jerks sound like."

Nah.
posted by zarq at 6:28 AM on April 1, 2014

256, if you want a really, really mean April Fool's Day prank, there's always: Breaking: Netflix to Relaunch FIREFLY


Those people are going to the special hell.
posted by zarq at 6:32 AM on April 1, 2014 [11 favorites]

I think fashion might be WoW. I thought the username might mean a shooter, but Urban Dictionary has some appropriate associations.
posted by Sequence at 6:33 AM on April 1, 2014

That said, I'm not a WoW player and so not certain enough of this to commit to it in the thread, cough.
posted by Sequence at 6:35 AM on April 1, 2014

Froot Loops. /Toucan Sam

Ever missed a perfect score on a first-grade spelling test because of a sugary delicious breakfast cereal, had a fruitless agrument with Mrs. Wahlman as she mocked you in front of your cohort and remembered the indignation for decades?

Just me?
posted by vapidave at 6:38 AM on April 1, 2014 [12 favorites]

Oh. My. God. You totally had me there for about ten questions worth.
posted by BlahLaLa at 6:38 AM on April 1, 2014

HAHAHA oh wait I get it now
posted by avocet at 6:46 AM on April 1, 2014

Yeah the unidentified question is about WoW.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 6:47 AM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

Vapidave, my brother once lost in a spelling bee because, having grown up in Philadelphia Phillies territory, he spelled "fanaticism" with a... well, you know.
posted by Madamina at 6:48 AM on April 1, 2014 [3 favorites]

Ha! This is awesome! I was all skimming the asks and thought, jeez, these are weird today before I got suspicious and had to go back to the top.

No really, how many hours did you guys spend on this?
posted by Sophie1 at 6:55 AM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

I am so gullible. I flagged one, but felt so bad. I was like "this person legitimately needs help and I am flagging because it didn't fit the rules and seemed like a troll, but I want to give the poster the benefit of the doubt." I really struggled as this was my first time flagging...then after flagging I noticed the April fools banner...so glad that I didn't comment "can you clarify your question?"

This was a good one!
posted by Jaelma24 at 7:04 AM on April 1, 2014 [2 favorites]

I'm going to chalk it up to both late-night and early-morning fatigue, but last night I commented in one and this morning I flagged one too!

You guys are great.
posted by radioamy at 7:09 AM on April 1, 2014

This was very delightful. Round of applause for the team!

I was reading them originally and thought that they sounded like the fake questions we get for April 1 sometimes but I didn't know what you were doing until I got to the North By Northwest one. Haha.
posted by bleep at 7:11 AM on April 1, 2014

I'd love to know how these guys did this. (The page is upside down and it scrolls backwards with the mouse wheel.)
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 7:13 AM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

The questions are fun, and so many great answers! I particularly noticed a bunch of good ones from Elsa.

I wish we had Recent Activity there so I could keep refreshing it over and over hoping to see someone favorite one of my comments
posted by moonmilk at 7:14 AM on April 1, 2014 [2 favorites]

I nearly flagged some answers in that thread. I didn't, but I just wanted to put a reminder here that Wisecracks don't help imaginary people find answers.
posted by pianissimo at 7:18 AM on April 1, 2014

Huh. The favorites bar (using the greasemonkey script) is a different color on the fake site (white, not grey).
posted by Melismata at 7:19 AM on April 1, 2014

I totally almost flagged a question last night! This is so funny. Well done!
posted by apricot at 7:20 AM on April 1, 2014

Wisecracks don't help imaginary people find answers.

And yet imaginary people can help in finding wisecracks.

Well played, folks!
posted by MonkeyToes at 7:23 AM on April 1, 2014 [2 favorites]

I made a cranky twitter post last night about stupid April Fools Day stuff after seeing the first couple from other sites, but this one is pretty fun!
posted by Jahaza at 7:23 AM on April 1, 2014

I was like oh god, crush on your boss, this is not good. Clicked inside and it's obviously jokey, but how is this possibly still up, and then when I clicked the profile of Jane D'oh and saw the af message, I said out loud you motherf@#%.

