Let's hear it for fools!
@column int = Aboard this ship of fools you will find all kinds: the Shakespearean fool, the village idiot, the holy fool, the simpleton, the moral fool, the oinseach, the amadan, Mad Sweeney, an pleota, an bobarzn agus an gamal, the Tarot fool, the fool for love, the gorm, Icarus, the gachamhac, the jester, the heroic fool, the sacrificial fool, the geek, the Greek fool, the Roman fool and all the other fools, fooled and foolers down the ages.
A VOICE: Yes. Yes. That's all very well — but what's your meaning? Fools there are aplenty — and there's surely one born every other minute ...
— Ah, but do we care? I mean really care! These poor fools are without a voice. They're forgotten. It's time they were celebrated.
Celebrated! What foolishness!
— Ah ha! Exactly! Let's hear it for fools! Hurrah!
Keep it down. Keep it down.
— Make every day an April Fools' Day!
Don't be absurd!
— National Foolishness Week!
Stop it!
— Saturday, Sunday, Foolharday.
This is insane!
— No it's not! It's ... tomfoolery!
I'll tomfoolery you in a minute!
— A "fool" is a dish of stewed fruit mixed with custard.
It's what?
— One who feigns folly for the entertainment of others.
And that's you, is it?
— Did you know that the medieval clergy celebrated the Feast of Fools, which was derived from the pagan Kalendae. A mock bishop or pope was elected, ecclesiastical ritual was parodied, low and high officials changed places and masked clergy rioted inside and outside churches. Did you know that?
No I didn't, but ...
— From the late 15th century to the early 17th century, after the Feast of Fools was suppressed, members of secular fool societies satirised contemporary bigwigs in burlesque processions and in farces, which culminated in disrobing the characters to display the motley garb beneath. How about that? Societies especially for fools!
Certifiable.
— I wonder what you had to do to join?
I'm sure you'd qualify.
— Do you think so?
Undoubtedly. Of course you'd have to form a committee.
— A committee?
To run the society — a committee made up entirely of fools.
— Entirely of fools. Wouldn't that be great! We could have get-togethers and fools' days and festivals, but where am I going to find the fools?
I'm sure you'll think of something.
— I don't suppose you'd ...
No, I wouldn't!
By Dave Riley