April 1! It's the start of a new month and one of the warmest days New England has had in what seems like, and could possibly be, six months. I woke up early this morning to play tennis with my roommates, and as I was about to brush my teeth I came across a sign that read: "April Fools... guess where your toothbrushes are chillin' out!"
It took me no longer than five seconds to march into the kitchen and open the freezer to find all of our toothbrushes wrapped in aluminum foil with another sign: "Happy April Fools' Day!"
I guess you would have to know that the roommate who put the toothbrushes in the freezer puts almost everything in the freezer (bread, fruit, chocolate, you name it), and we pick on her for it almost every day. So this was her way to get back at us for giving her so much grief. We all had a good laugh about it and got on with our day.
To me, that joke was harmless and funny. To others, it could have been inappropriate and annoying. Where do you draw the line between April Fools' Day "fun" and April Fools' Day inappropriateness? And in the workplace, is it ever appropriate?
A recent survey from the Creative Group, a specialized staffing services firm, found that 71% of marketing executives consider April Fools' Day jokes unsuitable for the office.
However, an article in the New York Times reports that practical jokes can be a good thing. In fact, the article says practical jokes are good for helping to bring a person into a particular group. Being a victim to a prank can also stir self-reflection in a way few other experiences can.
Abbie Hoffman, 1960s activist and prankster, divided practical jokes into three categories:
Photo by InPhonic Customer Service (of a coworkers Jaguar covered in post-it notes)
It took me no longer than five seconds to march into the kitchen and open the freezer to find all of our toothbrushes wrapped in aluminum foil with another sign: "Happy April Fools' Day!"
I guess you would have to know that the roommate who put the toothbrushes in the freezer puts almost everything in the freezer (bread, fruit, chocolate, you name it), and we pick on her for it almost every day. So this was her way to get back at us for giving her so much grief. We all had a good laugh about it and got on with our day.
To me, that joke was harmless and funny. To others, it could have been inappropriate and annoying. Where do you draw the line between April Fools' Day "fun" and April Fools' Day inappropriateness? And in the workplace, is it ever appropriate?
A recent survey from the Creative Group, a specialized staffing services firm, found that 71% of marketing executives consider April Fools' Day jokes unsuitable for the office.
However, an article in the New York Times reports that practical jokes can be a good thing. In fact, the article says practical jokes are good for helping to bring a person into a particular group. Being a victim to a prank can also stir self-reflection in a way few other experiences can.
Abbie Hoffman, 1960s activist and prankster, divided practical jokes into three categories:
- The bad ones: the vindictive skewering, fraternity-hazing kind
- The neutral ones: the in-between ones more akin to physical punch lines
- The good ones: humorous satires of human fears or failings
Photo by InPhonic Customer Service (of a coworkers Jaguar covered in post-it notes)
2 comments:
I once witnessed a prank that involved wrapping a coworker's cubicle in tinfoil, along with his keyboard, monitor, and every single item on his desk (a bagel, a picture frame, a Rubic's cube...you name it). It was a real team-building activity for those involved, and the victim took it very well. I think pranks like this can bring some much-needed levity to the workplace.
I agree with Andrea - in fact, at my internship last summer, my desk was "papered", meaning everything on my desk (including staplers, file folders, phone, etc.) was covered or wrapped in newspaper! It was actually a 'welcome back' since I was in the hospital for a week during my internship. It really made me feel like part of the team and that my co-workers were thinking about me while I was away. I felt honored by their practical joke.
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