Pranks
APM Studios
Happy April Fool’s Day! Just kidding, we know it’s October. But that doesn’t stop Joy from celebrating April Fool’s Day all year round — especially with lots of banana peels and whoopee cushions! Join Joy and co-host Michalea as they explore how the prankiest day of the year might’ve started. They’ll hear about some of the most epic pranks throughout history, from hot dog-flavored fizzy drinks to spaghetti-growing trees. Plus, Brains On! host Molly Bloom drops by to talk about how posting fake information online is bad news. And last but not least, another mischievous game of First Things First!
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JOY DOLO: And that's the last time I trust Gumpy to make cheesecake. I know he's just a pile of gum that magically came to life Frosty the Snowman-style. But that's no excuse. That cheesecake he made was terrible.
MIKAYLA: I know, Joy. I can't believe he just frosted an entire wheel of Parmesan cheese.
JOY DOLO: He really should have used mozzarella. Anyhoo, we're here, Mikayla. Welcome to the Forever Ago Studio.
[DOOR OPENING]
MIKAYLA: Wow, it's so spiffy in here-- fancy microphones, big, cushy headphones, banana peels all over the floor. Wait, why are there banana peels all over the floor?
JOY DOLO: Oh my goodness. Who would ever leave all these banana peels here? I really hope I don't slip on one and-- whoa-- fall. [LAUGHS] That was so much fun. I got to try that again.
MIKAYLA: Joy, did you leave all these banana peels here?
JOY DOLO: Maybe. Definitely. I'm really into pranks right now, specifically pranking myself, which is kind of hard to do, but I'm trying to keep myself on my toes. [LAUGHS] Oh! Or off my toes. [LAUGHS]
MIKAYLA: Love this for you. I'm just going to tip toe around these.
JOY DOLO: Fair enough. Slipping on banana peels isn't everyone's cup of tea. Whew, what a day. Time to take a load off.
[SQUELCHING]
MIKAYLA: Is your chair made from whoopee cushions?
JOY DOLO: Uh, is Darren Hayes my favorite member of the hit '90s pop band Savage Garden? Yes. I love him. Look, my whoopee cushion chairs even recline.
[SQUELCHING]
MIKAYLA: Ooh, nice.
JOY DOLO: But wait, there's more. It's also a massage whoopee cushion chair. See?
[SQUELCHING]
(VIBRATING) Oh, it's so relaxing.
MIKAYLA: OK, this is ridiculous and awesome.
JOY DOLO: Everybody needs a little R&R.
MIKAYLA: Rest and relaxation?
JOY DOLO: Ridiculousness and relaxation. (VIBRATING) Ahh.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
You're listening to Forever Ago from APM Studios. I'm your host, Joy Dolo. And I'm here today with my co-host, Mikayla from Oak Park, Illinois!
MIKAYLA: Hi, Joy!
JOY DOLO: And today, we're talking about pranks and specifically the prankiest day of the year, April Fools' Day.
MIKAYLA: Uh, Joy? It's October.
JOY DOLO: Mm, yes. And?
MIKAYLA: April Fools' Day is in April, April 1 to be exact.
JOY DOLO: Why be a prankster for one day when you can prank all year round? Plus, if we talked about April Fools' Day on April Fools' Day, people might think it's a joke. And I'm so serious right now.
MIKAYLA: You're literally sitting in a chair made of whoopee cushions surrounded by banana peels.
JOY DOLO: Yes. And?
[SQUELCHING]
Don't worry. That was the chair, Mikayla. Excuse me.
[SQUELCHING]
Mikayla, what do you think of April Fools' Day?
MIKAYLA: Um, I like it. My parents always are the ones that prank me, though.
JOY DOLO: Oh, yeah? What kind of pranks do they do? Do you have a favorite?
MIKAYLA: The only one they ever do is wake me up and say it's snowing outside.
JOY DOLO: [GASPS] That's so mean. [LAUGHS] Do you like pranks?
MIKAYLA: Uh, yes, even though I've never really done one before.
JOY DOLO: Do you have one in mind that you might think about doing? Like, there's the classic whoopee cushion. There's the good old banana peels like I've just done.
MIKAYLA: I have thought about doing a slime bucket.
JOY DOLO: [GASPS] OK, so we have a slime bucket. So would we-- were we thinking of doing it on Mom or on Dad?
MIKAYLA: Probably my dad.
JOY DOLO: Oh, yeah. He could handle a slime bucket. OK, this is what we got to do, Mikayla. We got to get a bucket. And then we can just get some water and cornstarch and mix it up, put some food coloring in there. You can just tape the bucket on top of the doorway.
And when he's walking through it, you get one of those Nerf guns. And when he walks through, shoot the Nerf gun at the bucket, boom, on his head-- prank. Next, what do we do to Mom? I'm just kidding. [LAUGHS] That's a good plan, right?
MIKAYLA: Yes.
JOY DOLO: [LAUGHS]
MIKAYLA: Definitely.
JOY DOLO: Well, if you ever need help with pranks, I can definitely help you. Slime is a good way to go. And pranking parents is really fun.
MIKAYLA: Yes.
JOY DOLO: Well, to prank somebody means to do a trick on them.
MIKAYLA: Usually, the prank is lighthearted and fun.
JOY DOLO: Like putting a whoopee cushion on someone's chair or putting a slime bucket in the doorway of your dad, or replacing all of your family photos with pictures of Darren Hayes from the hit '90s pop duo Savage Garden.
MIKAYLA: Or like this. Hey, Joy. I just sent you the cutest TikTok of a corgi making croissants.
JOY DOLO: A croissant corgi? I got to see this.
[UPBEAT MUSIC]
Wait. This is "Never Going to Give You Up" by Rick Astley. Mikayla, did you just rickroll me?
MIKAYLA: Prank!
JOY DOLO: [LAUGHS] Prank, more like thanks. Because I love being pranked. The word "prank" might have come from an old Dutch word meaning to strut or to show off.
MIKAYLA: That makes sense. Pranks are like little performances. But what about April Fools' Day? Where did that come from?
JOY DOLO: We don't know exactly where the prankiest day of the year came from, but we have a few ideas. One theory is that April Fools is connected to ancient Rome. Back in the times of horse-drawn carriages, chariots, and togas, the ancient Romans celebrated the holiday Hilaria, which is Latin for joyful. It was basically a big festival at the end of March to celebrate the coming of spring and warmer weather. People would play games, dress up, and even do imitations.
