We already discussed Netflix’s April Fool’s Day gag, which was actually the exception to the rule that April Fool’s Day “jokes” are usually just plausible lies, which don’t really qualify as jokes. It’d be like if Louis CK just went onstage and said, “Hey, guess what you guys, I’m 42. PSYCH! I’m actually 45!” and walked offstage. Bryan Singer, on the other hand, went ahead and proved the rule, tweeting that Lady Gaga had joined the cast of X-Men Days of Future Past as Dazzler.
I can finally announce @ladygaga is joining #XMen #DaysofFuturePast as Dazzler. One of my all-time favorite characters. Can’t wait!
— Bryan Singer (@BryanSinger) April 1, 2013
Variety actually picked up the Tweet and ran it as a story. Which, yes, was kind of an amateur move, but keep in mind that Singer has been announcing his cast acquisitions on Twitter for months. Suffice to say, Variety quickly learned the Tweet was a joke and had to pull their story:
Lady Gaga’s casting in X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST is an April Fool’s joke, says her agency. Good one, Bryan Singer.
— Marc Graser (@marcgraser) April 1, 2013
Again, if getting people to believe a plausible lie is your idea of a joke, then I’ve got some old resumes you should see, they’re a real pants splitter. Also, if you tell the world that you’ve cast Lady Gaga in your movie, and we find it believable enough to think that you’d actually do it, who’s that joke on, us or you?