A List of Pranks That Actually Made Me Smile on April Fools’ Day

Happy “We Know You Already Have Trust Issues So We’re Gonna Make You Even More Paranoid” Day!

Yes, today is the time-honored tradition of giving major side-eye to everything that gets announced. As entertaining as April Fools’ Day is supposed to be (I think? It’s supposed to be fun, right?) many of us end up annoyed at the attempts companies/brands make to be, checks notes, funny.

That’s not counting the people in our everyday lives, some with harmless dad-joke humor and others swearing up and down that they’re pregnant/were in a car accident/have, sigh, COVID.

However, in the minefield that is April Fools’ Day this year, there are some legitimately fun “pranks” by folks who remember that this is supposed to be a humorous day where the joke isn’t made at the expense of other people’s feelings. The announcements aren’t real, and honestly, you know that already when you see the post because it’s so outlandish, but the creativity behind it makes it feel like it’s worth engaging in.

And, well, the effort put into it is fun, not malicious or cheap.

Here’s a few that I’ve enjoyed today.

• Adult Swim Junior

Right off the bat, I have to give props to the folks over at Adult Swim. They’ve been coming up with over-the-top pranks for April 1st for years. From airing the cinematic masterpiece that is The Room (multiple times), to that year where they fooled us all by not having a prank at all, you can tell that they’re trying to do something legitimately entertaining.

This year’s gag is one of my favorites, if not my absolute favorite, as they revealed their campaign for Adult Swim Junior. This kid-friendly programming block lets children get back into the pool, so go away, pesky adults! You’d think it’d be a marathon the likes of Baby Kermit and friends, and, well, it kinda is … except with their adult animation block. They actually took the time to show off their shows, but now, all the characters are children, so much so that Harvey Birdman is a junior associate instead of a full-fledged attorney at law.

Worried about gratuitous violence? Don’t worry, they’re just ripping up teddy bears!

They also, according to this Entertainment Weekly article, redubbed the Rick and Morty episode “Total Rickall” with kid actors. The episode premiered Thursday morning (midnight), oh, and the YouTube page is now called Adult Swim Junior.

Now that’s dedication.

• Duolingo Roll

Have you been wanting to learn a new language but just haven’t had the time? Don’t worry, Duolingo’s got you covered! The language app has come up with the perfect way to learn when you have to go … number one or number two, that is. The Duolingo Roll lets you learn while you’re on the toilet, after all, studies show that we spend, on average, 14 minutes a day there (at least according to Duolingo’s tweet). Why not use that time to study the toilet paper you’re about to use?

This is sure to be a great conversation starter.

• Razer Rapunzel Chroma Hair Dye

I have questions.

-If I delete the app, does the hair color disappear?

-I see there are only three steps: apply to hair, connect to app, and customize. Is there no “wash dye out of your hair” step? Do I just leave it in forever?

-How well does this work on 4c hair?

-Will there be updates to try out more effects?

-Is there a subscription service/fee per month to use the app?

• BIDOOF

Go and scroll down the Pokémon timeline on Twitter.

Please.

I beg.

• top 10 ainme of the week

I’m thrilled to see Coraline, Hornymiya, and SK8 into You on the list! Those have all been covered in my weekly anime round-up. Truly, they deserve this moment.

Anime bonus: Funimation rounded up a bunch of anime April Fools jokes for the day right over here!

• #PJCon

FINALLY a convention I can go to this year, #PJCon2021. I’m really excited about the “taking breaks” panel because lord knows that’s a lesson I need to learn. I’m also all about that snacking for an hour event (though I hope that panel runs overtime for more snackage).

Bring your own PJs, y’all!

• #sandinghacks

Have you ever stopped and wondered, “Damn, how do they make those amazing props?” Well, you’re in luck because #sandinghacks reveals that you probably have everything you need right in your pantry!

If you don’t want to use a food item because food is meant for your tummy, I feel that, and honestly, agree with you. I can’t be out here wasting perfectly good PB&J, you know? So here’s another helpful tip I found for those of us who wanna savor the sriracha or not bring avocados into their house.

Happy prop making, everyone!

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I’m sure there will be more pranks throughout the day—hopefully more that fall more into the “I’m actually laughing” category and not “I hate this f*cking day.” I know I know, it’ll probably be more irritating than fun, but I hope something on this list made the day a bit more bearable.

(Image: Adult Swim)

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Briana Lawrence

Briana (she/her - bisexual) is trying her best to cosplay as a responsible adult. Her writing tends to focus on the importance of representation, whether it’s through her multiple book series or the pieces she writes. After de-transforming from her magical girl state, she indulges in an ever-growing pile of manga, marathons too much anime, and dedicates an embarrassing amount of time to her Animal Crossing pumpkin patch (it's Halloween forever, deal with it Nook)

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