SUBJECT 1: OK, OK, OK. Here's this one. I came, I saw, and I totally conquered.
SUBJECT 2: [LAUGHS] That's a great Caesar impression. Do Cleopatra next.
JOY DOLO: So that's one possible inspiration for April Fools. Another idea is that April Fools' Day is connected to Sizdah Bedar. That's a special celebration which marks the last day of the Iranian new year around the end of March and beginning of April. People have been celebrating for thousands of years by having picnics outside and pulling small pranks on each other.
MIKAYLA: Picnics and pranks? Sign me up.
JOY DOLO: Right? Another theory is that April Fools' Day is linked to something that happened a long time ago in France. It was the 1500s. This is the era of William Shakespeare and big frilly collars. Back then, France celebrated the new year at the end of March.
MIKAYLA: Which would have lined up with the end of winter and the beginning of spring-- new flowers, new year.
JOY DOLO: Makes sense. But soon, a new calendar came along. And in that calendar, the new year began on January 1.
MIKAYLA: So France decided to start using this new calendar, which meant they started celebrating New Year's in January too.
JOY DOLO: But news of the calendar switcheroo was slow to travel, so there were still some people who celebrated the new year in the spring, in April. And as the story goes, these folks were called fools, April fools.
SUBJECT 3: Happy New Year! Whoo!
SUBJECT 4: Oh, Francois. You're such a fool. Haven't you heard? New Year's is on January 1 now.
SUBJECT 3: Zoot! A whole new calendar? What's next? Are frilly collars going out of style?
JOY DOLO: So those are just a few ideas of where April Fools' Day might have come from, from ancient Rome or Iran or France. Like a lot of history it's murky, but not dark, scary, murky-- fun, exciting murky.
MIKAYLA: Yeah. So many different cultures throughout history have had spring celebrations that are about laughter or pranks.
JOY DOLO: It's just like they say-- spring in your step, and whoopie in your cushion. [SQUELCHING]
MIKAYLA: Uh, who exactly says that?
JOY DOLO: Me! [LAUGHS] Now, just wait until you hear about some of the most epic April Fools pranks ever. But first, it's time to play--
SUBJECT 5: First Things First!
JOY DOLO: So this is the game where we take three things from history and try to put them in order of which came first, second, and most recent in time. Today's three things are practical joke toys. We've got my favorite, whoopee cushions, those air cushions that make farting noises, hand buzzers-- that's a little device that gives someone else a little buzz when they shake your hand-- and snakes in a can, which were cans that looked like nuts or chips, but when you open them a fake snake popped out. Which do you think came first, which came second, and which came most recently in history?
MIKAYLA: I think snakes in a can came first.
JOY DOLO: OK.
MIKAYLA: Whoopee cushions came second. And hand buzzers came last.
JOY DOLO: Hmm, that's interesting. So walk me through your thought process. So we have snake in a can first as the oldest. Why do you think that one's the oldest?
MIKAYLA: I don't know. It just doesn't sound like it has a lot of technology involved.
JOY DOLO: Mm, yeah. All you need is a can and some snakes.
MIKAYLA: Yeah.
JOY DOLO: Fake snakes.
MIKAYLA: Yes.
JOY DOLO: [LAUGHS] If it was real snakes, that would be a mean joke.
MIKAYLA: Yes.
JOY DOLO: OK, so we have the snake in the can first and then whoopee cushion second. Is there a reason why you planted that one right in the middle?
MIKAYLA: It's kind of easy to make. I don't know how it's easy to make. It just sounds like one of the easy ones.
JOY DOLO: Yeah, that makes sense. Actually, it reminds me of a balloon. Have you ever done that with a balloon, where you hold the tip of it and it makes that kind of fart noise?
MIKAYLA: Yeah.
JOY DOLO: Yeah. Somebody must have just thought of making that into a whoopee cushion. And then hand buzzers to you seem like they're probably the most recent, huh?
MIKAYLA: I don't really know why. It just is the most-- has the most energy, like technical stuff.
JOY DOLO: Mm-hmm. Yeah, it might even need a battery or something. So that would be something more technologically advanced, I guess. Well, those are some great guesses. And we'll hear the answers at the end of the episode right after the credits.
MIKAYLA: So stick around.
JOY DOLO: We're working on an episode all about jobs that used to exist in the past, but don't exist anymore today. But we want to know what jobs do you think will exist in the future that don't exist today? Mikayla, what do you think? Any ideas about jobs of the future?
MIKAYLA: I think a pet designer home person, like a person that designs homes for pets, like comfortable homes.
JOY DOLO: Comfortable homes for pets? I love this idea because I have three pets. That's such a great idea. Listeners, record yourself describing what job you think will exist in the future, and send it to us at foreverago.org/contact.
And while you're there, you can send us episode ideas, questions, and drawings. Maybe you want to draw a picture of a whoopee cushion with my face on it-- exciting! Or maybe you want to draw a picture of a pet designer house. What would your pet design house look like? Send it to us at foreverago.org/contact.
SUBJECT 6: Brains On Universe is a family of podcasts for kids and their adults. Since you're a fan of Forever Ago, we know you'll love the other shows in our universe. Come on. Let's explore.
SUBJECT 7: Here we are in Brains On Universe, home to my favorite podcasts. Brains On. Smash Boom Best. Forever Ago. I found one.
[VOCALIZING]
SUBJECT 8: (SINGING) Brains On.
SUBJECT 7: Brains On, a science podcast for kids and families.
SUBJECT 8: Let's start with our pal, the sun.
SUN: Did somebody call their favorite star? It's me, the sun.
SUBJECT 8: The sun is made up of very, very hot elec--
SUBJECT 7: [GASPS] Oh, what a great show. Need more Brains On now!
[BLASTING OFF]
SUBJECT 6: Listen to Brains On wherever you get your podcasts.
JOY DOLO: You're listening to Forever Ago. I'm Joy.
MIKAYLA: And I'm Mikayla.
JOY DOLO: And today, we're talking about pranks and the prankiest of days, April Fools' Day.
MIKAYLA: There are lots of ideas from around the world about how April Fools' Day started.
