On April 1, 1989, Richard Branson, the then 36-year-old chairman of Virgin Records, built a midget that looks like a UFO. When the ‘alien’ landed near London, motorists were terrified and the police were bombarded with phone calls. In the commotion that ensued, a certain lady was reported to have been so shocked by the incident that she stood in front of her window without any clothes on! She was describing the UFO to a radio station.
It is just few days to April 1, 2015. What are you up to? Whatever it is, bear in mind that April fool’s Day should be an opportunity for you to foster friendship. Many pranks add flavour and spice up our lives but some are not always a laughing matter. Everything depends on what you encode and how it is going to be decoded by your receiver.
The question is; how do you know when it will work and when it won’t? Are you planning to engage in April Fool’s humour at all?
April Fools’ Day is marked around the world every first day of April. It is usually characterized by tricks and pranks played on friends, family members and fellow workers. Despite its popularity, the origin of April Fools’ Day has different versions. Some say it began with the Romans and the Hindus change in season. Others maintain that it began when Pope Gregory introduced a new calendar for the Christian world in 1562, changing New Year to January 1. History has it that the news of the change was not instantly received although some recipients merely ignored or forgot the message hence they fell victims of false invitations to non-existent ‘New Year’ parties and exchange of gifts.
The prank custom later spread to England,Scotland, American colonies of the English and the French. In France and Italy, if someone plays a trick on you, you are the ‘fish of April’. In Scotland, April Fools Day lasts for two days! The second day is called ‘Taily Day’ and tricks on this day involve the bottom (or the ‘tail’ in informal speech). For instance, a sign saying ‘kick me’ is secretly pinned on your back. Of course you know what that means, ha ha ha!
In Spain and Mexico, it is said that similar celebrations take place on 28 December. It is called the Feast of the Holy Innocents. It commemorates the slaughter of the innocent children by Herod in his search for the baby Jesus. It has become known as a lighter commemoration of innocence involving pranks and tricks.
In modern times, the tradition has become so widespread that people look forward to it.
April Fools classics date back to 1965, when the BBC TV played a prank by announcing the advent of “smellovision.” ‘Smellovision’, they said would be bringing ‘aroma’ not just visuals to TV viewers across the nation. Many people believed the broadcast which turned out to be a joke.
Small tricks on friends and strangers alike on April 1 is equally common here in Nigeria. Different tricks exist among schoolchildren, peergroups and colleagues. It is highly recommended that April Fool jokes should be good, clean fun. The best trick is the one where everyone laughs; no victor, no vanquished.
Used skillfully, April fool humor can help cement family bond, establish rapport with your colleagues in the office, promote brands and maintain royalty. It can ease tension and help in re-energizing and remobilizing the workforce.
It can help underscore a business key point or message.
It is a sure way to arrest, retain attention and increase interest in what you are saying.
It is a good way of letting your customer or employees see your human side. And when you convey any information with humor it is more likely to be remembered.
However, you must be careful because when you misfire in the name of ‘April fool’ it can sink your reputation and harm your credibility.
HAVE A GOAL: Use the April fool opportunity to make a point, one that advances your overall company’s business objective. When you do, your customers are likely to get the point you are making and would appreciate you for that.
KNOW YOUR TARGET: This will help you to tailor your joke and make it relevant.That presumes you’ve done your homework. You know your audience’s demographics, background, tastes and prejudices.
Therefore you can easily predict their reactions.
AVOID THE BANDWAGON: If you do not feel like it, don’t do it because everyone else is doing it.
Don’t play a prank for the sake of a prank. Rather, have a script and stick to it. Otherwise, you’ll appear to be trying too hard, and your prank will serve only as a distraction. People have the tendency to resist when they think you’re just trying to pull their legs.
BE SENSIBLE AND SENSITIVE: Avoid offensive humor. Avoid issues that would be perceived as sexist,ethnic, religious or political. Respect should be your watch word.
FOLLOW YOUR INSTINCT: When in doubt, even the slightest doubt leave it out. Whether its about the trick or who is involved, do not degrade others with your words or actions. Some people are always uncomfortable with anyone who plays pranks, no matter how trivial. Therefore, you must ascertain who your receiver is.
Trust me, with a little imagination, there’s no end to the fun you can create on April fool’s Day. The more relevant you make it the better for your ‘victim’. Aim with a view to harness and not harm, inspire and not expire. Your ability to create a balance with your tricks without hurting anyone’s feeling is an indication of a strong social skill. You can positively and effectively communicate your thoughts, words and action to your ‘April fool’. Yes you can!
CHIAMAKA BOBBY-UMEANO
