April Foods (or Fool's) Day 2020
April 1, 2020 6:29 AM Subscribe
"Can we agree this year's April Fool's pranks will consist only of delicious desserts disgusted as boring, less-delicious foods?" and "the only april fools jokes i wanna see tomorrow are like: i baked bread today. april fools, i actually baked a cake" share a common sentiment: instead of pranks that might materially deceive anyone on April Fool's Day 2020, let's do silly food-related things. Or make a food bank donation. (Not following those guidelines: the fake announcement "Today Google stops funding climate change deniers" advocating Extinction Rebellion.)
(I would like this to be a thread in which people point to fun or interesting April Fool/April Fool's/April Fools'/April Fools/April Food/April Foods/etc. things on the web.)
posted by brainwane at 6:32 AM on April 1, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by brainwane at 6:32 AM on April 1, 2020 [3 favorites]
We did an April fool’s dinner when the kids were young. Meatloaf muffins with mashed potato frosting and pea sprinkles, drinks that were jello with straws in them (including ones that was tipped over) and dessert of vanilla pudding and peach halves styled to look like fried eggs. It was pretty popular.
This year the youngest is into tiny food made of other things - like Oreos iced to look like a layer cake and milkshakes served in tiny cups. She’s playing with angles on photography to make them look real sized. Several family members were upset when she said ate the whole cake herself!
posted by five_cents at 6:39 AM on April 1, 2020 [26 favorites]
This year the youngest is into tiny food made of other things - like Oreos iced to look like a layer cake and milkshakes served in tiny cups. She’s playing with angles on photography to make them look real sized. Several family members were upset when she said ate the whole cake herself!
posted by five_cents at 6:39 AM on April 1, 2020 [26 favorites]
I thought r/AskHistorians changing to r/AmITheHistoricalAsshole for the day is pretty good, and hits the right light tone.
AITA For Questioning Everything?
I (61M) tried to make all my sons happy, but I think I might have just made their relationship even worse, AITA?
AITA FOR KICKING A PERSIAN MESSENGER DOWN A WELL?
AITA because I slapped a soldier who was a lily-livered, goddamn COWARD in order in try and put some fighting spirit back into him? Oh, and then did it again? Obviously not, but why are they, I mean?
Come for the posts, stay for the comments where the OPs argue with their judgments in-character.
posted by firechicago at 6:41 AM on April 1, 2020 [19 favorites]
AITA For Questioning Everything?
I (61M) tried to make all my sons happy, but I think I might have just made their relationship even worse, AITA?
AITA FOR KICKING A PERSIAN MESSENGER DOWN A WELL?
AITA because I slapped a soldier who was a lily-livered, goddamn COWARD in order in try and put some fighting spirit back into him? Oh, and then did it again? Obviously not, but why are they, I mean?
Come for the posts, stay for the comments where the OPs argue with their judgments in-character.
posted by firechicago at 6:41 AM on April 1, 2020 [19 favorites]
I love the idea of food disguised as other food. I've read stories and seen pics of—for example— "meatloaf cakes" where the loaf is shaped into layer cake pans, stacked and "frosted" with savory mashed potatoes to visually look like a white birthday cake. It's all the same food, the same flavors, the same traditional and expected combinations. It just looks completely weird.
Any other ideas for food disguised as other food? (Not anything deliberately gross, like orange marmalade with anchovies)
posted by SoberHighland at 6:42 AM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
Any other ideas for food disguised as other food? (Not anything deliberately gross, like orange marmalade with anchovies)
posted by SoberHighland at 6:42 AM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
The April Fools crap stopped being funny years ago (assuming they were funny to begin with). We have an entire year-round fake news industry, no need to designate one day for it.
posted by tommasz at 6:53 AM on April 1, 2020 [12 favorites]
posted by tommasz at 6:53 AM on April 1, 2020 [12 favorites]
You want cake? Binging With Babish shows you how to make Invisible Pie from Hook. (Spoiler: He makes no bake cheesecake which is cake only in name, but is an improvement over the original film's pie, which was just whipped cream with food coloring.)
posted by dannyboybell at 7:48 AM on April 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by dannyboybell at 7:48 AM on April 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
today's my birthday and my food-related thing is i wanted to make these chocolate buns and give some to my roommate and my sister's family to cheer them up a bit, and also so i could eat them, but i won't have time today (the joke of going from no work at all last week to too much work). hopefully this weekend.
disguised and not disgusting food sounds really cute and fun and i think i found a plan for next year!
posted by gaybobbie at 7:59 AM on April 1, 2020 [3 favorites]
disguised and not disgusting food sounds really cute and fun and i think i found a plan for next year!
posted by gaybobbie at 7:59 AM on April 1, 2020 [3 favorites]
The podcast 20,000 Hz, a very interesting podcast typically about sound, changed their podcast for the day to 20 Parts Per Thousand and made a (fascinating) episode about smell.
posted by Lutoslawski at 8:10 AM on April 1, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by Lutoslawski at 8:10 AM on April 1, 2020 [3 favorites]
When GameStop closed the ThinkGeek website, several people lamented that April Fools' wouldn't be the same without them.