JOY DOLO: It might be linked to spring celebrations in ancient Rome or the Iranian new year.
MIKAYLA: Others think it comes from the French switching their calendars about 500 years ago.
JOY DOLO: No matter how it got started, April Fools' Day has brought mischief for centuries. On this day, people often pull pranks on each other.
MIKAYLA: Like putting a rubber snake in someone's bed.
JOY DOLO: Ooh! Or stuffing cotton balls into the toes of somebody's shoes so they think their feet grew.
MIKAYLA: Or swapping the frosting in a cookie with mayonnaise.
JOY DOLO: Oh, no! That's not a prank. That's an act of culinary violence.
MIKAYLA: Oops, sorry, Joy. I forgot about your never ending and totally one-sided feud with mayo.
JOY DOLO: You are forgiven. Sometimes news organizations even publish made-up stories on April Fools. In 1878, a newspaper published a fake story reporting that Thomas Edison, who invented the light bulb, made a new machine that could turn dirt into food.
MIKAYLA: And in the age of the internet, some people post fake pictures, articles, or advertisements online on April 1.
JOY DOLO: In 2024, Krispy Kreme donuts advertised that they'd glaze anything you brought in-- pizza, watermelon, a cheeseburger, you name it. And 7-Eleven said it was releasing hot dog-flavored sparkling water.
MIKAYLA: Sparkling hot dog water? That's a good prank.
[DOOR OPENING]
MOLLY BLOOM: Did someone say prank?
JOY DOLO: Oh, it's my pal and Brains On host Molly Bloom. Come on in. Oh, wait. Watch out for the--
MOLLY BLOOM: The 37 banana peels on the floor or those whoopee cushion chairs? Way ahead of you. I'm always on the lookout for potential pranks.
JOY DOLO: Good eye.
MIKAYLA: Molly, what's in your hands? Is that a crate?
MOLLY BLOOM: It's actually my soapbox.
JOY DOLO: Molly is an avid soap collector.
MOLLY BLOOM: Bergamot lavender is my favorite. I couldn't help but overhear you talking about April Fools' Day. And let me just say, I come here with a warning. April Fools' has gotten out of hand.
[GASPING]
And I just wanted to get up on my literal and metaphorical soapbox to say so.
MIKAYLA: So that's why you brought the soapbox.
MOLLY BLOOM: All the better to pontificate from, especially about April Fools.
JOY DOLO: What? But you love pranks. Remember how last week you put my stapler in jello? It was awesome.
MOLLY BLOOM: It's true. I love pranks, but April Fools' Day not so much. In my humble opinion, it's become an irresponsible holiday.
MIKAYLA: Well, since you're up on your soapbox, the floor is yours.
MOLLY BLOOM: [CLEARS THROAT] Thank you. You see, there have been lots and lots of different April Fools' pranks throughout history. The French stick paper fishes on each other's backs. And in Scotland, they pin tails on one another. You might send somebody across town to deliver a letter, except there's nothing written on the letter. That's called a fool's errand.
JOY DOLO: Paper fishes, tails, fake errands.
MIKAYLA: Joy, are you taking notes?
JOY DOLO: Yeah. These are great ideas for future ways to prank myself.
MOLLY BLOOM: But it's not just everyday pranksters pulling pranks. You see, as April Fools grew in popularity, our ability to spread pranks grew too. We had newspapers, then radio, and eventually TV came along. And this is where the problems really started. One of the first April Fools' pranks that appeared on television was from the United Kingdom back in 1957.
Back in the 1950s, televisions were still pretty new technology, but more and more people had them in their homes. They were mostly in black and white. This is when the British Broadcast Company, also known as the BBC, aired a TV report from a small town in Switzerland. Here's an actual recording of it.
SUBJECT 9: It isn't only in Britain that spring this year has taken everyone by surprise. Here in the Ticino on the borders of Switzerland and Italy, the slopes overlooking Lake Lugano have already burst into flower, at least a fortnight earlier than usual.
MOLLY BLOOM: See, it seems like a regular TV news story, just some footage of a cute, small Swiss village and lots of flowering trees-- pretty normal stuff. But then it gets pranky.
SUBJECT 9: But what, you may ask, has the early and welcome arrival of bees and blossom to do with food? Well, it's simply that the past winter, one of the mildest in living memory, has had its effect in other ways as well. Most important of all, it's resulted in an exceptionally heavy spaghetti crop.
MIKAYLA: Spaghetti crop? Like spaghetti noodles just growing on trees?
MOLLY BLOOM: Yep.
SUBJECT 9: The last two weeks of March are an anxious time for the spaghetti farmer. There's always the chance of a late frost, which, while not entirely ruining the crop, generally impairs the flavor and makes it difficult for him to obtain top prices in world markets. But now these dangers are over, and the spaghetti harvest goes forward.
MOLLY BLOOM: In the fake TV news story, there's these trees and bushes that just have long strands of spaghetti noodles hanging off of them.
MIKAYLA: And people are picking the noodles and putting them in baskets.
MOLLY BLOOM: Now, to some people, this might seem a bit far fetched, clearly a joke. Spaghetti on trees? Get out of here. Spaghetti is made by grinding wheat, making flour, and forming it into long strands. But it's important to remember at the time, many people outside of Italy didn't know much about spaghetti, and they weren't familiar with Italian food in general.
MIKAYLA: So did people think this was real?
MOLLY BLOOM: Some did. The BBC aired this segment as part of its regular programming with its regular announcer, just like any other news programming would. So some viewers in the UK thought it was real.
SUBJECT 10: Look. Look. They're growing spaghetti on trees.
SUBJECT 11: Spaghetti on trees? I want a Swiss spaghetti plant of my own. I got to call up the BBC and see how I can grow my very own spaghetti crop.
MOLLY BLOOM: Other people were not as amused.
SUBJECT 12: This is a disgrace. The British Broadcast Company is a serious news program. They have a responsibility to be factual, not foolish.
JOY DOLO: OK. That's a bummer some people missed out on a joke. But it was all in good fun, right? There's so many funny examples, like when a public radio news show ran a fake story that untapped maple syrup trees in the US were exploding from too much sap.
SUBJECT 13: An untapped tree is a time bomb ready to go off. Untapped maple trees can explode like gushers.
