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    2011 April Fools' Day Jokes from Across the Globe

    By Ida Mae Wagga | Yahoo! Contributor Network – Fri, Apr 1, 2011
    This story comes from the Yahoo! Contributor Network, where individuals publish their unique perspectives on some of the world’s most popular websites.
    Do you have a story to tell? Become a Yahoo! contributor

    April 1 is otherwise known as April Fools' Day. It is a holiday in which people play practical jokes on each other. People will see untrue headlines in the newspaper, celebrities will issue false statements via Twitter, and other practical jokes and gags will take place. There are three notable April Fools' Day jokes this year. They are from Nick Cannon, Richard Branson, and The Guardian.

    Nick Cannon Pulls Prank on Listeners

    According to Contact Music, " Nick Cannon has confirmed he pulled a spectacular April Fools' Day joke on his fans by running out on his radio show and claiming his wife Mariah Carey had gone into labor. The rapper/actor rushed out of work at New York-based radio station 92.3 Now on Friday morning after suggesting he had received a frantic phone call from his partner, who is pregnant with twins."

    The media love a good celebrity baby story and Mariah Carey is having twins, so there is no shortage of curiosity surrounding her bundles of joy. The practical joke seemed very believable because Carey had been having contractions a few days before and her due date is very soon. The joke was very effective because his listeners had no reason not to believe Cannon, which is what made it a truly great joke.

    Richard Branson Plays Trick on the Media

    Branson is a billionaire who is known for his unique personality and the fact that he owns Virgin Atlantic. He decided to play a very interesting trick on the media. According to Yahoo News, "Branson was arguably the day's most outlandish prankster with an interplanetary deal. A statement from his Virgin Group said he planned to bulk up Pluto's planetary mass in order to have it reinstated as a planet after its ignominious downgrade to dwarf planet in 2006."

    Most people know that Pluto was downgraded to a dwarf planet in 2006 and many were actually mad about it because they had always thought of it as the smallest planet in our solar system. The joke to launch a campaign to get it back to its planetary status is one of the most unique April Fools' Day jokes ever and shows just how creative and innovative Branson really is.

    The Guardian Pulls Prank on Viewers

    The royal wedding of Prince William and his fiancée Kate Middleton will take place in a matter of weeks. Many people have become obsessed with the wedding. The Guardian decided to pull a hilarious April Fools' prank this year. According to MSNBC, "a Breaking News headline at 10:11 a.m. declared the royal wedding was off, but four minutes later a 'Correction' informed readers that it was on." Many hearts across England and the rest of the world probably stopped for a few seconds because the collapse of the royal wedding would shock and dismay many people.

    The joke targeted viewers but the correction was issued quickly enough so that no harm was done. The joke was not as believable as others, but it was funny, especially for those who were gullible enough to believe it for four minutes.

    Sources:

    http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/cannon-confirms-carey-labour-was-april-fools-joke_1210735

    http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110401/od_nm/us_aprilfools_royals_odd_1

    http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/42376385/ns/today-today_people/

     

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