If you haven’t figured it out by now, The Best Funeral Ever mission was staged for April Fool’s Day. The “family members” were all actors and friends of Improv Everywhere. Next week we will post a new report with photo and video outtakes from the day. We staged a few over-the-top moments that were just too ridiculous to keep the video believable. Our apologizes to those who were fooled into thinking we had lost our minds and done something this horrendous. If you haven’t read the comments yet, do yourself a favor and read a few. They are probably funnier than the hoax itself.
But the hands-down funniest thing about all of this is that tonight’s evening news on CW 11 covered this mission as if it actually happened. They think the prank is on the family (our actors) when actually the prank is on them:
So basically the extent of their reporting is watching a video on YouTube and then describing it as fact on air. They didn’t bother to email Improv Everywhere for comment, call the cemetery to verify, or try to get a quote from the “family.” They just watched the video and threw it on TV. Great journalism!
They featured the story on their website tonight, but then took it down a few hours later (I guess someone filled them in.) Don’t worry. I took a screenshot.
Update: The CW filed a copyright claim against us for posting their video of our video!
Check out the hilarious outtakes from this project.
Damn! I totally fell for it!
I’m so stupid!! I totally bought it. I even clicked it away – a little disappointed how stupid is was to come all on the same time and too late and and… duzzzz :P
I get it. You fooled me! Really nice work!
Bon sang… C’est la meilleure de l’année! Ahahaha! Vous être trop génial !!! Vraiment du beau travail ;-)
You guys made my April 1st! I love that news piece, so much for investigative journalism eh?
Damn! You lot had me fooled! I even considered leaving a reply, stating how tasteless I found it.
Damn. And damn again!
I actually believed in it for a while. I had totally spaced on the fact that it was April Fool’s day. I was a bit skeptical after a while though and one of the pictures, where the *priest* stares at the camera, seemed to alert me to something. . .didn’t know what at the time.
Best part of all is indeed fooling the media. No proof beyond the video and a one sided story gone wrong. BEST. FUNERAL. EVER!
Best April Fools Ever.
You *totally* had me. I couldn’t figure out how the family didn’t freak out but I assumed it was your brilliant acting abilities.
Well played!
This isn’t really anything surprising for our media right now – but it’s almost refreshing to see it so blatant. It’s amazing they never bother to do any actual fact checking.
I can’t say I fell for it.. I was more in a state of disbelief that someone would do that.. but if you look at the coffin it’s a bit of a giveaway, looks like its out of a bad vampire movie : p
Can’t say it was a great thing though, what made it for me was the terrible reporting : )
And this was indeed the Best Funeral Ever!
For those who didn’t understand what happened, IE didn’t send it to CW as a tru story. CW found it in their own and showed it on air without ever consulting anyone.
I’ll hold to my faith in mankind and believe that CW realized it was an April Fools joke, airing it only as a way to extend the bizarre story to a wider public. But, wait, that wouldn’t be good publicity for IE, which would be hated by people who had never heard of it. Hum… Yeah, I’ll hold to my faith in mankind’s slow minds and naivety in today’s television. That would hurt less. =P
AHHHHHH! You got me! I thought Charlie had finally crossed the line! It didn’t even cross my mind it was April 1…
Too awesome!
Thank you Channel 11 fact checker!
Wow what a relief. I was sooo mad. I am so happy that this was a joke, Nicely done.
Knew it ! ……………RIP
OMG i really got fooled,
i really thought you were out of your mind …
Great Job Guys :)
Nice joke
And I’m really relieved now!
Keep up the mission
I AM DYING OVER THIS!!!!! THIS NEWS STORY IS SOOOO OUT OF CONTROL!!!!! YOU MUST BE SO PROUD OF YOUR SELVES!!! AHAHAHAHAHAH. I was Soooo freaked out when i saw your video and i hated you so much after totally loving you before and then a second later i realized you had duped me and i was once again delighted at your humorous ingenuity. and i CANNNNOOOOOTTTTT BELIEEEEEVE that a news organization broadcast this from my first initial perspective. that is CRAZZZZZYYYYY!!! CONGRATUALTIONS!!! MAY YOU ALL GET INCREDIBLY FAMOUS AND ALWAYS MAKE ENOUGH MONEY DOING WHAT YOU LOVE TO LIVE THE LIFE OF YOUR DREAMS!!!
OK…So I will admit that I was not sure if your were for real or not…but…I am thankful that you were not willing to go that far for a mission. Thanks for the laughs!!
Amanda
TN girl
I am never going to trust TV news again!! Unbelievable that they took you seriously… This was awesome, guys; when I saw it yesterday I had a jolt of shock and then realized what was up. The best part for me were the comments by people who realized that it was April 1st, that this might be a spoof, but still weren’t sure whether to believe it.
I actually may be a little bit in love with you all.
The best part about ‘Best Funeral Ever’ was that I actually believed it was true for a good few minutes. I don’t mind admitting that I was even gearing up to write one hell of a disgusted and indignant email (my creative juices were really flowing yesterday). That is, until I saw the photo of an agent ‘discreetly’ taking pictures on his cameraphone.
Oh, and well done to CW 11 – that right there is some top-notch journalism. When do they announce the Pulitzer nominations?