The Flight of the Emperors

The British take April Fools’ Day very seriously; almost every newspaper has at least one hoax story.

This year, my favorite print hoax was from the Sun, which was no doubt inspired by the media frenzy surrounding Carla Bruni, the glamorous wife of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, during their recent visit to London. According to the Sun’s April 1 report:

FRENCH President Nicolas Sarkozy is to have pioneering stretch surgery in a bid to make him taller.

The 5ft 5ins leader has contacted a leading Swiss laboratory because he has become so paranoid about his frame.

Doctors reckon they will be able to add an amazing FIVE INCHES to his height in just over a year.

When surgery is completed he will be an inch taller than his stunning ex-model wife Carla Bruni.

Sarkozy, 53, was ridiculed on last week’s state visit to Britain for being so short. He had elevated heels in his shoes while wife Carla, 40, wore a flat pair of pumps.

The method, Stature Augmentation Treatment, was developed on guinea pigs by Israeli academic Professor Ura Schmuck.

Even better than that was this video from the BBC. I won’t spoil it for you, but I recommend you watch it soon–it will only be up for three more days.

UPDATE: If the above video link won’t play for you, you can find a slightly lower-quality version on YouTube.