April Fools
IN 1760 Poor Robin’s Almanack taught its
readers:
The first of April, some do say,
Is set apart for All Fools’ Day.
But why the people call it so,
Nor I, nor they themselves do know.
But on this day are people sent
On purpose for pure merriment.
Whilst no one knows the origins of April Fools’
Day, let’s celebrate it by looking at some of the humorous
websites that satirise British politics and culture. Some of these
sites include personalised delivery by email, mobile phone, and
PocketPC and PalmOS devices. Most of them include adult content.
The Brains Trust is edited by "cowards who
hide behind pseudonyms, but some of us work in high political
places", and their motto is "Trust Us. We Know". They
publish their satirical online newspaper fortnightly on www.TheBrainsTrust.co.uk/.
Typical stories bear headlines like "Tory Party Votes ‘No
Confidence’ in Country," "Bush Issues Recall of ‘Dodgy’
US Constitution" and "‘Bored’ JK Rowling to Kill Off
Harry Potter in Sixth Book."
DeadBrain is "The UK’s Least Reliable
News Source", published daily on www.DeadBrain.co.uk/.
Prominent are spoofs and parodies of Britain’s latest headlines,
for example "US to Occupy Newly-Discovered Planet: Halliburton
Awarded Mineral and Water Rights," "Iain Duncan Smith to
Join Cast of Teletubbies" and "Dr Who Declares SARS
Defeated."
The Spoof publishes comic send-ups of news and
politics, on www.TheSpoof.com/.
"Big Brother to Decide Next Prime Minister," "Morecambe
and Wise to Head Re-Vamped BBC Saturday Night TV" and
"Kelly & Jack Sent to Brat Camp" are typical
headlines. Readers are invited to write stories themselves.
Wreckered is the topical humour magazine from
Scotland, taking pot shots at the news, sport, celebrity, fashion
and motoring on www.Wreckered.co.uk/.
Here you’ll read the likes of "Yoko – I Made Lennon
Quit," "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Seen on A9"
and "Cricket: How Exactly Does It Work?"
The Framley Examiner claims to be the authorised
website of the local newspaper serving the village of Framley, on www.FramleyExaminer.com/.
Besides typically local stories like "Terrible Twins Are Two
Good to Be True!" and "Tidy up After Your Pet" there
are merchants’ adverts ("Staff Nurse: We are hinting a
enthusiastic person to join our overworked staff casualties
department. Previous experience in bandaging up doctors would be an
advantage") and classifieds ("Good quality armchair with
two scatter cushions and great big boring husband, £60").
The Tudor Times is parody newspaper covering the
days of Henry VIII ("For Sale: Letters of a King to a
Boleyn"), Elizabeth I ("Like, A Virgin!!!!") and
William Shakespeare ("New Playwright Panders to Prevalent
Profane Preferences"), on www.TudorTimes.com/.
The Voice of Reason, whose "aim is to
offend everyone equally", publishes an assortment of newspaper
clippings from bogus tabloids and broadsheets, on www.TheVoiceOfReason.co.uk/.
"Gay Soap Star Can’t Wait to Get Home to His
Girlfriend," "Blair Is Told to Ban Humus" and
"Charles Talks Exclusively to Us: ‘It’s Been the Worst 30
Years of My Life’" are samples of what this website offers.
Popkult is a collection of three satirical
websites, "infrequently updated" on www.PopKult.co.uk/.
Rough Planet features lampoons of travel guides, featuring
the new guidebook to the West Country, where a week can seem like a
lifetime. Transatlantic Dictionary is a course on a new
language that combines British and American vocabulary in a mix of
UK and US pronunciation, with "the voice is raised at the end
of each spoken clause as if in a traditional UK English
question." And Lobsterlicker is a fashion catalogue
"for urban taste dignitaries."
World War III in Colour delivers the final
chapters of human history, as it happens, on www.fallingcity.com/w2iiiinc/.
"British RAF Delayed Due to Late-Running Preceding
Service" is one headline. "India, Pakistan Agree to Bomb
People, not Nukes" is another. This website’s publishers
invite readers to submit stories.
John Fanzine skewers current trends and fads, on
www.JohnFanzine.com/.
"‘Storkism’ to Be Taught in British Schools" and
"Britain’s Ley Lines ‘Worst in Europe’" are typical
headlines. "HELLOK! parodies Britain’s tabloid press.
"TV Wonder" lists days’ worth of satirical programme
titles. "Neural Netto" is an online shopping service for
unreal products like AlcoHorlicks or Belinda McCartnivore
Vegetable-Free Vegetables.
Finally, there a few parody sites no longer
maintained by remaining available online. The Daily Harbinger
was a daily spoof newspaper that took a twisted look at British news
and sport, on http://DailyHarbinger.tripod.com/.
The Commentary Box was a fortnightly webzine about sport,
politics and dead celebrities, on www.TheCommentaryBox.co.uk/.
Dystopian Society News Network was a satirical newswire
service, on http://members.tripod.com/~Dystopian_Society.
AUTHOR: Dr Richard Tracey is an
educational researcher based in Carlsbad, California. His email
address is rtrac3y@hotmail.com.
The Union Jack’s email address is ujnews@ujnews.com.
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