You got me.
posted by cashman at 7:32 AM on April 1, 2014 [4 favorites]

Hmmmm ....fictional characters using AskMe to solve problems in the plot? Hmmmm.

(Lord Eddard Stark is that you? made me cackle out loud ...and yes I didn't get the Alice In Wonderland joke until like ...now.)
posted by The Whelk at 7:33 AM on April 1, 2014

And I meant that in a fun way, by the way. I got a good laugh out of it!
posted by cashman at 7:48 AM on April 1, 2014

I'd like to note that I set up this sock puppet account to do a similar thing (just a one-off, and not done nearly so subtly or so excellently as these) on April 1, 2005. Which was deleted by the mods, and that was back in the day when deleted AskMes were completely deleted, not just removed from the front page and closed, so I can't even provide evidence of that. But it did get a few in-kind answers before it was deleted.

I'd consider some sort of legal action, but I'm afraid without evidence I'd just end up in some byzantine, perplexing judicial system with no way of figuring out exactly what's going on.
posted by Gregor Samsa at 7:51 AM on April 1, 2014 [35 favorites]

Yeah, just came here to say that this is my favorite April 1st ever. Most of them are so subtle!
posted by likeatoaster at 7:58 AM on April 1, 2014

I'd consider some sort of legal action, but I'm afraid without evidence I'd just end up in some byzantine, perplexing judicial system with no way of figuring out exactly what's going on.

You might want to try putting in a request with the authorities at the castle.
posted by ultraviolet catastrophe at 8:04 AM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

Yay for Great Escape reference.
posted by marxchivist at 8:05 AM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

Hahaha, I enjoyed that. I laughed until I stopped.
posted by BibiRose at 8:06 AM on April 1, 2014

Just the best. Ever. Thank you, thank you.
posted by angiep at 8:09 AM on April 1, 2014

no real questions and no real answers posted since your last visit

*snort*
posted by The Whelk at 8:10 AM on April 1, 2014

You guys, you may have saved civilization with this joke. I needed a chuckle like you would not believe this morning and you gave it to me. I thank you and the world thanks you.
posted by janey47 at 8:13 AM on April 1, 2014

Discreet tattoo removal required ASAP!! Location: Stockholm.

ahaha

"GregNogSamsa"

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
posted by The Whelk at 8:14 AM on April 1, 2014 [2 favorites]

Those were my two favorites besides my love note to the MeFiBrarians.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:16 AM on April 1, 2014 [2 favorites]

Need some house help quickly - we just had a wind storm that started to pull up my house and things were so hectic I kind of blacked out for a bit. When I awoke, the house had caused (and subsequently suffered) some damage. How can I go about finding an inspector to make sure the house's foundation wasn't damaged in the fall? I need to find someone soon, as I'm about to go on a long hike with a few others.
posted by gingham girl

*slow clap*

not even getting into the ANSWERS.
posted by The Whelk at 8:16 AM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

Holeeey Sheeit guys.

<Slowly stands up clapping with determination. Stays standing and clapping for a very long time.>
posted by benito.strauss at 8:22 AM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

> I'd love to know how these guys did this. (The page is upside down and it scrolls backwards with the mouse wheel.)

I can't look right now so treat this as a nonanswer but I'd put money on the content having a line in the CSS that looks something like .wrapping-element { transform: rotate(0.5turn); } and one of the several mousewheel/mouse-intent javascript library modules floating around the internets. The rest is easy to figure out, just read source! Good luck and we're all counting on you. Now back to your regularly scheduled Metafilter-focused discussion
posted by ardgedee at 8:24 AM on April 1, 2014 [2 favorites]

goodnewsfortheinsane: "53 was a double! Of this one, to be exact. I deleted it, with reason "This is not for you." thinking that was all clever and stuff, but it looks like it was super-deleted at some point, boo. There's another pair that's technically a double but which we decided to keep."