JOY DOLO: Or when Burger King joked they would start making left-handed burgers for all the lefties of the world.
MOLLY BLOOM: I agree those stories can be fun, but especially with the internet things get tricky. Just because we post something on April 1 doesn't mean that's when people find it. They might see it the next day, a week later, maybe even months later.
MIKAYLA: So when people see it later, they might not be on the lookout for pranks, and they might just think it's real.
MOLLY BLOOM: Right. People turn to news organizations for facts and accurate information. So if they're posting fake information, even as a lighthearted prank, people might start to trust them less.
JOY DOLO: Yeah, that's not a good look. Tricking people into believing a fake story can feel mean.
MIKAYLA: Or like you're the butt of the joke if you don't get it.
MOLLY BLOOM: Exactly. Pranks are fun, but fake stories online, we don't need them. I say let's take April Fools off our screens and back into real life where pranks belong.
JOY DOLO: Yeah! There's plenty of pranks we can do IRL. Speaking of, Molly, I think you have something on your back. Let me just--
MOLLY BLOOM: Not so fast, Joy. You're totally going to stick that paper fish on my back. I saw you cutting it out earlier.
JOY DOLO: Wow. You're a pro, Bloom.
MOLLY BLOOM: I told you. I'm always looking out for pranks. Now, if you could excuse me, me and my soapbox have an appointment with Mark and Sanden. I have very strong opinions on dill pickles that need to be heard.
MIKAYLA: Thanks for joining us, Molly.
MOLLY BLOOM: Thank you. And don't forget to watch your back, especially you, Joy.
JOY DOLO: Watch my back? Hmm. [GASPS] My back! Molly, did you pin this tail on my back? I love it. I love nothing more but to be pranked. [SNIFFS] Thank you, Molly.
MOLLY BLOOM: Molly be out.
JOY DOLO: The word "prank" means to trick or show off.
MIKAYLA: Nobody knows exactly how April Fools started, but it could be connected to many traditions around the beginning of spring.
JOY DOLO: April Fools has been celebrated around the world for centuries, from sticking paper fishes on people's backs to posting fake advertisements.
MIKAYLA: Sometimes even news organizations join in, like when the BBC aired a made-up TV news story about spaghetti growing on trees.
JOY DOLO: Pranks can be fun, but spreading misinformation online can give people trust issues. It can also trick people long after April 1 when they aren't watching out for pranks.
MIKAYLA: So stay mindful.
JOY DOLO: This episode was written by--
RUBY GUTHRIE: Ruby Guthrie.
JOY DOLO: Production help and fact checking by--
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Nico Gonzalez Wisler.
JOY DOLO: Our editors are--
SHAHLA FARZAN: Shahla Farzan.
JOY DOLO: And--
SANDEN TOTTEN: Sanden Totten.
JOY DOLO: Audio engineering help from Robert Marshall and Josh Savageau. Sound design by--
RACHEL BREES: Rachel Brees.
JOY DOLO: Original theme music by--
MARC SANCHEZ: Marc Sanchez.
JOY DOLO: We had additional production help from the rest of the Brains On Universe team.
MOLLY BLOOM: Molly Bloom.
ROSIE DUPONT: Rosie Dupont.
ANNA GOLDFIELD: Anna Goldfield.
LAUREN HUMPERT: Lauren Humpert.
JOSHUA RAY: Joshua Ray.
MARC SANCHEZ: Marc Sanchez.
CHARLOTTE TRAVER: Charlotte Traver.
ANNA WEGGEL: Anna Weggel.
JOY DOLO: And--
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Aron Woldeslassie.
JOY DOLO: Beth Pearlman is our executive producer. And the executives in charge of APM Studios are Chandra Kavati and Joanne Griffith. Special thanks to [? Sean ?] [? Bauman, ?] Claire Barliant, Chad [? Kloepfer, ?] and Shruti Acharya.
MIKAYLA: And if you want access to ad-free episodes and special bonus content, subscribe to our Smarty Pass.
JOY DOLO: OK, Mikayla. It's time. Are you ready to hear the answers for First Things First?
MIKAYLA: Yes.
JOY DOLO: Yes. [LAUGHS] OK, as a reminder, we're putting these three items in order of when they were invented-- whoopee cushions, hand buzzers, and snakes in a can. And you said that first it was snake in a can, and then whoopee cushions, and then hand buzzers, yeah?
MIKAYLA: Yes.
JOY DOLO: Great. Drum roll, please.
[VOCALIZING DRUMROLL]
You did really great, Mikayla. Guess what number one was?
MIKAYLA: Snakes in a can?
JOY DOLO: Snakes in a can! You got it. No longer are they in a plane. Now they are in a can of nuts.
MIKAYLA: Yay!
JOY DOLO: Yeah, you did it! So the snake nut can was invented in 1915 by Soren Sorensen Adams, who owned the SS Adams Company, a company famous for making prank devices. There weren't even any nuts on site. What is that about?
So what looked like an unsuspecting can of nuts actually held a coiled spring that looked like a snake and would shoot out at whoever opened the can. Adams was inspired when he observed his wife struggling to open a jam jar. [LAUGHS] Can you get a visual now of what that looked like, Mikayla?
MIKAYLA: Yes.
JOY DOLO: Can you imagine somebody trying to open a can of pickles or something and then like-- [SHOUTS]
MIKAYLA: Yeah.
JOY DOLO: So second is actually the hand buzzer, which is also called the joy buzzer. And the buzzer was invented in 1928. And it was another SS Adams product.
The buzzer was a little metal bell that vibrated. Contrary to popular belief, the device didn't shock people. It just might have felt like a shock when the little bell jingled really fast.
Last but certainly not least is the whoopee cushion. And that was invented in the early 1930s. So the official whoopee cushion was invented by the JEM Company in Canada. The company was experimenting with scrap pieces of rubber and invented a hilarious tooting machine. At first, they were called poo-poo cushions and boop-boop-a-doops.
MIKAYLA: What?
JOY DOLO: And the original cushions were green, not pink. [LAUGHS]
MIKAYLA: That sounds disgusting, those names and the color.
JOY DOLO: Poop poop. Could you imagine having a poo-poo cushion that was green?
MIKAYLA: No. It just-- [GROANS]
JOY DOLO: It's gross. It's so gross. OK, so out of these three, what was the most surprising, and which one would you like to do on someone?
