Fooling and Pranking

What we have here, with this illustration from the evermore remarkable people at Grow-a-Brain is a rather faithful representation of someone in the act of "being foolish."

Whilst what we have here is a collection of pranks and pranking resources from the previously remarked upon Real Estate people, cunningly augmented by this collection of the Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of All Time.

On this first day of April, known as "Fools Day," a contemplation of the Fool-Prank relationship is nothing if not relevant. Hence, we begin with the always venerable Dictionary.com, to learn that word "fool" can be used to describe:

1. One who is deficient in judgment, sense, or understanding.
2. One who acts unwisely on a given occasion: I was a fool to have quit my job.
3. One who has been tricked or made to appear ridiculous; a dupe: They made a fool of me by pretending I had won.
4. Informal. A person with a talent or enthusiasm for a certain activity: a dancing fool; a fool for skiing.
5. A member of a royal or noble household who provided entertainment, as with jokes or antics; a jester.
6. One who subverts convention or orthodoxy or varies from social conformity in order to reveal spiritual or moral truth: a holy fool.
7. A dessert made of stewed or puréed fruit mixed with cream or custard and served cold.
8. Archaic. A mentally deficient person; an idiot.

One could even say that the more successful the prank, the more of the above definitions might be ascribed to the behavior manifested by the pranked-upon. (see photo).

In their best light, pranks can be seen as psychosocial tools, helping the pranked-upon release the Inner Fool, as it were. And yet, disturbingly, the prankster does not get to experience this longed-for release - with every prank only further repressing the fundamental foolishness of being.

It seems almost just, therefore, that the prankster has more fun than the prankee.