April Fools Day parade - The Art of the Prank

March 29, 2012December 15, 2023

Florida Family Association Brands April Fools’ Day Parade “Progressive Liberals”

From Joey Skaggs: Based on the hate-mail I received, apparently because the Florida Family Association featured the April Fools’ Day Parade on their website, I expect to see the FFA protesting at the parade. If so, I’m sure the crowd will elect them hands-down winner as this year’s collective King of Fools. They seem to confuse satire with Satan.

From the Florida Family Association:

Liberal New York April Fools day parade to mock Florida Family Association for public opposition to TLC”s All-American Muslim.

The progressive liberals in New York have added Florida Family Association leader David Caton to a list of people to mock in their April Fools day parade because of the organization”s public opposition to TLC”s All-American Muslim.

The PRNewswire reports in part:

The 27th Annual April Fools’ Day Parade will begin at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street at 12 noon, Sunday, April 1, 2012. Rain or shine, the parade will march down Fifth Avenue to Washington Square Park for the climactic selection of the King or Queen of Fools from the costumed marching look-alikes.

The marching celebrity look-alikes will include M.I.A. and Adele flipping the bird; Rush Limbaugh yelling “You slut!”; Arizona Governor Jan Brewer wagging her finger; Sara Palin citing Paul Revere revisionist history; Florida Family Association leader David Caton protesting anything Muslim; Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour bound to his pardoned prisoners as he sings Sam Cook’s “Chain Gang.” Following the parade down to Washington Square Park will be a brigade of New York City’s Finest led by Officer Anthony Bologna, pepper spraying the crowd.

Here’s a sampling of the hate mail:

Continue reading “Florida Family Association Brands April Fools’ Day Parade “Progressive Liberals””

March 24, 2012December 15, 2023

NY April Fools’ Day Parade To Be Largest Yet!

From Joey Skaggs:

New York City’s 27th Annual April Fools Day Parade

Occupy Washington Square Park!

For three decades, New York City’s Annual April Fools’ Day Parade has offered the public an opportunity to express, in a comical way, its outrage against the foolishness of mankind. Thousands of participants in look-alike costumes with satirical floats creatively mock the thoughtless, corrupt and selfish acts of the past year.

Kicking off noon on Sunday, April 1, the parade marches down 5th Avenue from 59th Street to Washington Square Park where revelers party to demonstrate against new rules that restrict the First Amendment rights of performing artists in the park. It will end with the annual crowning of the King of Fools.

Spread the word!

Read the press release here.

March 8, 2012December 15, 2023

NYC’s 27th Annual April Fools’ Day Parade Marches To Occupy Washington Square Park!

From Joey Skaggs:

SUMMARY:
For three decades, New York City’s Annual April Fools’ Day Parade has offered the public an opportunity to express, in a comical way, its outrage against the foolishness of mankind. Thousands of participants in look-alike costumes with satirical floats creatively mock the thoughtless, corrupt and selfish acts of the past year. Kicking off at noon on Sunday, April 1, the parade will march down 5th Avenue from 59th Street to Washington Square Park where revelers will party to demonstrate against new rules that restrict the First Amendment rights of performing artists in the park. It will conclude with the annual crowning of the King of Fools. Spread the word!

PRESS RELEASE:
The 27th Annual April Fools” Day Parade will begin at Fifth Avenue and 59th Street at 12 noon, Sunday, April 1, 2012. Rain or shine, the parade will march down Fifth Avenue to Washington Square Park for the climactic selection of the King or Queen of Fools from the costumed marching look-alikes.

The New York April Fools” Day Parade was created in 1986 to remedy a glaring omission in the long list of New York”s ethnic and holiday parades. These events fail to recognize the importance of April 1st, the day designated to commemorate the folly of mankind. In an attempt to bridge this gap and bring people back in touch with their inherent foolishness, the parade annually crowns a King or Queen of Fools from parading look-alikes. The King of Fools from the 2011 parade was Speaker of the House John Boehner.

“Every year the parade gets bigger and more outrageous. There’s never a shortage of fools,” says Joey Skaggs, parade organizer.

Continue reading “NYC’s 27th Annual April Fools’ Day Parade Marches To Occupy Washington Square Park!”

April 3, 2011December 15, 2023

The Artiness of Naughtiness Radio Show

The Artiness of Naughtiness
BBC Radio
April 1, 2011

Toby Amies discovers how tricksters have turned the poking of fun into an art form.

Produced by Rob Alexander and hosted by Toby Amies, this 30:00 radio show is now available here for listening.

There are pranksters who have been determined to show us our folly all year round and most have philosophical, political and artistic reason to do so… Toby investigates this reasoning behind pranking – discovering why people will risk consequences as serious as prison to make a point or get a laugh. Sometime the motivation behind a prank is not always only a good laugh at someone else”s expense. It can be a very serious business.

March 30, 2011December 15, 2023

April Fools’ Day Parade — Noon Friday!

From Joey Skaggs:

Rain or shine, The 26th Annual April Fools’ Day Parade kicks off from 5th Avenue and 59th Street Friday, April 1 at noon.

Alert: We have so many Charlie Sheen look-alike volunteers that we’ve added a Charlie Sheen look-alike contest in Washington Square Park right after the parade. See you there!

Link to the press release