It's April 1, and that means pranksters everywhere are on the hunt for gullible prey. This year, Chicago was no exception.
From a Pokemon character at the Cook County Jail to bacon-scented real estate listings, here's a list of some of the April fools jokes floating around Chicago Tuesday.
- Google turned the day of jokes into a game, warning users that "dozens of wild Pokemon have taken up residence on streets, amidst forests and atop mountains throughout Google Maps." It urged users to "tap their inner Pokemon Master" and catch the creatures, one of which was hiding in Cook County Jail.
- Redditors may (or may not) have been surprised Tuesday when they logged onto the r/Chicago subreddit and saw an announcement that the Willis Group was sponsoring the page.
- Chicagoans looking to put their home on the market might have been surprised to find that Midwest Real Estate Data added a "scent" field to their property listing, allowing agents to indicate the aromatic smell clients can anticipate when visiting a property. The list included fresh baked bread, chocolate chip cookies, apple pie, popcorn, Cinnabon and bacon. "If this innovation doesn't stink, MRED plans similar enhancements every April 1st," the company wrote on its website.
- Virgin America announced a partnership with Nest to introduce a new temperature control feature for passengers. Total Temperature Control gives passengers the ability to control the climate of their space with settings like Cancun sun or Chicago Polar Vortex.
- In an apparent April Fools joke and simultaneous ad campaign, it appears someone has stolen the Stanley Cup. Joke or not, just the thought of such an event would put Blackhawks fans on edge.
- The St. Petersburg/Clearwater tourism office in Florida stirred rumors that a Chicago kayaker spotted a rare marine mammal known as the manaphin in the Gulf of Mexico. The manatee-dolphin hybrid is an "aquatic herbivor known for its playful personality and a penchant for exceptionally clear water." Get it? Clear water.
- In an April Fools joke gone wrong, a 54-year-old employee at Virginia College in Spartanburg County sent a text to her daughter about a school shooting, according to NBC's South Carolina affiliate. The daughter, who The Smoking Gun reports is in Chicago, then called police, but Angela Timmons told investigators the text was an April Fools joke.
- Michael Gebert released a trailer for a new documentary called Edzo Dreams of Cheesburgers, which follows Eddie "Edzo" Lakin of Edzo's Burger Shop in Chicago and aims to show how "seeking perfection can become a kind of spiritual quest."
- We wish this forecast was an April Fools joke...
- And we're hoping this is one.