There are at least 5 or 6 of them! :)
posted by zarq at 8:26 AM on April 1, 2014

That's because we re-ordered them at some pre-April-1 point so that we'd have a few good ones right up top. The script looks for gaps in the numbering sequence and so you get that weird result.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:27 AM on April 1, 2014 [3 favorites]

And now I go back to AskMe and see a new question and think "Hey, they're releasing them over the course of the day. Cool." I don't realize that I've gone back to regular AskMe and spend a little trying to remember which novel involved a character suffering from vaginal dryness.
posted by benito.strauss at 8:28 AM on April 1, 2014 [24 favorites]

> I can't trust the so-called real questions now.

Yeah, I went on to RealAskMe and found I couldn't take the questions seriously. Aside from that: brilliant April Fool; made my day!
posted by languagehat at 8:31 AM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

So I loaded up Metafilter first thing this morning, looked at the blue and thought, "huh? No April Fool's prank?" Clicked on recent activity, then over to AskMe, where I wondered how that guy I've never heard of got the mods to not delete his North by Northwest question.

...

...

...

Then the dime dropped. Jeez I am slow on the uptake sometimes, but at least I figured it out before going on a flagging extravaganza.

Nicely done!
posted by ambrosia at 8:33 AM on April 1, 2014 [3 favorites]

jessamyn: "That's because we re-ordered them at some pre-April-1 point so that we'd have a few good ones right up top."

Ah!

I was hoping for a blooper reel. ;)
posted by zarq at 8:34 AM on April 1, 2014

Some of the tags are making me laugh, particularly iamnotapig and iamabug.
posted by billiebee at 8:36 AM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

Ok, I admit I was briefly stumped when I read "I need to get from Troy to Ithaca ASAP, difficulty no GPS" because as everyone knows those are real towns in upstate New York. I thought, "idiot needs to read a map, it's a straight shot down I-88". Then I read some of the others. Zing.
posted by Melismata at 8:42 AM on April 1, 2014 [12 favorites]

Niiiice. A got most of them - I was unfamiliar with the source material for a few, however. Delightful! Thanks!
posted by rmd1023 at 8:48 AM on April 1, 2014

zomg House of Leaves completely slays. Elsa: WINNAR.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 8:50 AM on April 1, 2014

Coming in here to complain about a bad deletion:

[A couple comments removed, please do not sidetrack this with arguments about whether cats should wear hats.]

I know that MetaFilter doesn't really handle "should my cat be de-hatted" questions very well, but the OP has a serious problem and needs our help.
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 8:55 AM on April 1, 2014 [8 favorites]

Things like this are why April 1 is the best birthday. Love them.
posted by cmyk at 9:01 AM on April 1, 2014

Happy Birthday!
posted by zarq at 9:03 AM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

I would have liked to have seen some references outside of Western literature. e.g.

"So I signed up for this adventure travel package in Asia because it was really cheap and now that I'm on the trip I'm starting to wonder if it was all a big mistake. The travel agent told me it would be the trip of a lifetime and all, but man, this group of people (?) I'm traveling with, I can't even. Let's start with the totally sanctimonious dude who's always telling me to calm down, it's giving me a headache. And this one guy who's a total pig. At least one of the guys isn't as annoying, although he seems to have a thing about rivers. Did I mention everybody keeps calling me a monkey? I've found myself wishing I could just fly away on a cloud. Anyway, if I bail out on this trip, how can I get a refund without too much hassle?"

"HELP! How do I wash tears and snot off thirty layers of gown sleeves? They're all delicate handwash fabric. I wish my employer would just use Kleenex, and stop with the wearing thirty layers at a time, everybody else at court wears six max."
posted by needled at 9:12 AM on April 1, 2014 [11 favorites]

Not fair abusing your modly powers, even on April Fool's.
posted by Rock Steady at 9:13 AM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

Perhaps the most understated answer ever is to the question about baking madeleines:

I think you're going to have to give us a bit more context.
posted by tzikeh at 1:16 AM on April 1

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Well-played, tzikeh.

