Party Pooper

I really hate practical jokes. I spend every April 1 in an exhausting state of readiness, determined not to be fooled. This is probably because I have a profound fear of looking foolish, but generally speaking, I just don't think it's funny.

But it's important to note that there's a difference between looking silly and looking foolish. I am a performer and a Mommy- I look silly most of the time. And I have seen a variety of April Fool's Day jokes over the years that are silly. A few favorites:

-Martha Stewart does an April Fool's Day show every year during which she gives ridiculous tips like how to cover an overstuffed chair in gold glitter and how to char a steak all the way through. 

-Improv Everywhere has sent out updates about their newest missions on April 1 for the past two years. Last year the "mission" was about surprising people at a funeral, this year it was a no pants, no underwear subway ride. (complete with doctored photos, blurred out of course, which were fairly convincing.)

What cracks me up about these particular jokes is the reactions they got. People emailed Martha confused, certain they had done something wrong, because their husbands really hated the charred steaks. And was there a way to keep the glitter from falling off? Should the seal it with something? By 1:00 this morning people had flooded the Improv Everywhere website with comments expressing both awe and horror. "Wow! I would be way too shy to do that!" and "Man, you guys have gone too far. Kids ride subways."

These jokes are silly and outrageous and funny. Think, people. If you don't like burnt steak, don't make it just because Martha says so. And really? You think they rode the subway naked? REALLY?Really.

Less funny? Simply making fools out of people. Hahahahaha! You believed a perfectly reasonable scenario and reacted the way any rational person would! Haaaaaaaahahahahahahaha! I cannot watch shows like "Punked." You thought someone stole your car! You were SO MAD! Of course they were mad- it's a nice car, and cars really get stolen every day.  I didn't even like "TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes." I get so uncomfortable- making "fools" of people is just mean.

So this Apri 1, two pieces of advice: be alert, and be nice.