Labelling April Fools

[MeepoTheMighty]

Trolling? No, I was 100% serious. You need a sense of humor.

 

[Driddle]

You need a sense of humor.

PERSONAL ATTACK! PERSONAL ATTACK!
Moderator, this person has turned an innocent discussion into something unnecessarily hurtful. I don't know why he feels that he can slam me just for expressing my opinion about so-called "humor" issues.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

nevermind roleplaying...

ALL television shows/movies/plays(/novels) ANY WORK OF FICTION is a lie.
Why are they acceptable? (just look at what happened in Galaxy Quest )

And do you celebrate Christmas? Santa Clause is a lie too. Is he ok?

If the reasoning is that they are generally accepted to be untrue, SO ARE CRAZY STORIES ON APRIL 1ST.

non sequitor. Fiction is different than lies, and I've already given an example of a "crazy story" that was taken seriously and hurt people.

the drag into tangent and juvenile debate tactics (I know a four year old who can tell me the difference between a story and a lie, and I don't think you're really that stupid) just tells me that some people here aren't to be taken seriously in a discussion. Nice to see a good old fashioned troll once in a while, though.

Kahuna Burger

 

[Kesh]

Because as we know, Monty Python never degraded anyone or made them look like idiots with fine sketches like "Upperclass Twit of the Year" or the "North Minehead By-Elections".

I do draw the line between "caricature" and "character." The two skits you pick were complete farces... there wasn't a realistic character in either one, just a bunch of silly caricatures that don't exist. In contrast, we have sitcoms like "Friends" where a good portion of the humor is putting a more realistic character into a situation where we can point at them and revel in that character's discomfort.

Perhaps its just semantics, but it does make a difference to me, personally.

 

[Kahuna Burger]

I think "lie" is a bit harsh. A lie (IMHO) is a deception with a serious purpose, while an april fool's joke does not have a serious purpose, it's just misleading people for a moment in an attempt to be funny. Having no purpose in that sense, might make it kinda useless, but obviously many people like it that way.

Are you mimbari by any chance? Seriously a lie is something untrue told in a context reserved for truth. Whether that be a newspaper, the answer to a serious and direct question, the 'news' section of a messageboard or a phone call to my office claiming a veterinary emergency, it is a lie. Its purpose is irrelevant (for fun or defending someone's honor). Also, while "a moment" may be the assumed april fools ideal, this whole thread started because someone suggested marking april fools posts even at the end and that was opposed. My expereince in recent april fools, and the reason I've come to despise the 'holiday' is of lies meant to upset, worry or anger a person, dragged out as long as possible.

I dunno, if I send out an email marked "1st baby pictures" and have shots of my pug in a recieving blanket, thats a joke. If I send out a message about how I've developed a complication in my pregnancy and am considering an abortion, thats a lie, even if I include a weird made up name for the condition thats latin for conservative voter, even if I reveal the truth five minutes later, even if its april 1st. I'm not into lies, and I can't take seriously an attempt to define them away.

Kahuna Burger

 

[Grapeshot]

C'mon guys, don't be a stick in the mud.

It was a good and funny joke, have fun with it!

 

[Utrecht]

I too have a dislike for April Fools day. Sure most of the time it is good clean fun - but to often people take it as a free pass to make their attempts at humor - and asking things to be labled as "humor" is really not to much to ask.

I have to admit - when I got on to EN World this morning, I saw the "article" and thought - hmmm, I did not think that any disussions were activly underway - WotC seems an odd pick up - and then realized what day it was....... grumble.

So, if this makes me (and others) curmudgeony - I guess I can accept it - but calling people out because they have a dislike for April Fools day - especially with the "get a sense of humor" is just uncool.

 

[jester47]

KB, I would also point out that the April fools gag has been a tradition here since the beginning. 4 (or even 5 if you count the "time of rumors" maybe?) years runing. Its a tradition here that every april 1st you cannot believe the main news page. Us old timers from the days of Eric Noah's 3rd edition news site know this. Considering the current management and the tradition, I do not think things are going to change.

Aaron.

 

[DiFier]

last year one of my favorite web sites put up a fake front page for all of april 1st saying that they were shutting down. just be glad that the enworld crew didn't do that.

 

[Silver Moon]

This afternoon NPR ran a joke new story about the Post Office making zip codes portable, so that when you move you won't need to change it. It was done totally tongue-in-cheek and was great. They tossed in lots of clues that it was a joke, but nothing overt. That's what this day is all about.