Happy birthday, cmyk!
posted by Elsa at 9:14 AM on April 1, 2014 [14 favorites]

needled: I would have liked to have seen some references outside of Western literature. e.g.

"Any tips for two buddies going camping in Mesopotamia?"
posted by Rock Steady at 9:17 AM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

I love this prank with a sick and unhealthy love. You guys did some great work, and it is certainly appreciated.

I guess my productivity will be significantly reduced today!
posted by blurker at 9:22 AM on April 1, 2014

I don't know what it says about Ask and/or Me but you TOTALLY GOT ME WITH THE LADY AND HER BOSS GODDAMMIT.

It was also 9:30 here on the West Coast, but I was so confused because I couldn't find the question again, thought it might have been deleted, tried just going to the URL, wasn't there, and I was like...whoa...maybe I put my spare shrooms in the soup I had for dinner by accident?

Well played Metafilter, well played.
posted by Lutoslawski at 9:29 AM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

I'm thinking let's get rid of AskMe and just do this instead. Way more fun!
posted by philipy at 9:34 AM on April 1, 2014 [2 favorites]

Omg I hate all of you because I take questions so seriously and none of this was making sense today
posted by Hermione Granger at 9:36 AM on April 1, 2014 [9 favorites]

I guess my productivity will be significantly reduced today!

I pay the mods the highest compliment possible when I whimper, "You kept me up so late, you guys." It was so beautifully crafted that I couldn't bear close the tabs and go to bed.
posted by Elsa at 9:37 AM on April 1, 2014 [10 favorites]

Also hat tip for the URL.

Seriously, this is pretty elaborate. I am genuinely impressed.
posted by Lutoslawski at 9:38 AM on April 1, 2014

April Fool's Day sucks. It brings back memories of all those years Dad had me convinced the tap room was where he went to go tap dancing. And that he had a third brother who was eaten by a St. Bernard as a baby. And that his parents wouldn't buy him new clothes for the school picture, so they made him stand outside and look in the window in his good hat.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 9:39 AM on April 1, 2014 [12 favorites]

Your Dad is awesome.
posted by blurker at 9:42 AM on April 1, 2014 [4 favorites]

THAT WAS FUNNY omg, I was reading the darth vader one and I was like WUT IS HAPPENING OMG I will check metatalk--- I forgot it was even April 1st!

HA! Nice.
posted by xarnop at 9:43 AM on April 1, 2014

Hurray! It's an open beta for Mediafilter!

This is genius. MediaFilter should require all posts and comments to be written in-character.
posted by mbrubeck at 9:45 AM on April 1, 2014 [2 favorites]

Am I back to the normal questions now? Because they still seem pretty messed up.

I don't know what to believe any more.
posted by GuyZero at 9:48 AM on April 1, 2014 [2 favorites]

Pronoiac: Okay, there's an (incomplete) answer key over on the wiki.

Great! I just added a column for the joke usernames, which add to the humor.
posted by filthy light thief at 9:55 AM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

Omg I hate all of you because I take questions so seriously and none of this was making sense today
posted by Hermione Granger

You didn't recognise your friends in this one?
posted by jeather at 9:58 AM on April 1, 2014 [9 favorites]

Well dang, I made a couple answers, but before I realized these were all literary references. Gotta go back & see what I can guess. Homer's all I've got for sure so far.
posted by Devils Rancher at 10:01 AM on April 1, 2014

I read a few of them and was thinking "WTF? These people are not providing enough context" and then I got to the crop duster (got the reference on that one right away) and started thinking "is this some kind of performance piece?" I was flagging left and right and eventually emailed Jessamyn.

I always forget about April Fool's.
posted by matildaben at 10:08 AM on April 1, 2014 [2 favorites]

I think you've cured me of reading AskMe when I wake up in the middle of the night – I was fully convinced I'd caught my boyfriend's bug and that I was hallucinating from a fever by the time I got to The Odyssey.

