April Fools 2011 Hoaxes, Spoofs and Fakes for April First

Here are Will and Guy's predictions for pranks and jokes that you will see on April
Fool's Day 2011.

• Barbary Apes
• Spoof Documentaries and Exposés in 2011
• Computer Hoaxes for April Fool's Day 2011
• Marketers Use April 1st to Launch Real Products
• Fake Scientific Inventions
• Spurious Invitations
• Sweeping Bad News Under the Table

Celebrity Hoaxes

It's fascinating to see how hoaxes in general, and April Fools jokes in particular get re-cycled.  Celebrities are a prime target fro a prank
because they are outrageous, lead strange un-conventional lives, and good portion of the population is happy to laugh when a star's ego get pricked. This is the sort of thing to look out for:

Kate Winslet Affected by Dutch Elm Disease

Professor Prawo Jazdy says that it's now been proven that Dutch Elm Disease can attack red-headed women and cause their hair to turn yellow. People such as Sarah Ferguson, Amy Adams and Kate Winslet could also be affected.

Dog Fleas Attack Blue-eyed Blonde People

Dr Allergo reports that Ctenocephalides canis (common dog flea) has hopped species and can now attack humans.  However, it is only those of Nordic extraction that are affected, those with dark skin and hair are still immune from this dog parasite.

A Hoax from 2010 - It's Bieber's world, we're just living in it

The tween pop singer hijacked Will Ferrell's comedy video site for April Fool's Day renaming it "Bieber or Die."   "Justin Bieber has
decided to buy Funny or Die and do with it whatever his tiny little heart desires," a clip at the top of the site states.

According to the 16-year-old pop star himself, "Anything that's not Bieber, dies."

Barbary Apes

Legend has it that when the Barbary Apes leave Gibraltar, or become extinct, then the British will be forced to leave that outpost on Spain's border. Watch out for a 2011 April Fool's hoax that claims something has happened to all these Barbary Apes.

Despite their name these 'Barbary Apes' are true monkeys and sometimes called macaque, as with other animals, their population varies and we believe that a scare story is brewing regarding a mystery illness that will reduce their numbers drastically and thus cause a diplomatic incident if Britain has to withdraw from Gibraltar.

Re-cycling of Old Urban Myths

Talking of monkeys, beware of new footage purporting to prove an old tall tale, for example that Charles Manson once auditioned for the 1960's pop group 'The Monkeys'.  Such releases on the eve of April Fool's Day start with a little known but true fact, for example, Mickey Dolenz starred in 'Circus Boy'.  They go to say that Davy Jones starred in the soap Coronation Street (also true).  Then they slip in the curve ball, new footage shows Charles Manson auditioning for 'The Monkeys' (false).

Military Hoaxes for April Fool's Day 2011

Because of their rigid discipline the army are always a good source of April Fools hoaxes, therefore expect 2011 to be no different.

Spoof Documentaries and Exposés in 2011

Will and Guy say watch out on April 1st 2011 for a variation on the Bambi paintball hoax.  We feel that Texas is a candidate for resurrecting
this spoof, although Atlantic City or Foxwoods, Connecticut are likely alternative venues.  The first example of this hoax was back in 2003 when hunters were offered the opportunity to shoot naked women with paintball guns.  For $10,000 you could go to Las Vegas, get kitted out with your paint gun, and stalk 'Bambi'.

This story was sensationalized by Klas television who accepted the advert as face value.  The city of Las Vegas officials admitted that the Hunting for Bambi video is a hoax.  No "hunts" have ever been sold, and no "Bambis" have ever been shot with paintballs, the officials said in concluding a weeklong investigation.

Footnote:
No animals were harmed in the making of the hoax!

Computer Hoaxes for April Fool's Day 2011

Watch out for these are sneaky computer jokes that techies with too much time on their hands play on their co-workers.

• Spoof the mouse. Unplug the original mouse.  Plug in a fake mouse.  When they check their connection it seems to be working.
  One from Dr Devious.
• An old favourite: tape over the optical sensor of your friend's mouse.
• Alter Word's Autocorrect on your victim's machine.
• Launch Word for Windows.
  Find the 'Proofing settings'.  Make changes to AutoCorrect, e.g. a to ye. I to you.
• On someone else's machine press set High Contrast mode
  Press: Shift + ALT + Print Screen.
  Note 1: You need Shift and not Ctrl.  Also use the Left Alt and not the right.
  Note 2: To Undo press the same combination: Shift + ALT + Print Screen.
  Note 3: Learn from this madness by checking out the Ease of access settings in Control Panel.
• Variation, turn on Narrator and drive the computer user mad. Control Panel --> Ease of access.
• Cuckoo clock - Install this computer joke application.
• See more short computer jokes

Marketers Use April First to Launch Real Products

Will and Guy predict a series of double bluffs.  Companies will make announcements that look like April Fool's Day hoaxes, but turn out to be true.  For example, Google launched Gmail on the 1st April 2004. People assumed it was an April Fool's Day hoax, however, when it turned out to be true, Gmail and Google got a second round of free publicity - clever marketing stuff.

