Fake News... Can be... Fun?

Throughout the year, Critical Engagements has explored fake news and misinformation, and the various insidious ways it eats away at our society: climate change deniers, anti-vaxers, misrepresentations of the actions and beliefs of groups in our society, the erosion of trust in journalism, universities, and other trusted sources of information, and more.

But today, we’re taking a different angle on fake news. Sometimes, misinformation, especially an elaborate ruse meant to hoodwink large swaths of the population for nothing more than enjoyment, can be fun. Sometimes, it can lift our spirits when we buy into something for just a moment, then realize how gullible we were, and finally smile and say to ourselves, “That was a good one.” Sometimes, when "fake news” is called by another name, like “April Fools’ Day jokes,” we get a kick out of it. So today—April Fools’ Day—the fake news holiday—we share some classic April Fools’ pranks that have gone down in history. We’re sure you’ll be left smiling and saying “that’s a good one.”

The Left-handed Whopper: In 1998, Burger King took out a full-page advertisement in USA Today announcing their new menu item—a Whopper designed for south paws. The sandwich was rotated 180 degrees and the toppings were arranged in a mirror orientation to the original in order to accommodate the eating habits of lefties. Thousands of lefties (and maybe a few righties looking to live dangerously) went to their local Burger Kings asking for the new menu item, only to realize they were had by fake news.

Jovian-Plutonian Gravitational Effect: According to celebrated and trusted British television personality and amateur astronomer Patrick Moore, on April 1, 1976, the perfect alignment of Jupiter and Pluto would cause, on Earth, a temporary reduction of the effect of gravity. He even told his BBC audience that those who jumped up in the air at 9:47 am would notice a floating sensation as a result. The BBC reported receiving hundreds of phone calls of people saying they noticed the decreased gravity… before it was announced that it was just a hoax.

Taco Liberty Bell: In 1996, the corporate sponsorship of anything and everything was on the rise in America.** It was also a time of particular popularity for the rarely-out-of-fashion claim that government spending was out of control and the national debt would cripple our country. It was amid the confluence of these two aspects of American society that Taco Bell seized the moment and hatched the perfect April Fools’ Day stunt. Taco Bell took out full-page ads in several major newspapers on April 1 to announce that, in an effort to reduce the national debt, they were buying the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia—that hallowed symbol of American independence—and they were going to rename it the “Taco Liberty Bell.” Of course, the ad caused a visceral reaction. Thousands telephoned the National Park Service and Taco Bell to decry the spoof arrangement… until noon, when it was announced that Taco Bell was just playing with us.

**For those too young to remember, the White Sox played at Comiskey Park, not Guaranteed Rate Field, and the Orange Bowl was not the FedEx Orange Bowl or the Discover Orange Bowl or the Capital One Orange Bowl.

NPR’s “Why Doesn’t America Read Anymore?” Article: In 2014, NPR posted a story on their Facebook page with the headline “Why Doesn’t America Read Anymore?” Those who clicked on the story found a note telling readers that it seemed like people were commenting on news stories without actually reading the content. So, NPR decided to have some fun with this by asking those who actually read the story not to comment and simply “like” the story. Then, NPR and those who had read the story could watch the mayhem develop in the comments section. As you can imagine, comments akin to “We totally do, NPR. Shut up. We read all the time. We're reading your article right now!” appeared on Facebook comments. Happy April Fools’ Day.

Mt. Edgecumbe Eruption: This may be the most elaborate April Fools’ Day prank in history. Porky Bickar, a Sitka, Alaska, practical joker planned for four years to fake the eruption of a local dormant volcano—Mt. Edgecumbe. He needed the perfect day when the weather would be just right. So, on April 1, 1974, when he saw beautiful clear skies, he put his plan in the action. He worked with a team of co-conspirators to take a helicopter up to the mountain to ignite a ton of old car tires in the crater. The result was thick, black smoke that rose from the dormant volcano. Residents of Sitka, who saw the smoke and thought Mt. Edgecumbe was active again, started to worry. The Coast Guard was also alerted to the volcano's activity. When the Coast Guard sent a helicopter up to inspect, they found a large tire fire and, in 50-foot letters spray-painted in the snow, “APRIL FOOL.”