(no subject)
1 April 2008 09:29![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
*grumble* I really hate April Fool's Day ... A full day devoted to being juvenile, to playing cruel tricks on other people, to acting like pathetic little delinquents. And what gets me the most is that adults pull this shit. I can see it coming from children; after all, it's been my experience that children are often cruel little creatures. But adults should know better -- I mean, they're the fragging grown ups for gods' sake!
As a child I was bullied terribly (I mean to the point that I'm rather surprised I didn't end up in the Bell Tower over it). Sometimes the teachers would step in and stop it -- though more often than not they just looked the other way because it was a part of childhood and I was an antisocial freak anyways (this was well before Columbine and the Trenchcoat Mafia made adults reconsider their stance on bullying and us silent introverts). One thing was guaranteed though; on April Fools Day and on Frosh Day (aka "Let's haze the Minor Niners") all bets were off and we "outsiders" were on our own. That only changed when two students were hospitalized after their hazings (one had severe asthma and was duct taped to a tree in the smoking quad while the other was dosed with Nair and had an allergic reaction).
I never really got over my anger at this condoned cruelty masquerading as "innocent pranks". April Fools day just brings all that anger and resentment up to the surface. I've been told that I should learn to chill out, that it's all innocent fun, but I will bet you anything that the people who are telling me this were never the ones who were bullied.
*sigh* I suppose that with my general lack of faith in humanity, I shouldn't be surprised that this day brings out the worst in people. And yet, every year, I wake up on April 1st hoping that the general populace will have grown a brain and every year I am surprised when I'm disapointed.
April Fool's is a day of nothing more than sanctioned bullying and I *hate* it!
As a child I was bullied terribly (I mean to the point that I'm rather surprised I didn't end up in the Bell Tower over it). Sometimes the teachers would step in and stop it -- though more often than not they just looked the other way because it was a part of childhood and I was an antisocial freak anyways (this was well before Columbine and the Trenchcoat Mafia made adults reconsider their stance on bullying and us silent introverts). One thing was guaranteed though; on April Fools Day and on Frosh Day (aka "Let's haze the Minor Niners") all bets were off and we "outsiders" were on our own. That only changed when two students were hospitalized after their hazings (one had severe asthma and was duct taped to a tree in the smoking quad while the other was dosed with Nair and had an allergic reaction).
I never really got over my anger at this condoned cruelty masquerading as "innocent pranks". April Fools day just brings all that anger and resentment up to the surface. I've been told that I should learn to chill out, that it's all innocent fun, but I will bet you anything that the people who are telling me this were never the ones who were bullied.
*sigh* I suppose that with my general lack of faith in humanity, I shouldn't be surprised that this day brings out the worst in people. And yet, every year, I wake up on April 1st hoping that the general populace will have grown a brain and every year I am surprised when I'm disapointed.
April Fool's is a day of nothing more than sanctioned bullying and I *hate* it!
no subject
Date: 1 Apr 2008 14:12 (UTC)no subject
Date: 1 Apr 2008 17:20 (UTC)no subject
Date: 1 Apr 2008 17:04 (UTC)Anyway, thanks. Always reassuring to know that there are other people out there who don't like April Fool's.
no subject
Date: 1 Apr 2008 17:19 (UTC)You know, considering that nearly every time there's a school shooting you hear that the perpetrator was severely bullied, you'd think that parents and the schools would take it more seriously.
no subject
Date: 1 Apr 2008 17:04 (UTC)I hate practical jokes...I hate them with a passion. The last person who pulled a practical joke on me got a slug in the face. The ONLY practical joke I ever played was to pull all the vowels before a scrabble game.
(P.S. I sent you a little present in the email)
no subject
Date: 1 Apr 2008 17:15 (UTC)And thank you :) I'll chaeck my mail as soon as I get home. The firewalls I'm dealing with wright now block access to all internet email systems.
no subject
Date: 1 Apr 2008 20:59 (UTC)no subject
Date: 1 Apr 2008 21:03 (UTC)no subject
Date: 2 Apr 2008 00:47 (UTC)Pranks should be held in the same light as sexual harassment. It's only okay as long as everyone is fine with it.
no subject
Date: 2 Apr 2008 01:47 (UTC)I was more railing against the needlessly cruel, only one person laughs kind of pranks ...
no subject
Date: 2 Apr 2008 01:55 (UTC)no subject
Date: 2 Apr 2008 17:50 (UTC)no subject
Date: 2 Apr 2008 23:35 (UTC)Anyway though, I do agree that if everyone is laughing pranks are harmless. It just gets me every year when people decide to go too far ...
no subject
Date: 23 May 2008 06:08 (UTC)