DYK (Did You Know)

Pay special attention to any 'Did You Know' articles on April 1st. Such items may be truths, or at least half-truths dressed up as April the
1st spoofs.  These are a new breed of sophisticated double bluffs which marketing gurus cunningly launch on or just before April Fools Day.
Their mission is a maximum amount of free publicity for a real product.

Possible hoaxes include Coca Cola announcing green cans instead of red. Or, new whisky flavoured chewing gum, and they can now breed square apples. One off the stop press.  Pencil sharpeners become extinct inAmerica.

Fake Scientific Inventions

Example from 2010 -
Prescription Lenses for Touring Cars Windscreens

After successful trials in touring car championships, prescription windscreens are now available for the general public.  Here is a press
release from Auto Windscreens.

Beware of machines to make diamonds from sand, or gismos which turn lead into gold. Perhaps 2011 is the year when that old gadget that turns water into wine resurfaces.

Other Ideas for 2011 April Fool's Hoaxes

Another rich seam of April Fool's Day hoaxes is discoveries of extinct animals.  Although the Piltdown Man forgery was not unearthed in April, this is the type of fakery to watch out for on April the first.

Finally, when it comes to scientific hoaxes UFOs are never far away. There are more sightings of Martians, little green men, fairies and
other curious creatures on April the first than any other day of the year.

Inventing New Medical Conditions for April Fool's Day

Chinese doctors have identified the human gene which causes Pedaspheraphobia. Symptoms Dr Chang of the Beijing University of Chinese
Medicine and Pharmacology, reports that symptoms of Pedaspheraphobia include vertigo and nausea when ever watching sport.
 See more about Pedaspheraphobia here.

Spurious Invitations

Look out for invitations to non-existent events.  These pranks have scope for duping lots of people to turn up in the expectation of an event.  Such hoaxes have reoccurred at regular intervals, ever since the invitation in Victorian England for people to watch the Washing of the Lions at the Tower of London. Crowds really did turn up to this wonderful April the 1st practical joke.

Often the hoaxer enjoys a private joke by using an anagram of April Fool in the person's name or address, for example, Prila Loof or Sallipa
Roof.

Sweeping Bad News Under the Table

Beware governments and local authorities trying to hide bad news amongst the melee of April Fool's Day items.  Recent examples were the UK government hiked petrol tax on April 1st 2009.  Another particularly mean example was where local authorities introduced drastic reductions in the scope of free bus passes starting on April 1st.

Tried and Tested April 1st Hoaxes

There is a certain type of con that always works on youngsters, part of the reason is that its delivered with a straight face by an authority figure, and secondly because it's something outside their normal experience.

'Hey Junior, go to the stores and get a packet of sky hooks'

At the stores Charlie knows this game well:  'You want sky hooks, go over there and ask Tom if he has any of the "Low cloud" variety left'.

The game within a game is to see how long you can keep Junior running around before he realizes he has been the subject of an April the 1st hoax. It says a lot about the victim's character how well he reacts to be duped. Other variations are a bucket of compressed air, tartan paint, or for the particularly gullible - a long weight (wait).

Also: When I was in air cadets if some newbie was being a pain we'd send him to fetch a yard of shoreline.

Student Pranks for April Fool's Day 2011

Alarm Clock Confusion

Set ten alarm clocks so that they to go off at 2 minute intervals. The skill is in the concealed placement, for example, behind ceiling tiles
or heating vents.

You could camouflage the prank by putting up signs around that say April 1st is Alarm Clock Day so people don't mistake the sound for a bomb.

Red Letter Day - B E R K

Each member of your gang needs to get a t-shirt with a different letter printed on the front.  Each person only needs one big letter.  The
trick is to stand near members of staff while your group makes a word, then you take a photo.  Friends with letters B, E, R, and K can stand next to your class teacher while you snap a photo.

At Midday on April 1st

April Fool's gone past

You're the biggest fool at last

When April Fool comes again

You'll be the biggest fool then

The origin of this ditty is Hampshire, England.  The meaning is that you cannot play any more April Fool's jokes after midday, or else you become the fool.

• 2012 April Fools Hoaxes

Footnote:
Please send us your ideas for April Fool's Day hoaxes.