The April Fool Saga: Parts I-IX

Apr 8, 2010

By Patrick.

You may recall that on April 1st we were involved in a little prank, masterminded by Eric Turkewitz. Although the prank took in the New York Times and, briefly, the Wall Street Journal, the story didn't get really interesting until April 3rd.

I give you the Tragedy of Jack Marshall, a play in nine acts.

I. Eric Turkewitz reveals his prank.

II. Jack Marshall, an expert in ethics, enters the fray announcing that an April Fools prank by a lawyer is a violation of professional ethics.

III. Turkewitz responds: Is an April Fools joke an ethical violation?

IV. Marshall ups the ante: J'accuse! (Note a key appearance by our own co-blogger Charles in comments).

V. Not content, Marshall announces that henceforth, there will be ethical standards for April Fools jokes. Jokes that do not adhere to these standards are forbidden.

VI. The world asks Marshall: Are you serious?

VII. Marshall replies: Yes, but I was wrong. Sort of.

VIII. A musical interlude about the value of friends.

IX. The chorus weighs in, and the curtain drops.

This is a weird and freaky internet friends, and I have been involved in some weird and freaky things on this internet. But I have never seen anything quite like this drama, which played out over four days in April.

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8 Comments

Jack Marshall

7 Comments

Jag • Apr 8, 2010 @2:13 pm

Act IX was my favorite!
Ken • Apr 8, 2010 @3:19 pm

That's an impressive self-immolation.
Mike • Apr 8, 2010 @3:46 pm

Need a epilogue in light of his most recent comment.

Haven't had lulz in a while.

My general ethic means no mentally-handicapped jokes. No jokes about bipolars or schizos, either. Those are debilitating illnesses that cause a person to have legitimate problems functioning in society.

What of narcissists? Ethical to laugh at them?

Anyone? Anyone? Jack?
Antonin I. Pribetic • Apr 8, 2010 @3:53 pm

"True remorse is never just a regret over consequence; it is a regret over motive." ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960
SPQR • Apr 11, 2010 @8:48 pm

"Beclowning" just got another example definition.
Colin Samuels • Apr 12, 2010 @1:21 pm

Unfortunately, there are now a couple of intermissions in the drama — Marshall has deleted (along with associated comments) two of his posts (those in Acts IV and the first part of VII above). Hopefully, someone's saved a cached copy of both so that the Blawgosphere Players can stage complete dramatic readings annually each April Fool's Day and on an as-needed basis at any CLE event Marshall where appears as an ethics authority.
Patrick • Apr 12, 2010 @3:28 pm

That's an unfortunate decision by Marshall, compounding a chain of unfortunate decisions. Whatever the merits of his arguments and defenses may have been, he's left the tale to be told by others. The blogposts commenting on Marshall's decisions won't go away.