Have you ever heard of the Great Spaghetti Tree Hoax? It happened in 1957, and it wasn’t a small joke played on a few people. It was played on an audience of approximately 7 million people and by no other than the BBC. At that time, a little more than 15 million homes in Great Britain had “tellys.”
The film featured a Swiss-Italian farmer harvesting fresh spaghetti from a tree. The next day, the BBC was flooded with phone calls asking where people could buy a spaghetti tree or cultivate one of their own. Needless to say, the BBC was quick to issue a statement about the hoax.
Some must have put something in the BBC’s water cooler a couple of times because a few decades later (2008) They showed a film clip of a newly “discovered” phenomenon–flying penguins–evidence of an evolutionary step in modern times. These birds were equipped to migrate from Antarctica to the southern hemisphere for a bit of sun.
This computer-animated film was created by no other than Terry Jones of Monty Python fame, so that should have been a tip-off, but there are always the gullible amongst us.
Are you on your guard on April 1 for possible hoaxes? Do you play pranks on others or have you had others play them on you?
Quote of the Week:
“The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year.”–Mark Twain
Lori L. MacLaughlin says
The spaghetti tree hoax made me laugh. I had no idea the BBC did this. I try to be on my guard on April Fool’s Day, but sometimes, I still get caught. It sounds like your April Fools post played a prank on you by posting early…
Jacqui Murray says
Congratulations on your award, Lee. I am so not surprised!
C. Lee McKenzie says
I got an award? Hmm. For what?
bookworm says
lol about the Great Spaghetti Tree Hoax! One time for April Fool’s one of my fav book blogs changed up their front page to look like an infomercial and I totally fell for it…until I realized what day it was. 🙂
Patricia Josephine says
I got married on April Fool’s Day. Mostly because I thought it’d be a funny day to do it on.
Jeff says
I think it was on NPR where I heard that after the latest Supreme Court Justice hearing and Ukraine (and I’d add the tornadoes two miles south of me last night), we should have a moratorium on April Fool’s Pranks this year.
Hilary Melton-Butcher says
Hi Lee – yes I remember when it came out … and I’m sure I believed it at the time – yet was somewhat bemused, but as I was a kid and didn’t check it out with adults … eventually reality – clicked in!
There was one in South Africa – when I’d forgotten it was April 1st – where I think a valley was flooded covering a golf course along a river, and a road that ran along side – as I used the road regularly … I was totally shocked – for a short while!!
Cheers – good luck with WP … take care – Hilary
C. Lee McKenzie says
Some hoaxes are easy to buy into. I often forget that April 1 is fair game.
Mike says
My spaghetti tree produces 3 crops a year. The trick is the spaghetti forms in the roots and you have to dig it up.
C. Lee McKenzie says
Why didn’t they make it clear? Thanks, Mike.
Elizabeth Seckman says
Wasn’t there a mole rat hoax or something one year? Or the year Taco Bell claimed they bought the Liberty Bell? I can’t remember if those were real hoaxes or if I’m making thigs up.
C. Lee McKenzie says
Who knows? I can’t keep track of the real news, let alone the freaky made up stuff.
Liz A. says
I do not like practical jokes at all. Anyone in my life who tries such a thing on me is no longer in my life. But the BBC does that every year, don’t they? There was a great one about how the earth is really flat. It looked convincing. I forget what year that was, but it was a while ago.
C. Lee McKenzie says
I missed the flat earth hoax, but I’m not surprised. I find it interesting that the BBC (stiff upper lip and all) stoops this.
Charlotte (MotherOwl) says
This hoax will forever remind me of my mother’s mis-explanations when we small, gullible omnes asked her about unknown things. Once I wrote a Poetry Monday poem about EC’s – and my mother’s – spaghetti fields.
i’m normally on my guard, April first, but it’s fun to fall for it too.
C. Lee McKenzie says
It’s fun to be told tall tales and myths when we’re young. Not so much later, especially when it could cause serious problems. Great that you write poetry!
Elephants Child says
IF I remember (not a given) I will keep my eye out on the day. Re the spaghetti tree – for quite a long time I had a vision in my head of Italy being covered in fields of spaghetti, going gold in the sunshine and rippling with the wind. I would like to see that still…
C. Lee McKenzie says
That is quite a nice vision! Wish it were real and not triggered by some remembered–or not–hoax.
Thomas Anderson says
Did I hear you say that there must be a catch?
Will you walk away from a fool and his money?
– “Come And Get It” written by Paul James Mccartney
Hi, Cheryl-Lee!
The widespread success of these pranks doesn’t surprise me, dear friend. I am well aware of how gullible people can be. The first example that comes to mind is “The War of the Worlds,” the 1938 radio drama narrated by Orson Welles, an adaptation of H. G. Wells’s late 19th century novel of the same name.
Yessum, I will BOLO for hoaxes on April 1. Typically, a do not like to play pranks on people, but I have had pranks played on me. Here’s a great example. I’m sure you remember Werner Erhard’s “est Training” human potential seminars. I took the training in the spring of 1983 in Philadelphia. Chalk it up to sleep deprivation among the participants or the manipulative expertise of the trainers, but they had those in attendance, 300 of us, absolutely convinced that there had been a mix-up and we needed to vacate the hotel conference room we were using and continue the seminar at a venue several blocks away. We were informed that the means by which we were to be transported was riding on the backs of a team of circus elephants! Don’t laugh. The trainers were so utterly congruent and made the situation seem so real, that we all fully expected to be riding elephants across town that day. We were actually shocked when they finally let us in on the joke.
Yessum, I will be publishing my annual April Fools’ Day post. They say an elephant never forgets, and I hope you will also remember to join the fun at Shady’s Place. Enjoy the rest of your week and weekend, dear friend Cheryl-Lee!
C. Lee McKenzie says
I look forward to your April 1 post! This one published before its time I’m afraid. My lovely WordPress site is a miserable mess and I’m working on fixing the problem.