Tinglepost 398: This Sentient Lesbian Whoopee Cushion Gets Me Off For April Fools’ Day

power-handmaiden: > I had a feeling this would eventually be a day we would get a holiday tingler for, in the same vein as the Thanksgiving tinglers about the difficulties around that particular holiday. Dr. Tingle has outright stated that he is not a fan of April Fool’s Day. Personally, I’ve always looked forward to seeing what creative silly antics others can get up to on this day, and joking around myself when I feel inspired, but the other perspective is understandable. Some people take pranks too far and think that a special designated prank day gives them license to forget to be decent to others. It’s a point that is articulated well in this tingler. > > Dr. Tingle’s feelings really come through in the character of the sentient whoopee cushion. I’m sure any fan of him who pays attention to his thoughts on his work and the perception of it can recognize them in this character. She emphasizes that as a living object, even though she is something seen as a joke object, she’s still a person in the Tingleverse. She still wants agency in her life, which goes beyond just this one day when people expect her to participate and perform in a certain way. > > The explicitly stated message about April Fool’s Day in this tingler is pretty simple- “jokes” and “pranks” built on just being rude to a person are just that, rudeness dressed up as a joke, and encouraging that behavior leads to a tiresome environment. It counteracts the idea of a day centered around fun. However, there’s also an implicit message in the character of the whoopee cushion herself. That is, when your very existence is seen as a joke, sometimes you just don’t feel like providing the same obvious punchline all the time. Even if you have a sense of humor, sometimes you’re in the mood for some other jokes.