This is the only April Fools joke I've ever really loved, and I really love it.
posted by carbide at 10:18 AM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

Enjoyed the prank!
Mods, how busy were you answering "WTF is this" emails?
posted by Omnomnom at 10:22 AM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

We only got a handful, but the flags came in fast and furious right when we launched it and then again as people woke up this morning.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 10:25 AM on April 1, 2014 [7 favorites]

Aw man, I got the fashion one wrong! I thought it was Metroid. Big shoulder pads? The eighties?

This was a lot of fun!
posted by lovecrafty at 10:28 AM on April 1, 2014

Yeah, the Alice in Wonderland one totally got me. I was like, wow, people are really being assholes about this one. Clearly this guy has a serious problem and they're joking about it, wtf!
posted by rabbitrabbit at 10:28 AM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

rabbitrabbit: Yeah, the Alice in Wonderland one totally got me. I was like, wow, people are really being assholes about this one. Clearly this guy has a serious problem and they're joking about it, wtf!

You appear to be a little late. ;)
posted by Rock Steady at 10:30 AM on April 1, 2014 [12 favorites]

The riffing possibilities (as above) were what really sold us on this. We wanted to have something the community could actually participate in, and not just be all "Good one, guys" We did decide to change some of the fake-usernames we'd originally picked because they actually overlapped with real usernames.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 10:35 AM on April 1, 2014 [3 favorites]

"I can only shit out so much silk." LOL
posted by rabbitrabbit at 10:35 AM on April 1, 2014

Hermione Granger: Omg I hate all of you because I take questions so seriously and none of this was making sense today

Then you should probably avoid this question, and more specifically this answer.
posted by filthy light thief at 10:39 AM on April 1, 2014 [3 favorites]

Definitely the best MeFi April Fools prank yet, although the color changing background one was also awesome in a completely different way.
posted by burnmp3s at 10:42 AM on April 1, 2014

Steal his girlfriend

Who is marking these as best answer?!
posted by Melismata at 10:43 AM on April 1, 2014 [3 favorites]

Genius.
posted by Kevin Street at 10:44 AM on April 1, 2014

Who is marking these as best answer?!

The OP marks best answers.
posted by pb (staff) at 10:45 AM on April 1, 2014 [31 favorites]

This whole thing combines really well with the "Translate into Emoji" button that seems to be the April Fool's joke on Chrome for Android.
posted by ocherdraco at 10:51 AM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

So how do I get to AskMe now? I saw a link at the top of the page once, but I can't see it anymore.

(yes, yes, it was funny.)
posted by Too-Ticky at 10:52 AM on April 1, 2014

The "ad" above the sidebar will take you back to the real AskMe.
posted by janell at 10:53 AM on April 1, 2014

Ok, I admit I was briefly stumped when I read "I need to get from Troy to Ithaca ASAP, difficulty no GPS" because as everyone knows those are real towns in upstate New York. I thought, "idiot needs to read a map, it's a straight shot down I-88". Then I read some of the others. Zing.

Yeah, my first thought there was "geez, do they need help wiping their ass too or what" and then it hit me.
posted by invitapriore at 10:54 AM on April 1, 2014

So... disable adblock or something?
posted by Too-Ticky at 10:56 AM on April 1, 2014

rabbitrabbit: Yeah, the Alice in Wonderland one totally got me. I was like, wow, people are really being assholes about this one. Clearly this guy has a serious problem and they're joking about it, wtf!

You appear to be a little late. ;)

Also, today's date is very important.
posted by mbrubeck at 10:56 AM on April 1, 2014 [2 favorites]

So... disable adblock or something?

