- An internal memo from Business Insider suggests there might not be a Google April Fools’ day gag this year.
- If so, it would be the second year in a row that Google has skipped its longstanding tradition.
- The alleged memo makes it clear that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is the reason for this decision.
Every year, Google has had a lot of fun with April Fools’ Day gags. One of the best was Gmail Paper, which allowed users to send their email through standard mail – on “94% post-consumer organic soybean sputum,” where sputum is the mucus you cough up when you make a slime bomb.
Last year, however, Google canceled this annual event. Well after Business InsiderThis year, too, there was no prank on Google’s April Fool’s joke. If so, it would be the second year in a row, and only the second time since 2004, that Google has not followed the tradition.
Connected: Here are Google’s April Fools’ Day jokes: From Google Tulip to spoon bending in Gboard
Like last year, the alleged rationale for this change is the COVID-19 pandemic. With much of the world still in dire straits thanks to the virus, Google likely thinks this is simply not the time to be joking.
Leaked memo says no Google April Fools’ Day gag
The source of this information is a leaked internal memo received from Business Insider. In the alleged memo, Google Vice President Marvin Chow has this to say:
Over the past year, I’ve been very inspired by how helpful our products, programs, and people have been in the most difficult times of humanity. We did it with sensitivity and empathy, and we reflect the range of challenging experiences that so many around the world experience. As you will remember, last year we decided to break our long-standing Google tradition of celebrating the April Fool’s Day joke out of respect for everyone battling COVID-19. With much of the world still grappling with serious challenges, let’s cut the jokes again for this April Fool’s joke. As last year, we should continue to find suitable ways to bring our users moments of joy all year round.
Like last year, Google employees can still “celebrate” April Fool’s joke with things that are not pranks and / or inventions. In the leaked memo, Chow allegedly refers to things like Easter Eggs (the software kind, not the real kind) and Google Doodles as good ways to have fun with the day.
We reached out to Google for confirmation but haven’t received a response yet. We’ll update this article as soon as we hear something. In the meantime, it is certain that there will be no Google gag this year.