APRIL
FOOLS' DAY
April 1st
April Fools Day has been a fun celebration for
decades. Practical jokes and other foolish activities mark the morning
hours of April 1st. Superstition has it that all foolish behavior
must stop by noon or the roles will be reversed and the joke will
be on you!
Nonsense abounds in our 21st Century culture and April
Fools Day offers the groups, organizations and individuals committed
to minimizing the nonsense and gobbledygook in our world, a chance
to educate and enlighten the public through fun events and activity.
It also provides us with an opportunity to commemorate Steve Allen
by officially recognizing Dumbth as the Book of the Month.
Another focus of April Fools Day is the Fools
Fest campaign organized by AdBusters.
The Fools Fest goal is "to tweak the nose of power and authority"
People from across the continent participate in unusual activities
such as throwing money at people! A description of the campaign from
the AdBusters web site reads:
"The
pie brigades have come, and their number is legion. Heads of state
get slapped with cherry cream; captains of industry go home wearing
lemon meringue. The message is always the same: you, fat cat, and
you, top banana - with this pie we hereby remind you that you are
only human. That's life. So eat it."
A Parody of the Paranormal:
Though it's shunned upon by some, ridicule
can be a powerful tool and April Fools Day offers an outlet to employ
parody and satire in a constructive way. Through skit, fun activity
and wacky presentations, consider how your group can mimic the nonsensical
ideas that circulate within the paranormal communities and accompanying
the activity with hand-outs and informational materials thereby serving
to educate others about many of the pseudosciences and other unsupported
ideas.
Blunder Expo:
"To err is human" wrote Shakespeare and yes indeed,
we humans can often make silly mistakes and do stupid things! Politicians,
the media, celebrities and other people living in the public eye are
especially prone to blunders. Blunders have even changed the course
of history. A Blunder Expo can help draw attention to the mistakes
and foolishness that have plagued our kind and possibly work to minimize
such behavior in the future. It also provides an opportunity to promote
critical thought - one of our many tools in helping to avoid mistakes
and stupidity.
Monty Python Film Festival:
What better way to celebrate April Fools Day than to sit and watch
those masters of the absurd and foolish tweak the noses of society,
religion, and politics, and still have room for a fish dance or two!
With today's abundance of videocassettes and DVDs that showcase the
best of Monty Python on film and television, take a few days or a
weekend out as a group to gather in front of the television, serve
up your favorite snacks, and watch the unofficial comedy troupe of
the freethought movement.
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