April Fools 2010 Hoaxes

Will and Guy's April Fools 2010 Hoaxes

Here are Will and Guy's predictions of hoaxes that you will see on April Fool's Day 2010.

• Barbary Apes
• Spoof Documentaries and Exposés in 2010
• Computer Hoaxes for April Fool's Day 2010
• Marketers Use April 1st to Launch Real Products
• Fake Scientific Inventions
• Spurious Invitations
• Sweeping Bad News Under the Table

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 2010 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 2010

Because of their rigid discipline the army are always a good source of April Fools hoaxes, therefore expect 2010 to be no different.

Bearskin Helmets Need Trimming

Soldier magazine revealed that the fur on the bearskin helmets worn by the Irish guards while on duty at Buckingham Palace keeps growing and needs to be regularly trimmed, 'The most hair-raising fact about the bearskins has been discovered by scientists recently.  The skins retain an original hormone, which lives on after the animal has been skinned. Scientists call it otiose and it is hoped it can be put to use in medical research — especially into baldness.'

Will and Guy have discovered that the article also quoted Major Ursa who noted, 'Bears hibernate in the winter and the amazing thing is that in the spring the skins really start to sprout.'

The photos to the right shows a guard before and after his bearskin has had a trim.

Spoof Documentaries and Exposés in 2010

Will and Guy say watch out on April 1st 2010 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 Vagas, 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 2010

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 + PrintScreen. 
  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 + Printscreen.
  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.
• Cuckcoo clock - Install this computer joke application.

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 in America.

Fake Scientific Inventions

Beware of machines to make diamonds from sand, or gismos which turn lead into gold.  Perhaps 2010 is the year when that old gadget that turns water into wine resurfaces.

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.

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).

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.

Footnote:
Please send us your 2010 April Fool's Day hoaxes

See more April Fool's Day jokes, hoaxes and funny stories:

• April Fools 2010 Hoaxes   • 2009 Hoaxes   • Classics   • April Fool's Day pranks   • Spaghetti Tree

• April Fool's Day jokes   • Pictures of hoaxes   • Aliens   • F-15 Hoax   • TV Color   • Piltdown Man