MIKAYLA: The most surprising was probably snakes in a can. I didn't really think I would get that right.
JOY DOLO: Yeah.
MIKAYLA: And then I would probably pull snakes in a can on my dad.
JOY DOLO: [LAUGHS] Join us next week for a new episode all about gladiators.
MIKAYLA: Thanks for listening.
MIKAYLA: I know, Joy. I can't believe he just frosted an entire wheel of Parmesan cheese.
JOY DOLO: He really should have used mozzarella. Anyhoo, we're here, Mikayla. Welcome to the Forever Ago Studio.
[DOOR OPENING]
MIKAYLA: Wow, it's so spiffy in here-- fancy microphones, big, cushy headphones, banana peels all over the floor. Wait, why are there banana peels all over the floor?
JOY DOLO: Oh my goodness. Who would ever leave all these banana peels here? I really hope I don't slip on one and-- whoa-- fall. [LAUGHS] That was so much fun. I got to try that again.
MIKAYLA: Joy, did you leave all these banana peels here?
JOY DOLO: Maybe. Definitely. I'm really into pranks right now, specifically pranking myself, which is kind of hard to do, but I'm trying to keep myself on my toes. [LAUGHS] Oh! Or off my toes. [LAUGHS]
MIKAYLA: Love this for you. I'm just going to tip toe around these.
JOY DOLO: Fair enough. Slipping on banana peels isn't everyone's cup of tea. Whew, what a day. Time to take a load off.
[SQUELCHING]
MIKAYLA: Is your chair made from whoopee cushions?
JOY DOLO: Uh, is Darren Hayes my favorite member of the hit '90s pop band Savage Garden? Yes. I love him. Look, my whoopee cushion chairs even recline.
[SQUELCHING]
MIKAYLA: Ooh, nice.
JOY DOLO: But wait, there's more. It's also a massage whoopee cushion chair. See?
[SQUELCHING]
(VIBRATING) Oh, it's so relaxing.
MIKAYLA: OK, this is ridiculous and awesome.
JOY DOLO: Everybody needs a little R&R.
MIKAYLA: Rest and relaxation?
JOY DOLO: Ridiculousness and relaxation. (VIBRATING) Ahh.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
You're listening to Forever Ago from APM Studios. I'm your host, Joy Dolo. And I'm here today with my co-host, Mikayla from Oak Park, Illinois!
MIKAYLA: Hi, Joy!
JOY DOLO: And today, we're talking about pranks and specifically the prankiest day of the year, April Fools' Day.
MIKAYLA: Uh, Joy? It's October.
JOY DOLO: Mm, yes. And?
MIKAYLA: April Fools' Day is in April, April 1 to be exact.
JOY DOLO: Why be a prankster for one day when you can prank all year round? Plus, if we talked about April Fools' Day on April Fools' Day, people might think it's a joke. And I'm so serious right now.
MIKAYLA: You're literally sitting in a chair made of whoopee cushions surrounded by banana peels.
JOY DOLO: Yes. And?
[SQUELCHING]
Don't worry. That was the chair, Mikayla. Excuse me.
[SQUELCHING]
Mikayla, what do you think of April Fools' Day?
MIKAYLA: Um, I like it. My parents always are the ones that prank me, though.
JOY DOLO: Oh, yeah? What kind of pranks do they do? Do you have a favorite?
MIKAYLA: The only one they ever do is wake me up and say it's snowing outside.
JOY DOLO: [GASPS] That's so mean. [LAUGHS] Do you like pranks?
MIKAYLA: Uh, yes, even though I've never really done one before.
JOY DOLO: Do you have one in mind that you might think about doing? Like, there's the classic whoopee cushion. There's the good old banana peels like I've just done.
MIKAYLA: I have thought about doing a slime bucket.
JOY DOLO: [GASPS] OK, so we have a slime bucket. So would we-- were we thinking of doing it on Mom or on Dad?
MIKAYLA: Probably my dad.
JOY DOLO: Oh, yeah. He could handle a slime bucket. OK, this is what we got to do, Mikayla. We got to get a bucket. And then we can just get some water and cornstarch and mix it up, put some food coloring in there. You can just tape the bucket on top of the doorway.
And when he's walking through it, you get one of those Nerf guns. And when he walks through, shoot the Nerf gun at the bucket, boom, on his head-- prank. Next, what do we do to Mom? I'm just kidding. [LAUGHS] That's a good plan, right?
MIKAYLA: Yes.
JOY DOLO: [LAUGHS]
MIKAYLA: Definitely.
JOY DOLO: Well, if you ever need help with pranks, I can definitely help you. Slime is a good way to go. And pranking parents is really fun.
MIKAYLA: Yes.
JOY DOLO: Well, to prank somebody means to do a trick on them.
MIKAYLA: Usually, the prank is lighthearted and fun.
JOY DOLO: Like putting a whoopee cushion on someone's chair or putting a slime bucket in the doorway of your dad, or replacing all of your family photos with pictures of Darren Hayes from the hit '90s pop duo Savage Garden.
MIKAYLA: Or like this. Hey, Joy. I just sent you the cutest TikTok of a corgi making croissants.
JOY DOLO: A croissant corgi? I got to see this.
[UPBEAT MUSIC]
Wait. This is "Never Going to Give You Up" by Rick Astley. Mikayla, did you just rickroll me?
MIKAYLA: Prank!
JOY DOLO: [LAUGHS] Prank, more like thanks. Because I love being pranked. The word "prank" might have come from an old Dutch word meaning to strut or to show off.
MIKAYLA: That makes sense. Pranks are like little performances. But what about April Fools' Day? Where did that come from?
JOY DOLO: We don't know exactly where the prankiest day of the year came from, but we have a few ideas. One theory is that April Fools is connected to ancient Rome. Back in the times of horse-drawn carriages, chariots, and togas, the ancient Romans celebrated the holiday Hilaria, which is Latin for joyful. It was basically a big festival at the end of March to celebrate the coming of spring and warmer weather. People would play games, dress up, and even do imitations.
SUBJECT 1: OK, OK, OK. Here's this one. I came, I saw, and I totally conquered.
SUBJECT 2: [LAUGHS] That's a great Caesar impression. Do Cleopatra next.
