april-fools-day

Lies Will Save the Newspaper Industry!

Pareene · 04/02/08 09:18AM

Every year, on April Fool's Day, the Vail Daily of Vail, CO, prints some funny fake stories in the paper, because no news happens in Vail anyway so no one really minds. This year, they printed an eight-page supplement of made-up bullshit. "It was also a money-maker, boasting numerous advertisements, including two full-pagers inside," according to Editor & Publisher. Printing entire sections of lies have long been profitable for newspapers, which is why so many of them have "Health" sections. But sometimes, truth slips through. After the jump, the UK Telegraph's list of April 1 stories that were actually true, no matter how much we wished they weren't.

Buy This Magical Lou Dobbs Tortilla Before It Is Deported

Ryan Tate · 04/01/08 06:43PM

This EBay listing would so be worth the $100 minimum bid if real, but clearly God did not scorch Lou Dobbs' image into a tortilla manufactured in New Jersey and purchased in Bushwick. Points to the April-Fools-Day-inspired poster for noting that the immigrant-bashing CNN anchor, unlike the tortilla, "contains trace amounts of Trans Fat, and yes on Cholesterol and Fats." Also, greater than trace amounts of xenophobia. Larger images after the jump.

Today's Most Tolerable April Fool's Pranks

Pareene · 04/01/08 04:29PM

Above, the official front page of Sam Zell's media concern, Tribune Company, renamed, today, ZellCoMediaEnterprise. Their false front page amused us the most primarily for its thinly-concealed tone of pessimism&mcash;check out the Tribune DEBToMETER! Also: funny pictures of dogs. Bucking the internet cat trend! After the jump, a couple more of the better-crafted 2008 April Fool's Jokes of the Web:

Nominations: April Fool's Nonsense

Pareene · 04/01/08 11:57AM

So. We're not paying much attention. What are the best hoaxes, pranks, japes, and frolics of today? The British papers do anything simply devilish? Any website manage to come up with a funny prank? Let us know, in the comments. No YouTube or Google, please. We'll run a poll later today.

Surviving April Fool's Day

Pareene · 03/31/08 12:15PM

Tomorrow is April Fool's Day, traditionally a day of amusing media hoaxes and journalistic pranks. The English press, as usual, does it better, but Jack Shafer's 2007 roundup of how not to look the fool provides some good examples of American merry-making. It's ok when the newsmedia lies to you if they're funny about it, after all. Even the internet gets involved! After the jump, a few selected web hoaxes from last year, and how to avoid getting taken in this year, you sucker.