I understand the desire for a bit of levity given our current dilemma, and I recognize the exaggeration in your narrative. Though, IMHO, the “April Fools” gag depends on some moment at which the subject feels silly for considering seriously the prospect of, say… Liver Flavored Tic-Tacs, for example.
The “out gossiping” phenomenon is the SOP for the current crowd in power. RFK Jr., via Bots, Bitcoin, and other nefarious players, “gossiped” his way to power. He will cost many lives with the path he has shown he will follow. You could substitute any of the protagonists in your piece into the same scenario. They make money via misinformation (gossip), and people’s lives will either be ruined or terminated as a result.
In the early 1980’s a bandmate (Jewish) of mine posted a flyer organizing “Jews for Hitler” on April 1 to supposedly correct some of the misinformation that was being circulated. In response to local outrage and no small amount of media coverage, he (working on his history degree in Toronto) then responded with the narrative and extensive documentation of how there WAS, in actuality, a “Jews for Hitler” organization formed to support the mustache man in his run-up to absolute power.
It was a mixed bag in terms of response from his friends and family. Overall it went over pretty poorly, which was unfortunate given the opportunity for education that it offered.
Either way, thanks for your efforts.
In a world in which The Onion can hardly compete with the regular news…
Paul, It is indeed sad that satire and reality have blurred so much in the time we are living through. I understand that this piece hits too close to home and might end up actually saddening some folks further instead of cheering them up- thank you for highlighting that sensitivity. Also, sorry to hear about what happened with your bandmate. It is a pity that so many of what would be otherwise easily implementable solutions to our problems are just blocked by outrage and an unwillingness to listen :(
A lot of noise, aka gossip, does seem to capture a lot attention. Have many Americans become captive to this noise, rather than thinking for themselves and asking if the truth is being shared or just made up gossip?
From reality show, with a totally fabricated back story, to the Oval Office. Lies all the way up and all the way down.
With more Americans either voting against trump or not voting at all, we are now living with these consequences, which is going make life much harder for the vast majority of us.
Of course attacking education is part of the plan. The undereducated far prefer gossip to facts.
Thinking for yourself is hard work as it is. On top of that, social media fueled outrage hijacks the brain, while dismantling education takes away any chance of a defense. These are dark times indeed. I recently met a journalist who said that if I wanted to understand the division in the US today then I need to watch Fox news. She said that while we intellectually understand that people live in bubbles, we actually have no idea how bad it gets :-/
Not sure if it's supposed to be part of the joke, but that isn't Nate Hagens in the 3-hour video. There is a ca. 17-hour video series between Nate and Daniel on TGS, tho.
Glad I could bring a smile to your face Joe! :) TBH our chat about the need for humour and Tiddalik the other day was partly the inspiration for me writing this post!
I understand the desire for a bit of levity given our current dilemma, and I recognize the exaggeration in your narrative. Though, IMHO, the “April Fools” gag depends on some moment at which the subject feels silly for considering seriously the prospect of, say… Liver Flavored Tic-Tacs, for example.
The “out gossiping” phenomenon is the SOP for the current crowd in power. RFK Jr., via Bots, Bitcoin, and other nefarious players, “gossiped” his way to power. He will cost many lives with the path he has shown he will follow. You could substitute any of the protagonists in your piece into the same scenario. They make money via misinformation (gossip), and people’s lives will either be ruined or terminated as a result.
In the early 1980’s a bandmate (Jewish) of mine posted a flyer organizing “Jews for Hitler” on April 1 to supposedly correct some of the misinformation that was being circulated. In response to local outrage and no small amount of media coverage, he (working on his history degree in Toronto) then responded with the narrative and extensive documentation of how there WAS, in actuality, a “Jews for Hitler” organization formed to support the mustache man in his run-up to absolute power.
It was a mixed bag in terms of response from his friends and family. Overall it went over pretty poorly, which was unfortunate given the opportunity for education that it offered.
Either way, thanks for your efforts.
In a world in which The Onion can hardly compete with the regular news…
April Fools is a tough trick to pull off.
Paul, It is indeed sad that satire and reality have blurred so much in the time we are living through. I understand that this piece hits too close to home and might end up actually saddening some folks further instead of cheering them up- thank you for highlighting that sensitivity. Also, sorry to hear about what happened with your bandmate. It is a pity that so many of what would be otherwise easily implementable solutions to our problems are just blocked by outrage and an unwillingness to listen :(
Great read. I actually think this is true and half the Connection Engine is built around the idea of spreading the right kind of gossip :)
Indeed. And in fact, that part of the article isn't even satire. There is indeed research that shows gossip serves important societal functions :D
A lot of noise, aka gossip, does seem to capture a lot attention. Have many Americans become captive to this noise, rather than thinking for themselves and asking if the truth is being shared or just made up gossip?
From reality show, with a totally fabricated back story, to the Oval Office. Lies all the way up and all the way down.
With more Americans either voting against trump or not voting at all, we are now living with these consequences, which is going make life much harder for the vast majority of us.
Of course attacking education is part of the plan. The undereducated far prefer gossip to facts.
Thinking for yourself is hard work as it is. On top of that, social media fueled outrage hijacks the brain, while dismantling education takes away any chance of a defense. These are dark times indeed. I recently met a journalist who said that if I wanted to understand the division in the US today then I need to watch Fox news. She said that while we intellectually understand that people live in bubbles, we actually have no idea how bad it gets :-/
Lies, Damn lies and Social Media! 😊
As the famous modern day saying goes *Don't look up ! "
Not sure if it's supposed to be part of the joke, but that isn't Nate Hagens in the 3-hour video. There is a ca. 17-hour video series between Nate and Daniel on TGS, tho.
I know Jan. But I wanted to tag Nate Hagens and factual accuracy wasn't the focus of the essay anyway, so... :D
Funny. Enjoyed reading this. Gossips attract immediate attention and spread lending them credibility. A good piece.
Thanks dad :)
Happy Ape Thrills Day to you my friend ...forgetting to remember have a bloody good laugh and say Bollocks to it all😁😍😂😊👍
Well, it made me smile!
[Although I did also find it somewhat believable, which says something too].
It might be worth noting that in the story of Tiddalik the giant frog, it is indeed laughter that saves the day ...
Glad I could bring a smile to your face Joe! :) TBH our chat about the need for humour and Tiddalik the other day was partly the inspiration for me writing this post!
😂
This is so funny 😂. A delightful read in the midst of depressing news everyday, everywhere!