While everyone tries to pull off the perfect prank on April 1, few rise above the level of an open mic airplane peanuts joke, and those that strive too high can fail spectacularly.
For all you fools out there, Sputnik has compiled a list of the worst pranks.
Google’s Gmail Mic Drop
On Friday, tech giant Google commemorated Aprils’ Fools Day by introducing a "Mic Drop" button for Gmail. By activating the feature, senders can provide their recipients with a meme featuring a Minion from the "Despicable Me" movies. The animated character drops a mic, and all replies sent by the recipient to the original sender are automatically blocked.
Unfortunately, a number of people complained that they used the button by mistake, cancelling important work emails. Some even claimed that Google’s prank got them fired. The company has eliminated the feature and apologized.
Richard Branson’s Pirate Treasure
From the comfort of his private island, Virgin founder Richard Branson "leaked" a video of him finding buried treasure.
While the idea of a multibillionaire coincidentally building a Caribbean mansion next to another small fortune may be funny to some (see: fellow multibillionaires), for the rest of us, the initial reaction is seething, bitter resentment.
Ted Cruz, Jester in Chief
In a bit of topical humor, presidential hopeful and crypto-funnyman Ted Cruz used Friday to joke that rival Donald Trump was willing to hold a one-on-one debate.
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) April 1, 2016
This barely qualified as a joke and nobody laughed, except their wives.
Quilted’s Artisanal Toilet Paper
Cashing in on the current love of all things vintage, Quilted Northern released an ad for a new line of handcrafted "Rustic Weave" toilet paper.
While most people were in on the joke, listen carefully and you can still hear the disappointed cry of ten thousand Brooklynites who made the trek to Whole Foods, only to find the plain old cotton variety.
RadioShack Rebrand
Electronics retailer RadioShack announced on Twitter that it was renaming the company to RadioMansion.
— RadioShack (@RadioShack) April 1, 2016
This was less a joke than a desperate advertising attempt by a retail chain with fewer than 2,000 locations remaining worldwide.
Zack Snyder to Helm Star Wars Movie
Following the dismal reaction to "Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice" (on top of the dismal reaction to nearly every Zack Snyder movie ever made), fans are circulating a petition to have the director removed from the upcoming Justice League movie.
Which is why Screen Rant’s report, claiming that the "Sucker Punch" director would take the reins of an upcoming Star Wars film, was taking April Fools just a little too far. Is nothing sacred?