JOY DOLO: So that's one possible inspiration for April Fools. Another idea is that April Fools' Day is connected to Sizdah Bedar. That's a special celebration which marks the last day of the Iranian new year around the end of March and beginning of April. People have been celebrating for thousands of years by having picnics outside and pulling small pranks on each other.
MIKAYLA: Picnics and pranks? Sign me up.
JOY DOLO: Right? Another theory is that April Fools' Day is linked to something that happened a long time ago in France. It was the 1500s. This is the era of William Shakespeare and big frilly collars. Back then, France celebrated the new year at the end of March.
MIKAYLA: Which would have lined up with the end of winter and the beginning of spring-- new flowers, new year.
JOY DOLO: Makes sense. But soon, a new calendar came along. And in that calendar, the new year began on January 1.
MIKAYLA: So France decided to start using this new calendar, which meant they started celebrating New Year's in January too.
JOY DOLO: But news of the calendar switcheroo was slow to travel, so there were still some people who celebrated the new year in the spring, in April. And as the story goes, these folks were called fools, April fools.
SUBJECT 3: Happy New Year! Whoo!
SUBJECT 4: Oh, Francois. You're such a fool. Haven't you heard? New Year's is on January 1 now.
SUBJECT 3: Zoot! A whole new calendar? What's next? Are frilly collars going out of style?
JOY DOLO: So those are just a few ideas of where April Fools' Day might have come from, from ancient Rome or Iran or France. Like a lot of history it's murky, but not dark, scary, murky-- fun, exciting murky.
MIKAYLA: Yeah. So many different cultures throughout history have had spring celebrations that are about laughter or pranks.
JOY DOLO: It's just like they say-- spring in your step, and whoopie in your cushion. [SQUELCHING]
MIKAYLA: Uh, who exactly says that?
JOY DOLO: Me! [LAUGHS] Now, just wait until you hear about some of the most epic April Fools pranks ever. But first, it's time to play--
SUBJECT 5: First Things First!
JOY DOLO: So this is the game where we take three things from history and try to put them in order of which came first, second, and most recent in time. Today's three things are practical joke toys. We've got my favorite, whoopee cushions, those air cushions that make farting noises, hand buzzers-- that's a little device that gives someone else a little buzz when they shake your hand-- and snakes in a can, which were cans that looked like nuts or chips, but when you open them a fake snake popped out. Which do you think came first, which came second, and which came most recently in history?
MIKAYLA: I think snakes in a can came first.
JOY DOLO: OK.
MIKAYLA: Whoopee cushions came second. And hand buzzers came last.
JOY DOLO: Hmm, that's interesting. So walk me through your thought process. So we have snake in a can first as the oldest. Why do you think that one's the oldest?
MIKAYLA: I don't know. It just doesn't sound like it has a lot of technology involved.
JOY DOLO: Mm, yeah. All you need is a can and some snakes.
MIKAYLA: Yeah.
JOY DOLO: Fake snakes.
MIKAYLA: Yes.
JOY DOLO: [LAUGHS] If it was real snakes, that would be a mean joke.
MIKAYLA: Yes.
JOY DOLO: OK, so we have the snake in the can first and then whoopee cushion second. Is there a reason why you planted that one right in the middle?
MIKAYLA: It's kind of easy to make. I don't know how it's easy to make. It just sounds like one of the easy ones.
JOY DOLO: Yeah, that makes sense. Actually, it reminds me of a balloon. Have you ever done that with a balloon, where you hold the tip of it and it makes that kind of fart noise?
MIKAYLA: Yeah.
JOY DOLO: Yeah. Somebody must have just thought of making that into a whoopee cushion. And then hand buzzers to you seem like they're probably the most recent, huh?
MIKAYLA: I don't really know why. It just is the most-- has the most energy, like technical stuff.
JOY DOLO: Mm-hmm. Yeah, it might even need a battery or something. So that would be something more technologically advanced, I guess. Well, those are some great guesses. And we'll hear the answers at the end of the episode right after the credits.
MIKAYLA: So stick around.
JOY DOLO: We're working on an episode all about jobs that used to exist in the past, but don't exist anymore today. But we want to know what jobs do you think will exist in the future that don't exist today? Mikayla, what do you think? Any ideas about jobs of the future?
MIKAYLA: I think a pet designer home person, like a person that designs homes for pets, like comfortable homes.
JOY DOLO: Comfortable homes for pets? I love this idea because I have three pets. That's such a great idea. Listeners, record yourself describing what job you think will exist in the future, and send it to us at foreverago.org/contact.
And while you're there, you can send us episode ideas, questions, and drawings. Maybe you want to draw a picture of a whoopee cushion with my face on it-- exciting! Or maybe you want to draw a picture of a pet designer house. What would your pet design house look like? Send it to us at foreverago.org/contact.
SUBJECT 6: Brains On Universe is a family of podcasts for kids and their adults. Since you're a fan of Forever Ago, we know you'll love the other shows in our universe. Come on. Let's explore.
SUBJECT 7: Here we are in Brains On Universe, home to my favorite podcasts. Brains On. Smash Boom Best. Forever Ago. I found one.
[VOCALIZING]
SUBJECT 8: (SINGING) Brains On.
SUBJECT 7: Brains On, a science podcast for kids and families.
SUBJECT 8: Let's start with our pal, the sun.
SUN: Did somebody call their favorite star? It's me, the sun.
SUBJECT 8: The sun is made up of very, very hot elec--
SUBJECT 7: [GASPS] Oh, what a great show. Need more Brains On now!
[BLASTING OFF]
SUBJECT 6: Listen to Brains On wherever you get your podcasts.
JOY DOLO: You're listening to Forever Ago. I'm Joy.
MIKAYLA: And I'm Mikayla.
JOY DOLO: And today, we're talking about pranks and the prankiest of days, April Fools' Day.
MIKAYLA: There are lots of ideas from around the world about how April Fools' Day started.
JOY DOLO: It might be linked to spring celebrations in ancient Rome or the Iranian new year.
MIKAYLA: Others think it comes from the French switching their calendars about 500 years ago.
JOY DOLO: No matter how it got started, April Fools' Day has brought mischief for centuries. On this day, people often pull pranks on each other.
MIKAYLA: Like putting a rubber snake in someone's bed.
JOY DOLO: Ooh! Or stuffing cotton balls into the toes of somebody's shoes so they think their feet grew.