How little they knew.
posted by cheshyre at 8:19 AM on April 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
How little they knew.
posted by cheshyre at 8:19 AM on April 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
In non-prank news, we're doing an indoor scavenger hunt over on MetaTalk.
posted by cortex at 9:10 AM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by cortex at 9:10 AM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
> I thought r/AskHistorians changing to r/AmITheHistoricalAsshole for the day is pretty good, and hits the right light tone.
Okay, those are pretty hit-or-miss, but the "AITA For Questioning Everything?" thread is a thing of beauty.
posted by ardgedee at 9:14 AM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
Okay, those are pretty hit-or-miss, but the "AITA For Questioning Everything?" thread is a thing of beauty.
posted by ardgedee at 9:14 AM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
"Can we agree this year's April Fool's pranks will consist only of delicious desserts disgusted as boring, less-delicious foods?"
Erm...was that typo part of the prank?
(Or should I cue up McBain “That’s the joke.”)
posted by darkstar at 9:30 AM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
Erm...was that typo part of the prank?
(Or should I cue up McBain “That’s the joke.”)
posted by darkstar at 9:30 AM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
darkstar: I don't know!
Freenode, the chat network, has a puzzle competition up today:
Freenode, the chat network, has a puzzle competition up today:
The first clue is:posted by brainwane at 9:47 AM on April 1, 2020V2VEb250TGV0Q09WSUQxOVJ1aW5BRlA=
The theme this year is, Ancient Cultures & Mythology
I put googly-eyes on my mailbox and a "Slow Children At Play" sign this morning.
I also tucked a fake lobster in our fridge, as is the tradition here.
*shrug* It's lean times, man.
posted by wenestvedt at 9:48 AM on April 1, 2020 [7 favorites]
I also tucked a fake lobster in our fridge, as is the tradition here.
*shrug* It's lean times, man.
posted by wenestvedt at 9:48 AM on April 1, 2020 [7 favorites]
I love the idea of food disguised as other food.
Okay. Sure. But how do you feel about people disguised as other people? Not so great then, is it?
posted by Naberius at 9:56 AM on April 1, 2020
Okay. Sure. But how do you feel about people disguised as other people? Not so great then, is it?
posted by Naberius at 9:56 AM on April 1, 2020
I thought Dog Rates did a great job on their prank, on twitter and instagram.
posted by duien at 10:33 AM on April 1, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by duien at 10:33 AM on April 1, 2020 [3 favorites]
Yesterday evening, and then several times this morning, we had a general warning through the loudspeaker not to play any of the tricks customary on the First of April. Level 7 cannot afford the spreading of false rumours. No April fools on Level 7.... No, no fooling on Level 7. This is a serious place. No tricks, no jokes, no April fools. We are all wise down here, even on April 1.-Mordecai Roshwald, Level 7
Or are we? Perhaps we are April fools all round the year. We are deceiving each other. We are doing it all the time. X-107 is deceiving me and I am deceiving him. And the soft-voiced lady on the loudspeaker is deceiving both of us. We all pretend not to feel what we do feel—and know that we feel. We are doing it all the time.
We do not deceive just other people; we deceive ourselves. Each of us is making a perpetual April fool of himself, the biggest one imaginable. Each tells himself lies which he pretends to believe, though he knows they are lies.
Quite right: no April fools on Level 7. Level 7 is the place for all-the-year-round fools.
posted by jackbishop at 10:39 AM on April 1, 2020 [3 favorites]
For ages, folks in the YT comments section have been clamoring for some of the Bon Appétit cooks to swap shows for April Fools Day and they actually did it!
posted by merriment at 10:41 AM on April 1, 2020 [6 favorites]
posted by merriment at 10:41 AM on April 1, 2020 [6 favorites]
Not being motivated, yet yerning for carrot cake, and having no carrot-toting rabbits about forthwith to rob; I took out the wee nib of cream cheese that was still good and made a bit of frosting because that's the best part anyway.
