April Fools’ fun: 10 pranks caught on camera
From military homecoming surprises to clever disguises, these 10 sweet prank videos will have you smiling from ear to ear.
Humankind, USA TODAY
Air guitar lessons? Brewery body care products? And a job listing for a cat herder?
It’s all part of April Fools’ Day, when companies and big name brands attempt to outduel each other for the funniest fake product announcements.
Hellmann’s Mayonnaise with Butterfinger kicked off the pun parade on Thursday and the silliness has been spreading ever since.
Companies pretty much took a pass on April Fools’ Day in 2020 with the COVID-19 shutdown sinking in. But last year, as the nation began opening up a bit, the stunts returned in full force with funny gags such as Velveeta cheesy skin products and Bud Light pizza flavored seltzers.
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April Fools’ Day deals you don’t want on your skin
For this year’s April Fools’ tomfoolery, personal care is again a top target.
Meat lovers would always be able to exude the aura of a pitmaster with Omaha Steaks’ trio of Meat Sweats “perspirants” that come in the aromas of steak, mesquite and lighter fluid.
Omaha Steaks is rewarding customers who check out their website with 50% off orders Friday. “It might be April Fools’ Day, but delivering value and flavor is no laughing matter,” the company said in a statement.
Yuengling pranked how it could take the shower beer to the next level with “hoppily brewed” Lagér by Yuengling shampoo, conditioner and body wash. Each “utilizes Yuengling’s very own Fountain of Youth as its main ingredient, Natural Spring water from the historic Yuengling Spring in Pottsville, PA,” the company said in a press release.
“We saw that Yuengling Lager fans love the beer so much, they take it into the shower, so it was a great opportunity for us to create an innovative way for Yuengling lovers to experience our iconic beer,” offered Bob Seaman, the brewery’s director of innovation & product development.
Unfortunately – or fortunately – when you check online, the product is already sold out (surprise!).
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Bud Light lands another silly April Fools’ Day seltzer
Seltzers are big and so is the Netflix series “Bridgerton.” So Bud Light teased a timely new pack of beverages to watch while binging: The Bud Light Seltzer Really Really Retro Pack with flavors including Afternoon Tea, Queen Cake, Duke Delight and Courtship Cocktail, which are “the perfect accompaniment to your next ball.”
Prankish opportunities with cats, NFTs
You’ve heard the saying “like herding cats?” Careerbuilder.com posted a humorous hiring: Cat herder.
Among the qualifications: familiarity with feline best practices (locating expensive items on high shelves, staring at a door, deciding whether to go in or out and a tendency of being aloof)” and being “adept with using a laser pointer.”
If you visit the Guitar Center website, there’s a new laughable learning opportunity: finetuning your air guitar skills. While it’s a joke that the company is expanding its lessons program for those who don’t have musical instruments, the Guitar Center does hope to get you interested in music.
“Air Guitar is a Breeze: Learning an air instrument is just April Fools’ fun,” the site says, “but getting you playing is no joke-get started on a non-air instrument today.”
And Australian based Lessons.com posted a free “lesson” on how to explain NFTs (non-fungible tokens) to older relatives. “We’ll begin by providing you with a few basic metaphors to describe digital ledgers and the applications that they allow,” the site promises. “From blockchain to NFTs, we’ll help you to explain nascent technologies as articulately as a neanderthal explaining how to use stone tools to his toothless cousin.”
The main takeaway from the lesson: “Remember these four key words, ‘It’s probably a scam’.”
Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @mikesnider.
