This week: It's Just a Joke? Edited by: NaNoKit More Newsletters By This Editor
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What is the funniest prank you have ever been on the receiving end of? Have you ever pranked anyone else? How did it go?
Not all pranks and jokes are funny, unfortunately. Some can cause harm and destruction.
This week's Drama Newsletter is all about the good and the bad of joking around.
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Did you do anything for April 1st this year? Did you prank anyone? Did you get pranked? It is not my favourite time of the year, because I don’t really like pranks. I understand that they’re meant to be fun, but it doesn’t always work out that way. Besides, these days many people want to capture anything and everything on camera, and I’m not into that either, so it’s a double no from me.
I may sound like a miserable person. I’m not, I promise. I like to have a laugh. I even like surprises. I’d probably be okay with something very small and light-hearted. I have, in fact, participated in two April 1st events this year. Just, I’m cautious. I am fortunate that my family and friends aren’t into April Fools stuff, but I know that there are people out there who have a very different idea of a fun prank than I do.
It may be hard to believe, but here in the UK organisations actually feel the need to post warnings to please not prank your partner/family/friends by telling them that you want to divorce/break up, that you’re pregnant, that you’ve been in a horrible accident or make them think that you’ve died. You’d think nobody would want to send their loved ones on such a rollercoaster of emotions, but apparently there are those who think it’s funny. There have been employers who told their staff that they’re fired, who were then surprised that said staff packed up their belongings and left. Mind you, such ‘jokes’ are not limited to April 1st. I recently read about a guy whose fiancée told him it was over, packed a suitcase and moved in with a friend. Said friend soon after posted on social media that the guy had cheated. His family and other friends got in touch with him, many of whom were very angry with him. The man was, naturally, confused and devastated. A couple of days later he received a call. The fiancée wanted to meet up with him, talk things over. When he got there, he walked right into a surprise party. All the horribleness had been a joke, to hide that she was busy organising the event for him. She could not understand why he wasn’t thrilled…
My April 1st has been rather less dramatic than that. A Formula 1 racing team offered a gift to fans that seemed like a joke, but I decided to go for it anyway and it’s paid off; I’m getting a cute little item in the mail soon. And Reddit had an event where people could create pixel art and okay, that did get a little dramatic.
The event took place over the space of four days and as a psychology student it was fascinating to watch it evolve and to participate here and there. Small groups of people organised and created small arts together. Larger groups tried for more space. Flags spread all over the canvas. Alliances were formed, defence pacts negotiated. As the canvas doubled and then doubled again some beautiful artworks appeared. I helped the Dutch create and defend a pixelated form of Rembrandt’s The Night Watch. The Star Wars art was brilliant. Among Us fans managed to sneak in tiny crewmates everywhere. There was the cute, the weird and the plain bizarre. The Void appeared, vanished and reappeared. The Canadians took four days to get their flag right, bless them…
Some Twitch streamers got involved and caused chaos, mayhem and destruction. One of my favourite tiny arts – the hat-selling mouse from Stardew Valley - got destroyed in the process. I actually felt sad at its disappearance, and I wasn’t the only one. Ego can be a terrible thing, and the streamers’ need to make an impact – to manipulate the place and put their stamp on it – triggered a fight-back.
The mouse returned. There was an odd kind of order for a while. Then, the end. Pixel by pixel the canvas returned to its original white, blank state.
There’d been nothing, which triggered creation. Creation which triggered destruction. Destruction which drove people to rebuild. It resulted in… nothing.
Except, there had been something. All manner of aspects of human nature were on display during those four days. And there had been beauty. I am glad that I took a screenshot of it before it vanished.
Maybe participation was futile. Perhaps I, and all of those who placed pixels, were fools. I don’t think so, though. It was fun, and an experience that is difficult to explain. I guess you had to be there.
I sure am glad, though, that the writings I place on Writing.Com don’t just disappear!
NaNoKit
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The Drama Newsletter Team
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