The one cat that decided to clean up the empty bowl.has survived so all is good in the should household.
posted by mightshould at 11:58 AM on April 1, 2020 [3 favorites]
The one cat that decided to clean up the empty bowl.has survived so all is good in the should household.
posted by mightshould at 11:58 AM on April 1, 2020 [3 favorites]
brainwane: A toilet paper cake.
These can be upgraded by adding a cupcake
posted by wenestvedt at 12:16 PM on April 1, 2020
These can be upgraded by adding a cupcake
posted by wenestvedt at 12:16 PM on April 1, 2020
My daughter was reading the current issue of Owl magazine and it said for a good April Fool's joke get a cupcake and put mustard on it instead of icing. She has a mustard allergy and wasn't amused.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 1:31 PM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 1:31 PM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
Late last night I logged onto Overwatch to find all the playable characters now had big arts & craftsy googly eyes pasted to their faces. Even Hanzo's mystic dragon projectiles got 'em.
This made me happy, and is probably about the edgiest thing I can handle for April Fools right now. I'm glad most people seem to realize April Fools is canceled this year.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 1:36 PM on April 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
This made me happy, and is probably about the edgiest thing I can handle for April Fools right now. I'm glad most people seem to realize April Fools is canceled this year.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 1:36 PM on April 1, 2020 [2 favorites]
I've Pet That Dog: "I would love to gently pet Teddy Bear."
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 1:44 PM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 1:44 PM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
Mordecai Roshwald, Level 7
That novel mildly traumatized me as a child. Recommended.
posted by Splunge at 2:14 PM on April 1, 2020
That novel mildly traumatized me as a child. Recommended.
posted by Splunge at 2:14 PM on April 1, 2020
I think a good dessert thing would be to take two slices of pound cake, fill with lemon curd or yellow frosting, put grill marks on it, and make them "grilled cheese sandwiches".
posted by Karmakaze at 6:50 PM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Karmakaze at 6:50 PM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
I quite enjoyed this tweet of a wicked April Fools knock and run.
posted by hippybear at 7:03 PM on April 1, 2020
posted by hippybear at 7:03 PM on April 1, 2020
The Data is Beautiful subreddit has been on fire today. Members were challenged to make charts of life during lockdown, preferably using items they found around the house.
Pie chart of how much fresh bread I have remaining
Time spent looking at exponential graphs through 2020
Noms/day since hoomans began staying home
There's lots more. I recommend taking a scroll through the sub for some laughs.
posted by rednikki at 9:01 PM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
Pie chart of how much fresh bread I have remaining
Time spent looking at exponential graphs through 2020
Noms/day since hoomans began staying home
There's lots more. I recommend taking a scroll through the sub for some laughs.
posted by rednikki at 9:01 PM on April 1, 2020 [1 favorite]
A student in my online class messaged me today to ask if it's true that all public school students will have to repeat their grade next year.
The worst April Fool's Day prank.
posted by subdee at 10:09 PM on April 1, 2020
The worst April Fool's Day prank.
posted by subdee at 10:09 PM on April 1, 2020
Two more jokes:
The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment continued their series exploring the instruments by introducing the Baroque spoons. Commenters also continue the joke; my favorite one was "Ah, you are playing the early 18th century fretless version."
Watch It Played, a board game rules-explaining channel, did a rules explanation for Monopoly. Monopoly is despised by many boardgame hobbyists, but the video is completely straight-faced and just explains the actual rules. It's 18 minutes long; everyone may think they know it from childhood, but Monopoly is not actually that simple a game!
posted by amk at 3:48 AM on April 2, 2020 [1 favorite]
The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment continued their series exploring the instruments by introducing the Baroque spoons. Commenters also continue the joke; my favorite one was "Ah, you are playing the early 18th century fretless version."
Watch It Played, a board game rules-explaining channel, did a rules explanation for Monopoly. Monopoly is despised by many boardgame hobbyists, but the video is completely straight-faced and just explains the actual rules. It's 18 minutes long; everyone may think they know it from childhood, but Monopoly is not actually that simple a game!
posted by amk at 3:48 AM on April 2, 2020 [1 favorite]
"what if instead of april fools day we had april fowls day, where we just, post and appreciate nice fowl?
here, I’ll start..."
posted by brainwane at 4:30 AM on April 2, 2020 [1 favorite]
here, I’ll start..."
posted by brainwane at 4:30 AM on April 2, 2020 [1 favorite]
The "Collector's Edition" of XKCD is a world you can explore and there are ways you can change that world too. Explain XKCD has hints and tips.
posted by brainwane at 6:52 AM on April 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by brainwane at 6:52 AM on April 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
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Now is not the time for pranks. Now is the time for cake.
posted by Fizz at 6:31 AM on April 1, 2020 [15 favorites]