We made some Deck-style ads that will allow you to go back and forth between them but yeah, you have to disable Ad-block (only on ask.metafilter.com and exlibris.metafilter.com) to see them.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 10:57 AM on April 1, 2014

Too-Ticky, go ahead and click the link to AskMeFi in the header or type ask.metafilter.com into your browser. You should only be redirected to the joke site once.
posted by pb (staff) at 10:57 AM on April 1, 2014

Metafilter: fake-usernames actually overlapped with real usernames
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 10:59 AM on April 1, 2014 [2 favorites]

Well, I left a couple of answers. I hope I am doing it right. It would be so embarrassing to get deleted from the April Fool's Prank. I would be mortified.
posted by Michele in California at 11:00 AM on April 1, 2014

Examples of the emoji "translations" my phone is providing: one, two.
posted by ocherdraco at 11:06 AM on April 1, 2014 [6 favorites]

You should only be redirected to the joke site once.

Yes, except no. Maybe I need to allow cookies?
posted by Too-Ticky at 11:10 AM on April 1, 2014

Yup, that was it.
posted by Too-Ticky at 11:11 AM on April 1, 2014

Yep, we set a cookie that basically says, "Seen it!" and then the joke stops.
posted by pb (staff) at 11:14 AM on April 1, 2014

As someone who was a latecomer to the joys of Recent Activity, I can't believe how much I miss it for the joke AskMe page. You mean I have to manually check the threads I participated in? Like a sucker? Pfft.
posted by Rock Steady at 11:26 AM on April 1, 2014 [5 favorites]

we set a cookie that basically says, "Seen it!" and then the joke stops

If someone snatches all my cookies the joke sure stops.

(but now the la-dee-la site pops up in my browser history, so yay)
posted by Namlit at 11:34 AM on April 1, 2014

That was fun. Thanks.
posted by 40% Chance of Florence Henderson at 12:18 PM on April 1, 2014 [6 favorites]

40%?? Too optimistic, Florence. It's cork dry over here.
posted by Namlit at 12:20 PM on April 1, 2014

posted by 40% Chance of Florence Henderson

wait what
posted by Rock Steady at 12:24 PM on April 1, 2014 [5 favorites]

there was a user "it's raining Florence Henderson", so now a gimmick of a gimmick, no ?
posted by k5.user at 12:25 PM on April 1, 2014

40% of Florence Henderson closed their account!?! Nooooooooooooo!!!!!!!

Losing too many good ones.
posted by Lutoslawski at 12:28 PM on April 1, 2014 [3 favorites]

Or partially good ones, at least.
posted by mountmccabe at 12:42 PM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

I guess you can't coast through life on Wessonality alone.
posted by Atom Eyes at 12:42 PM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

I'm just curious as to how people landed on the other page. I guess my google bookmark thingy bypassed it.

Loved it though. So MUCH!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 12:50 PM on April 1, 2014

Is anyone doing a master list of what all the referenced works are? I'm stuck on some of them still.
posted by Mchelly at 1:08 PM on April 1, 2014

Answer key on the wiki.
posted by zarq at 1:09 PM on April 1, 2014

Buzzfeed has a round-up of some of the other pranks around the net today.

Personally, I like the NERF NUKE prank.
posted by Lutoslawski at 1:35 PM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

I am so annoyed that work has been nuts today, because I've only had a chance to read maybe 3 questions. I love this!
posted by EvaDestruction at 1:41 PM on April 1, 2014

The NERF NUKE looks like those clove-oranges I make at Christmas.
posted by maryr at 1:54 PM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

Enjoyed the hell out of this. Thanks!
posted by asperity at 1:56 PM on April 1, 2014

Wait, when did It's Raining Florence Henderson disable their account? So sad.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 2:01 PM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

It's now much harder to read real AskMe seriously...
It's now much harder to take books and movies seriously. How am I going to read a book or watch a movie ever again without framing it in my head as an AskMe post?
posted by emilypdx at 2:11 PM on April 1, 2014 [16 favorites]

Thanks to benito.strauss, I'll never read another book or watch another movie without wondering about the characters' vaginal comfort. In fact, it's making me rethink many classics and favorites.
posted by FelliniBlank at 2:17 PM on April 1, 2014

I am loving these answers! Right on, AskMe people.

