On being an April Fool

I announced that I was painting the building pink for April Fool’s Day. The replies were better than the joke.

So if you didn’t see it on socials, I did an April Fool’s post where I elaborately explained that I’m painting the building pink.

The best thing about the post wasn’t the joke. It was how quickly it showed the vast difference in the way people show up online.

Most people laughed and got it, or at least paused long enough to realise something was off. The whole thing was ridiculous by design. Pinkest commercially available pink. Artists working for exposure. I’ve been banging on about how beautiful the building is, so why would I paint it?

And still, some waded in fully furious, like the fate of Ramsey rested on stopping a pretend pink building.

It’s not the disagreement that is astonishing. It’s how comfortable some people are telling others, especially women, what they should like, make or enjoy. Appointing themselves as spokesperson for public taste. Telling people what counts as beauty and what doesn’t.

The saving grace was everyone else. People were funny, sharp and saw it for exactly what it was. The replies were better than the joke.

If you’re going to get angry about something, though, there are bigger things to aim at. If anyone needs a bit of neggy inspo, just keep up with current affairs.