The first day of April is notorious for infuriating those who are targeted as prey. April Fool’s has become an enduring “holiday” for a certain niche of the population. They're the ones who scribble reminders on their calendar, plan elaborate jokes, and laugh ‘til their bellies are sore.
What if a prank goes too far? Where’s the line? Is it fair enough to say, “It was just a joke, get over it”?
On March 30, Eddie Gossage, president of the Texas Motor Speedway, had an unforeseen announcement for the public. Gossage offered Terry Dorsey, a Dallas country music station DJ, $100,000 to switch his name to TexasMotorSpeedway.com and brand himself with a permanent Texas Motor Speedway tattoo. Dorsey was given 24 hours to make his final decision. Does he take the $100,000 and consent to the stipulations or walk away? Nascar fans held their breath.
The press and commentators reacted exactly how they were supposed to: shocked. Texas Motor Speedway got all of the wanted press they were hoping for. The story made national headlines, and all eyes were on Terry Dorsey.
It’s safe to say that Gossage is a master of trickery. As it turns out, the proposal was an April Fool’s joke on the public and fans. It accomplished what it was meant to accomplish. Texas Motor Speedway received wanted press, and in turn, so did Terry Dorsey and 96.3 KSCS, Dorsey’s station.
Consequently, the district clerk of Tarrant County, Tom Wilder, and his staff didn’t find the joke clever or funny. They spent about three hours in the family law building, where names are legally changed, and prepared to buffer the oncoming of the media and fans. The press turned the family law building, where dozens of people have their lives changed everyday, into an outright circus. Film crews began filming people who were not wanted to be on screen, and were creeping into the privacy of others during vulnerable times in their lives.
Wilder is quoted in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram saying, “It was just a great inconvenience and, apparently, Mr. Gossage and Mr. Dorsey have a lot of time on their hands so maybe they can help us with our 30,000 cases and the overload we have on a daily basis.”
Ouch! It’s clearly evident that the prank showed the power of the “snowball effect”, and how affective the press can be at spreading news, whether important or trivial.
If I was on the public relations team at the Texas Motor Speedway, I would issue an apology to those who were negatively affected (Wilder and staff), and would encourage them to recognize the frustrations this prank caused.
With any prank, trust is lost, whether a small or large amount. They could also apologize to the publics expressing their intentions with the joke. Being tricked can be an embarrassing thing.
The last thing I would advise them to do is to do exactly what Wilder mentioned they could do: help out at the district clerk’s office and make up for the inconvenience caused that day. What better way to show your apology than acting on your words?
This is the perfect example of a harmless prank gone totally wrong. April Fool’s is quickly becoming one of the most annoying days of the year.
SOURCES:
http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/03/31/2081919/tarrant-county-district-clerk.html
http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/blog/from_the_marbles/post/Would-you-change-your-name-to-TexasMotorSpeedway?urn=nascar,231184
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