MIKAYLA: Or swapping the frosting in a cookie with mayonnaise.
JOY DOLO: Oh, no! That's not a prank. That's an act of culinary violence.
MIKAYLA: Oops, sorry, Joy. I forgot about your never ending and totally one-sided feud with mayo.
JOY DOLO: You are forgiven. Sometimes news organizations even publish made-up stories on April Fools. In 1878, a newspaper published a fake story reporting that Thomas Edison, who invented the light bulb, made a new machine that could turn dirt into food.
MIKAYLA: And in the age of the internet, some people post fake pictures, articles, or advertisements online on April 1.
JOY DOLO: In 2024, Krispy Kreme donuts advertised that they'd glaze anything you brought in-- pizza, watermelon, a cheeseburger, you name it. And 7-Eleven said it was releasing hot dog-flavored sparkling water.
MIKAYLA: Sparkling hot dog water? That's a good prank.
[DOOR OPENING]
MOLLY BLOOM: Did someone say prank?
JOY DOLO: Oh, it's my pal and Brains On host Molly Bloom. Come on in. Oh, wait. Watch out for the--
MOLLY BLOOM: The 37 banana peels on the floor or those whoopee cushion chairs? Way ahead of you. I'm always on the lookout for potential pranks.
JOY DOLO: Good eye.
MIKAYLA: Molly, what's in your hands? Is that a crate?
MOLLY BLOOM: It's actually my soapbox.
JOY DOLO: Molly is an avid soap collector.
MOLLY BLOOM: Bergamot lavender is my favorite. I couldn't help but overhear you talking about April Fools' Day. And let me just say, I come here with a warning. April Fools' has gotten out of hand.
[GASPING]
And I just wanted to get up on my literal and metaphorical soapbox to say so.
MIKAYLA: So that's why you brought the soapbox.
MOLLY BLOOM: All the better to pontificate from, especially about April Fools.
JOY DOLO: What? But you love pranks. Remember how last week you put my stapler in jello? It was awesome.
MOLLY BLOOM: It's true. I love pranks, but April Fools' Day not so much. In my humble opinion, it's become an irresponsible holiday.
MIKAYLA: Well, since you're up on your soapbox, the floor is yours.
MOLLY BLOOM: [CLEARS THROAT] Thank you. You see, there have been lots and lots of different April Fools' pranks throughout history. The French stick paper fishes on each other's backs. And in Scotland, they pin tails on one another. You might send somebody across town to deliver a letter, except there's nothing written on the letter. That's called a fool's errand.
JOY DOLO: Paper fishes, tails, fake errands.
MIKAYLA: Joy, are you taking notes?
JOY DOLO: Yeah. These are great ideas for future ways to prank myself.
MOLLY BLOOM: But it's not just everyday pranksters pulling pranks. You see, as April Fools grew in popularity, our ability to spread pranks grew too. We had newspapers, then radio, and eventually TV came along. And this is where the problems really started. One of the first April Fools' pranks that appeared on television was from the United Kingdom back in 1957.
Back in the 1950s, televisions were still pretty new technology, but more and more people had them in their homes. They were mostly in black and white. This is when the British Broadcast Company, also known as the BBC, aired a TV report from a small town in Switzerland. Here's an actual recording of it.
SUBJECT 9: It isn't only in Britain that spring this year has taken everyone by surprise. Here in the Ticino on the borders of Switzerland and Italy, the slopes overlooking Lake Lugano have already burst into flower, at least a fortnight earlier than usual.
MOLLY BLOOM: See, it seems like a regular TV news story, just some footage of a cute, small Swiss village and lots of flowering trees-- pretty normal stuff. But then it gets pranky.
SUBJECT 9: But what, you may ask, has the early and welcome arrival of bees and blossom to do with food? Well, it's simply that the past winter, one of the mildest in living memory, has had its effect in other ways as well. Most important of all, it's resulted in an exceptionally heavy spaghetti crop.
MIKAYLA: Spaghetti crop? Like spaghetti noodles just growing on trees?
MOLLY BLOOM: Yep.
SUBJECT 9: The last two weeks of March are an anxious time for the spaghetti farmer. There's always the chance of a late frost, which, while not entirely ruining the crop, generally impairs the flavor and makes it difficult for him to obtain top prices in world markets. But now these dangers are over, and the spaghetti harvest goes forward.
MOLLY BLOOM: In the fake TV news story, there's these trees and bushes that just have long strands of spaghetti noodles hanging off of them.
MIKAYLA: And people are picking the noodles and putting them in baskets.
MOLLY BLOOM: Now, to some people, this might seem a bit far fetched, clearly a joke. Spaghetti on trees? Get out of here. Spaghetti is made by grinding wheat, making flour, and forming it into long strands. But it's important to remember at the time, many people outside of Italy didn't know much about spaghetti, and they weren't familiar with Italian food in general.
MIKAYLA: So did people think this was real?
MOLLY BLOOM: Some did. The BBC aired this segment as part of its regular programming with its regular announcer, just like any other news programming would. So some viewers in the UK thought it was real.
SUBJECT 10: Look. Look. They're growing spaghetti on trees.
SUBJECT 11: Spaghetti on trees? I want a Swiss spaghetti plant of my own. I got to call up the BBC and see how I can grow my very own spaghetti crop.
MOLLY BLOOM: Other people were not as amused.
SUBJECT 12: This is a disgrace. The British Broadcast Company is a serious news program. They have a responsibility to be factual, not foolish.
JOY DOLO: OK. That's a bummer some people missed out on a joke. But it was all in good fun, right? There's so many funny examples, like when a public radio news show ran a fake story that untapped maple syrup trees in the US were exploding from too much sap.
SUBJECT 13: An untapped tree is a time bomb ready to go off. Untapped maple trees can explode like gushers.
JOY DOLO: Or when Burger King joked they would start making left-handed burgers for all the lefties of the world.
MOLLY BLOOM: I agree those stories can be fun, but especially with the internet things get tricky. Just because we post something on April 1 doesn't mean that's when people find it. They might see it the next day, a week later, maybe even months later.
MIKAYLA: So when people see it later, they might not be on the lookout for pranks, and they might just think it's real.