Also, re: IRFH, don't worry too much about him leaving for good; he comes and goes like the seasons.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 2:22 PM on April 1, 2014 [3 favorites]

Dying. DYING laughing. This is brilliant!
posted by sarcasticah at 2:22 PM on April 1, 2014

I think Bartelby the Scrivener needs to be on here. "I have an employee who refuses to do anything..."
posted by jenfullmoon at 2:27 PM on April 1, 2014 [3 favorites]

I assume he was asked and politely declined.
posted by benito.strauss at 2:38 PM on April 1, 2014 [9 favorites]

A+
posted by clockwork at 2:46 PM on April 1, 2014

Ah, MetaFilter! Ah, humanity!
posted by Atom Eyes at 2:48 PM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

This is awesome. I read the Sicilian one first, thinking I would go back to the boss question (because so many people had already answered it). Then I came here and went back to the Jane Eyre question and was like, yes!

I had read The Princess Bride and seen the movie, but a long time ago, so didn't get that one at first. But the answers were like, whoa! How has no one flagged this already?

Hope this will be up for a while so people get a chance to peruse the questions and answers.

Fantastic, thanks!!! I can tell you guys/gals put a lot of hard work in to this.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 3:35 PM on April 1, 2014

I saw this when I first got to work this morning, pre-coffee. I was a little hung over and coming down with a cold, so my eyes were swimming and I made a mental note to go read these crazy popcorn AskMes later when I was a little more awake. Then they were gone. I figured there must have just been a wave of deletions.
posted by Sara C. at 4:01 PM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

Remember: If you see something on the internet today—just like every other day—it’s probably totally fake.
posted by telstar at 4:19 PM on April 1, 2014

i want this to exist forever, just some site somewhere framed like ask me or craigslist or something filled with the world of lit and history and whatever else's situations. abelard and heloise asking for advice pre-castration, kahedin asking for urgent laundry help because his sails have been mysteriously dyed black, someone's "should i eat this" describing how their thanksgiving turkey's fallen on the floor with julia child's emphatic yes, etc.
posted by ifjuly at 4:24 PM on April 1, 2014 [3 favorites]

Thanks to this answer I suddenly want a Jane Eyre/Rebecca crossover fanfic where Jane and the second Mrs. de Winter compare stories and are like, "You know what? Fuck these weird-ass mansions and their creepy, overbearing owners. Let's get out of here." And then they drive off into the sunset together.

Obligatory Kate Beaton
posted by book 'em dano at 4:27 PM on April 1, 2014 [9 favorites]

Remember: If you see something on the internet today—just like every other day—it’s probably totally fake.

Hah. At my work I was forced to write an official Letter Of Bad News to someone and I felt like total shit having to date it April 1, because it's inherently gonna look like bullshit and the first thing the person is gonna think is, "April Fool's, right?!?!" even if it has official letterhead and stamps. I wish the person who told me I had to do it had waited an extra day so I didn't have to make TODAY be the official day of notification.
posted by jenfullmoon at 4:31 PM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

jessamyn: "We wanted to have something the community could actually participate in"

You guys really rock, because this is super-inspired. I always feel a tiny pang of jealousy when I read about companies who do great gags, because I always want to participate in something like that! (Oh, to be on the team that created GMail Blue.) This gave me—gave all of us—the chance to participate in a really great, fun thing!

Very grateful to you guys for devoting this much time and energy to something so fun that we could all enjoy.
posted by Conrad Cornelius o'Donald o'Dell at 4:51 PM on April 1, 2014 [11 favorites]

This was great. I figured out something was wrong right away, and then just thought they were parodies of AskMe questions. It took me a minute to see the pattern.

All Things Considered totally just got me with their movie review a few minutes ago though. I listened to the whole thing before I got it. At least I hope it was a joke.
posted by bongo_x at 5:10 PM on April 1, 2014 [2 favorites]

vapidave: "Looks like these aren't being indexed. Treaty of Wesphalia here I come."

