The spoofers spoofed

The Guardian has a long tradition of running April Fools' Day spoofs so convincing that they manage to fool not just their readers but other MSM outlets.

So I'm really delighted to see that the Purim spoof I ran yesterday on sensational staff changes at the Guardian has ended up being featured as if it was for real on.... the Talkback pages of the Graun itself.

The Guardian helped me along no end. They gratuitously published stuff on this Purim day that enabled me to provide what emerged as a credible enough incredible story to have some of the people I mentioned in it contacting me to ask if the story was real.

There was the publication of a pro-Iraq war column by Oliver Kamm, and even more helpfully, the appearance of a new group blog featuring a host of familiar and unfamiliar columnists that just provided enough credibility for my post.

But then when the Graun itself puts up multi-millionaire right wing bloggers like Arianna Huffington as gurus on blogging, I wonder if I really have much to offer in the way of satirizing the prospect of a right wing putsch in Farringdon Road. And the plethora of this blog, that blog and a plethora group blog without any real character does provide an unwittingly convincing background for my story about its use being to provide a dumping ground for its hard left Stoppers and moonbats. Especially when almost the first opinion post they run is from..... George Galloway.

I also provided a few clues.

Firstly, the appearance of a new sig photo yesterday with my Tina Turner party wig on should have alerted anyone who's a regular reader that things were not quite as they usually are.

And of course to anyone who knows about the traditions of Purim, the real give-away was in the name of my supposed mole at the Guardian. P. Rimshpiel represents the Yiddish Purimshpiel. Originally, groups of young men would dress up and enact the Purim story, going from house to house to collect money for charity. Now, especially in Israel, people of all ages dress up. And the tradition has grown up of Purim practical jokes and spoofs.

It seems the Israeli papers aren't as keen on running Purim spoofs as their British counterparts. Maybe I missed some, but the only thing I spotted on the online editions of Ha'aretz and the Jerusalem Post that could have been a Purim spoof is this story in Ha'aretz about Shimon Peres having said that the Israeli Labour Party had never claimed to be socialist or social democratic. But then he did switch parties from Labour to the centrist and non-socialist Kadima. Perhaps some of my Israeli readers can confirm whether this is a true story or not. The Jerusalem Post didn't cover it.

The Israeli blogosphere though did provide one superb spoof delight as the Muqata blog ran a series of Purim spoofs of other Israeli and Jewish bloggers. The spoof of Balagan, one of my favourite Israeli blogs, was really wonderful. As was the spoof of Step by Step/Olehgirl. Don't miss comparing them with the originals.

It was hardly surprising that non-Jews who read my post and wondered if it was for real considered only April Fools' Day as the only day for spoofs. So maybe this will help them become aware of a particularly enjoyable bit of Jewish culture.

But there were some Jewish bloggers--including some quite high profile ones-- who didn't spot it, and didn't even pick up on the giveaway name P.Rimshpiel, until someone pointed it out to them.

So it did get quite a few links across the blogosphere, and drove up my visitor stats very gratifyingly.

Oh, and I do have to say that almost everyone who saw me in my spectacular party wig much prefers it to my real hair. Shame I can't grow a mane like that. I can see why Joan Collins is so into wearing wigs.

Very strictly Orthodox Jewish married women often wear sheitels-- wigs--- as a convenient and sometimes glamorous way to carry out the obligation for women to cover their hair. It's their equivalent of the hijab. But the wigs I see, though often incredibly convincing and beautiful, are so often boring. So predictably long bob straight hair and fringe. And often verging on the absurd when you see them being worn by women in their late sixties and early seventies. Now, sheitels with attitude, that could really be something....

And I won't be doing any more spoofs. At least, not till next Purim. After all, my name is Adloyada...

Comments

[Rossy]

There are a few other aspects that have plaeyd a part in the re-rise of Betty White this year and that laid the groundwork for this: first would be her recurring role on The Bold and the Beautiful as Ann Douglas, the mother of principal B B character Stephanie Forrester, a role she plaeyd for more than 20 episodes from 2006 until 2009 (her character died in 2009). There's also her recurring role as Catherine Piper on Boston Legal which she plaeyd from 2005 to 2008. And then there's the parody of and guest appearance on Ugly Betty. It's amazing all that Betty has done to stay relevant, and along with my post a few months back , it's a reminder that social media isn't just a showcase for the young

[Kallie]

So it's come to this: vote for the candidate with the best comeircmal.I guess this 'comeircmal' for the 'Hillary' brand makes it abundantly evident that our government has been hijacked by big business selling a product.Disturbing and disgusting.