MOLLY BLOOM: Right. People turn to news organizations for facts and accurate information. So if they're posting fake information, even as a lighthearted prank, people might start to trust them less.
JOY DOLO: Yeah, that's not a good look. Tricking people into believing a fake story can feel mean.
MIKAYLA: Or like you're the butt of the joke if you don't get it.
MOLLY BLOOM: Exactly. Pranks are fun, but fake stories online, we don't need them. I say let's take April Fools off our screens and back into real life where pranks belong.
JOY DOLO: Yeah! There's plenty of pranks we can do IRL. Speaking of, Molly, I think you have something on your back. Let me just--
MOLLY BLOOM: Not so fast, Joy. You're totally going to stick that paper fish on my back. I saw you cutting it out earlier.
JOY DOLO: Wow. You're a pro, Bloom.
MOLLY BLOOM: I told you. I'm always looking out for pranks. Now, if you could excuse me, me and my soapbox have an appointment with Mark and Sanden. I have very strong opinions on dill pickles that need to be heard.
MIKAYLA: Thanks for joining us, Molly.
MOLLY BLOOM: Thank you. And don't forget to watch your back, especially you, Joy.
JOY DOLO: Watch my back? Hmm. [GASPS] My back! Molly, did you pin this tail on my back? I love it. I love nothing more but to be pranked. [SNIFFS] Thank you, Molly.
MOLLY BLOOM: Molly be out.
JOY DOLO: The word "prank" means to trick or show off.
MIKAYLA: Nobody knows exactly how April Fools started, but it could be connected to many traditions around the beginning of spring.
JOY DOLO: April Fools has been celebrated around the world for centuries, from sticking paper fishes on people's backs to posting fake advertisements.
MIKAYLA: Sometimes even news organizations join in, like when the BBC aired a made-up TV news story about spaghetti growing on trees.
JOY DOLO: Pranks can be fun, but spreading misinformation online can give people trust issues. It can also trick people long after April 1 when they aren't watching out for pranks.
MIKAYLA: So stay mindful.
JOY DOLO: This episode was written by--
RUBY GUTHRIE: Ruby Guthrie.
JOY DOLO: Production help and fact checking by--
NICO GONZALEZ WISLER: Nico Gonzalez Wisler.
JOY DOLO: Our editors are--
SHAHLA FARZAN: Shahla Farzan.
JOY DOLO: And--
SANDEN TOTTEN: Sanden Totten.
JOY DOLO: Audio engineering help from Robert Marshall and Josh Savageau. Sound design by--
RACHEL BREES: Rachel Brees.
JOY DOLO: Original theme music by--
MARC SANCHEZ: Marc Sanchez.
JOY DOLO: We had additional production help from the rest of the Brains On Universe team.
MOLLY BLOOM: Molly Bloom.
ROSIE DUPONT: Rosie Dupont.
ANNA GOLDFIELD: Anna Goldfield.
LAUREN HUMPERT: Lauren Humpert.
JOSHUA RAY: Joshua Ray.
MARC SANCHEZ: Marc Sanchez.
CHARLOTTE TRAVER: Charlotte Traver.
ANNA WEGGEL: Anna Weggel.
JOY DOLO: And--
ARON WOLDESLASSIE: Aron Woldeslassie.
JOY DOLO: Beth Pearlman is our executive producer. And the executives in charge of APM Studios are Chandra Kavati and Joanne Griffith. Special thanks to [? Sean ?] [? Bauman, ?] Claire Barliant, Chad [? Kloepfer, ?] and Shruti Acharya.
MIKAYLA: And if you want access to ad-free episodes and special bonus content, subscribe to our Smarty Pass.
JOY DOLO: OK, Mikayla. It's time. Are you ready to hear the answers for First Things First?
MIKAYLA: Yes.
JOY DOLO: Yes. [LAUGHS] OK, as a reminder, we're putting these three items in order of when they were invented-- whoopee cushions, hand buzzers, and snakes in a can. And you said that first it was snake in a can, and then whoopee cushions, and then hand buzzers, yeah?
MIKAYLA: Yes.
JOY DOLO: Great. Drum roll, please.
[VOCALIZING DRUMROLL]
You did really great, Mikayla. Guess what number one was?
MIKAYLA: Snakes in a can?
JOY DOLO: Snakes in a can! You got it. No longer are they in a plane. Now they are in a can of nuts.
MIKAYLA: Yay!
JOY DOLO: Yeah, you did it! So the snake nut can was invented in 1915 by Soren Sorensen Adams, who owned the SS Adams Company, a company famous for making prank devices. There weren't even any nuts on site. What is that about?
So what looked like an unsuspecting can of nuts actually held a coiled spring that looked like a snake and would shoot out at whoever opened the can. Adams was inspired when he observed his wife struggling to open a jam jar. [LAUGHS] Can you get a visual now of what that looked like, Mikayla?
MIKAYLA: Yes.
JOY DOLO: Can you imagine somebody trying to open a can of pickles or something and then like-- [SHOUTS]
MIKAYLA: Yeah.
JOY DOLO: So second is actually the hand buzzer, which is also called the joy buzzer. And the buzzer was invented in 1928. And it was another SS Adams product.
The buzzer was a little metal bell that vibrated. Contrary to popular belief, the device didn't shock people. It just might have felt like a shock when the little bell jingled really fast.
Last but certainly not least is the whoopee cushion. And that was invented in the early 1930s. So the official whoopee cushion was invented by the JEM Company in Canada. The company was experimenting with scrap pieces of rubber and invented a hilarious tooting machine. At first, they were called poo-poo cushions and boop-boop-a-doops.
MIKAYLA: What?
JOY DOLO: And the original cushions were green, not pink. [LAUGHS]
MIKAYLA: That sounds disgusting, those names and the color.
JOY DOLO: Poop poop. Could you imagine having a poo-poo cushion that was green?
MIKAYLA: No. It just-- [GROANS]
JOY DOLO: It's gross. It's so gross. OK, so out of these three, what was the most surprising, and which one would you like to do on someone?
MIKAYLA: The most surprising was probably snakes in a can. I didn't really think I would get that right.
JOY DOLO: Yeah.
MIKAYLA: And then I would probably pull snakes in a can on my dad.
JOY DOLO: [LAUGHS] Join us next week for a new episode all about gladiators.
MIKAYLA: Thanks for listening.
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