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April Fool's Day Humor Reading

Austro-American Society
Vienna, April 1, 2008

Austro-American Society

Remarks by Counselor for Administrative Affairs Jeffry Olesen

The Austro-American Society Vienna hosted this co-sponsored reading on April 1. Six educators from Webster University paid tribute to some of the greatest writers of British and American humor and presented a selection of jokes, poetry and prose. In his opening remarks, Joint Management Counselor Jeffry Olesen, U.S. Embassy Vienna, briefly introduced the background of April fool’s day and explored issues of cultural diversity and similarities in the perception of humor.


Vic Huber from the Austro-American Society Vienna welcoming the guests	Counselor for Administrative Affairs Jeffry Olesen, U.S. Embassy Vienna, introducing the readers


F.l.t.r.: Bond Benton, Gordon van der Veen, Dardis MacNamee, Gregory Weeks, Arthur Horsfield, Doug Linton	Arthur Horsfield reading, Doug Linton smiling

Remarks by Counselor for Administrative Affairs Jeffry Olesen

Dear Vic Huber, sehr geehrte Damen und Herren, Ladies and Gentlemen. It's my honor and pleasure to welcome you here at the Austro-American Society. This evening is dedicated to a special day, as you know.

It is the day - to quote Mark Twain - when we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year.

On this holiday, nobody is expected to buy gifts or take their "significant other" out to dinner; and nobody gets off work or school. Nevertheless, is a day on which one must be alert.

For that reason, and despite the fact that this year's April 1 is almost over, I recommend you remain vigilant and be skeptical about everything you see, read and hear today.

You may know that the origin of this special holiday dates back to 1562. When Pope Gregory introduced a new calendar for the Christian world, and the new year fell on January first, there were some people, who hadn't heard or didn't believe the change in the date. Therefore, they continued to celebrate New Year's Day on April first. Others played tricks on them and called them "April Fools."

Today, people around the globe play tricks on friends and strangers alike on this day. One common trick on April Fool's Day, is pointing down to a friend's shoe and saying, "Your shoelace is untied" - but I'm sure everybody here has played or at least become the victim of a more sophisticated trick.

Some of the best, by the way, are collected by the San Diego-based Museum of Hoaxes, with their number one being the 1957 BBC television show that announced that thanks to a mild winter and the virtual elimination of the spaghetti weevil, Swiss farmers were enjoying a bumper spaghetti crop. BBC showed footage of Swiss farmers pulling strands of spaghetti from trees, which prompted a barrage of calls from people wanting to know how to grow their own spaghetti at home.

Tonight we will get a good insight in the creativity of April Fool's Day pranks by our humor experts. So, if you ran out of ideas, listen carefully and take some notes.

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our readers: Bond Benton, Andrew Horsfield, Doug Linton, Dardis McNamee, Gordon van der Veen, and Gregory Weeks

I believe this is the second time we can enjoy this distinguished group of presenters here at the Austro-American Society, and hopefully not the last time.

Before I give the floor to them, I would like to thank the Austro-American Society, and particularly Vic Huber, for the excellent cooperation and for hosting this event tonight. Our institutions have been working together for many years and it's always a delight to be invited here. Thank you so much!