Do I even know you?
posted by Treaty of Westphalia at 7:37 PM on April 1, 2014 [17 favorites]

This gave me a lot of Almond Joy and my office was filled with snickers as I read it. I was roloing on the floor laughing!
You've certainly set the Goodbar high for next year as well.
Some might think Metafilter is for Nerds, but I think this proves we've got a Krackeling wit.

Anyway, Kudos.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 8:29 PM on April 1, 2014 [4 favorites]

It's obvious that a lot of work went into this. All I see when I see those questions is love. Lots and lots of MeFi love. :sniff
posted by dawkins_7 at 8:44 PM on April 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

> Thanks to benito.strauss, I'll never read another book or watch another movie without wondering about the characters' vaginal comfort.

I appreciate the hat-tip, but don't feel like you need to acknowledge me in conjunction with this. Really, you don't have to mention my name at all. At all.
posted by benito.strauss at 8:55 PM on April 1, 2014 [5 favorites]

Very nicely don, really enjoyed it.
posted by scottymac at 9:22 PM on April 1, 2014

I'm very late to find this. I looked earlier but found nothing and was sorely disappointed. I knew MetaFilter would have the best April Fool's Day prank of all and there are so few good ones. I only checked back at the end of the day and found the link here on MetaTalk so now I have lots of lovely reading to entertain me with April Fool's Day as it should be celebrated! Thank you to everyone who participated!
posted by Anitanola at 11:00 PM on April 1, 2014

When I was a freshman in high school I was in a boarding school. On the night of March 31st, six seniors (including the 'Head Monitor' or student President) woke us all up in the middle of the night and snuck us out of the school and around the corner to the house of a non-boarding student. All ~90 of us 13 year olds. None of the faculty knew, none of the other students, we were just gone.
It's always been my favorite prank (regardless my participation), this though - and especially the comments - is a real tight second.
Well done.
posted by From Bklyn at 12:31 AM on April 2, 2014 [1 favorite]

I think this is a case where I had to be there at the right moment 'cause this years joke is like a flock of 747's over my head. /sighs
posted by redindiaink at 6:32 AM on April 2, 2014

For reference / convenience of those late to the thread, you can see the fictional questions again here, and here's the answer key on the wiki [SPOILERS, if it still matters after this thread].

Thanks Pronoiac and everyone who contributed for collecting the info on the wiki! There's a couple titles I hadn't figured out myself until I saw them on the wiki (for shame, I know).
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane (staff) at 6:51 AM on April 2, 2014 [2 favorites]

There's a couple titles I hadn't figured out myself until I saw them on the wiki (for shame, I know).

There’s a couple of titles I don’t know after seeing the wiki.
posted by bongo_x at 8:05 AM on April 2, 2014 [3 favorites]

The more I'm reading the more I'm enjoying this. Good times, thank you so much!
posted by Too-Ticky at 8:05 AM on April 2, 2014

Aw man, I got the fashion one wrong! I thought it was Metroid. Big shoulder pads? The eighties?

Considering there's a best answer about an aran cardigan, I'd guess the OP sympathises.
posted by ersatz at 8:42 AM on April 2, 2014

The answers/comments to the questions are pretty great.

Someone should really keep an eye on TWF, though.
posted by zarq at 8:52 AM on April 2, 2014

Just adding to the chorus: this is absolutely delightful and thank you for making it!
posted by aka burlap at 12:19 PM on April 2, 2014

How long are the questions going to be open, the same as real AskMes?
posted by Small Dollar at 2:32 PM on April 2, 2014

Maybe not that long since there's not really any good tools for maintaining visibility of the threads and comments since it's not tightly integrated with our normal toolset. But we'll give it a few days at least, I think.
posted by cortex (staff) at 2:36 PM on April 2, 2014

so much fun!
posted by Wretch729 at 2:53 PM on April 2, 2014

Fun fact: you can browse the Ex Libris tags, much like you can on Ask MetafFilter.
posted by filthy light thief at 12:34 PM on April 5, 2014 [1 favorite]