No Fooling today . . . here's some truth in package labelling and there's more too !
Because, why would anyone want artificial almonds in a breakfast cereal? The only fake almonds I found online were not the edible type (no fooling). It's always amazes me that things like this are not made up. Funnies are all around.
As most know, today, April Fools' Day/April Fool's Day (depending on which style guide you consult) is an annual custom at the start of April, marked by practical jokes and hoaxes, and pranksters shouting April Fools!
Sadly, mass media (and advertisers too) can be involved in these pranks. This now infamous story has been widely repeated before, including by myself. Being of Italian descent, it's always made me laugh. Grenville told me his father had his mother believing it to be true.
One of the most famous pranks is the BBC’s “spaghetti harvest” segment in 1957 on the BBC current affairs program, Panorama. A news broadcaster told his British audience that Ticino, a Swiss region near the Italian border, had had “an exceptionally heavy spaghetti crop” that year. The camera cut to footage of people picking spaghetti from trees and bushes, then sitting down to eat some “real, home-grown spaghetti.”
Back then, pasta was not widely eaten in the UK. Some Britons were unaware spaghetti is pasta made from wheat flour and water. Viewers phoned the BBC, some to comment that the story was false, others asked how to grow a spaghetti tree. CNN has reportedly called it the biggest hoax that any reputable news establishment ever pulled.
However, April 1 goes for you, hopefully it's not on the receiving end of any pranks. In recent weeks, humor has been in short supply worldwide. Take time to laugh. It's good for you
Enjoy Your Weekend, Everyone
Mid-50s daytime on the weekend; 30s overnight; no Spring here
22 comments:
That is such a funny story about the spaghetti tree hoax that the BBC played. I had to check on Wikipedia to see that they really did play this video in 1957 on April Fool's Day. They really did. Wow. What a wild little April Fool's Day story. Thank you for that.
I wish there really was a spaghetti tree. I'd have a couple planted in my yard. Pasta is one of my favorite treats. Enjoy your day my friend, hugs, Edna B.
It amuses me here when the local Mennonite farmers advertise their maple syrup as "Pure Maple Syrup" or "Sweet Maple Syrup". I am still searching for the impure, sour version. I'll let you know when I find it.
I would like to have one of these, ha ha.. I have never seen or heard this before and also have never heard anything on a tv show that was a joke. we all now that if they put this on FB these days most would believe it.
The BBC had quite a reputation for April Fools jokes at one time. Another of their pranks involved astronomer Patrick Moore who claimed that at a certain time during the morning the planets would align in such a way as to affect gravity and if you jumped in the air at precisely the right moment you would float. On another occasion they said that Big Ben was being replaced by a digital clock and the familiar chimes would be replaced by electronic bleeps.
It’s snowing here, which is the typical Mother Nature April Fool’s trick on us.
That is a funny prank! Don't think I'll endure any pranks today though. We are quite serious about most things over here.
I enjoyed your post. I feel tired today so won't be fooling anyone today.
I've never heard of this spaghetti harvest prank. It's a good one. Hope you've had a prank free April 1. hugs-Erika
A spaghetti tree! That's a good one. ;)
I heard of that prank.
That must have been hilarious when people realized the truth! However, I think the Mainstream Media today is always playing fast and loose with the truth...but we won't go there. This was funny. Thanks for sharing it with us. It's good to get a good laugh. A spaghetti tree! LOL. Happy April Fool's Day! I can't believe no one has played any tricks on me today! We must be getting too old. LOL
My mother was Canadian but kind of raised in the British tradition. I don’t think we had pasta except maybe tinned macaroni. I could be misremembering a bit though — about the Mac, I mean.
You had me laughing there..spaghetti on trees - well I never!
I know. Packaging makes me crazy. They say the "same price" and it is -- but two ounces less. Or "More pepperoni on each piece!" but they are changing the size of the pans or the number of cuts! It's funny. Except it's not.
I like the story of the spaghetti trees. Of course in southern Italy they have macaroni trees. One of the best April Fool's was the imaginary island of San Serriffe near the Seychelles, the subject of a detailed tourist guide in the Guardian in 1977.
Thanks for the laugh...laughter is scarce these days, so we must grab it with both hands when and where possible! :)
I remember when Spaghetti Bolognese first became popular...became known here in this country. Oh! How we loved it from the get-go! :)
That pasta story is very funny. Being in holiday mode, we forgot about April Fools :-)
That pasta story is fabulous. You've got to be careful with bogus news stories, since people can be mighty gullible.
Yes I agree that there are funnies in packaging everywhere. My husband was fooled on the day. He belongs to a face book group from his hometown in Switzerland, they said from now on you have to pay to belong to the group. Bill said, "I'm not doing that". The next day he was told it was a prank. I remember the spaghetti tree hoax. Must have something to do with the Swiss Psyche.
Beatrice, Good example with the 'fresh almonds' on the cereal. I do remember the spaghetti tree...but that does date me just a bit! One of my favorite ads these days are "Free Alarm System"...except for installation and a 3 year monitoring contract with a penalty if you quit sooner. TV is full of ads that say..."Buy this product for only $29.99 and we'll ship it for free and if you buy it now, we'll include a related item for "free". Do folks really think that these extra costs aren't calculated into the initial price of the offering? Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
I laugh about labels like that too -- glad to know somebody else shares my sense of humour. However April Fools Day left me cold this year -- there is so much fake news going around these days that it really isn't anything to joke about.
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