H8est: Most Annoying Hoaxes we Fell for in 2015
Dec 29, 2015 • Jaime Gonzalo
The internet is the biggest source of news in today’s world. With so many websites, it’s hard to tell if the news is legit or just gossip and speculation. On the other hand, some people just generally like to troll other people. Crazy or not, we sure fell for some hoaxes this 2015, and here are some of the ones you don’t want to admit falling hook, line and sinker for.
8. When manilalink.com announced that Piolo Pascual had come out of the closet
Via chuvachienes.com
It’s a question that’s been lingering for years so some people actually thought Piolo had come out, but unsurprisingly it was all a hoax.
7. When a picture of Meryl Streep accompanied by a quote she didn’t actually say went viral
Via facebook.com
Yeah, she did get rejected for the lead role of King Kong, but she never won 18 academy awards–she’s won three. Also, the quote and the picture weren’t meant to go hand in hand–it was a fake Facebook account that posted it, and the account has since been deleted.
6. When Facebook’s “privacy declaration” went viral
5. When Michelle Obama shaved her head
4. When the World Health Organization said that bacon can cause cancer
Via reuters.com
It was more of attention grabbing clickbait than a hoax but nonetheless, the WHO never said that bacon was a direct cause for cancer. What their study actually showed was that eating two slices of bacon every day for your whole life will raise your chance of developing colorectal cancer from five percent to six percent. People really should learn to read before jumping on their keyboards.
3. When a man posted a photo of his passport on Facebook, saying that his legal name was “Phuc Dat Bitch”
Via nymag.com
A man posted a rant on Facebook saying he was irritated that Facebook wouldn’t let him use his legal name of Phuc Dat Bich. The image went viral but the author of the picture came forward saying it was all a joke. It was made clear by the way he signed it as Joe Carr–“joker.”
2. When a deaf man was prosecuted after he called an officer a “pig” in sign language
Via telegraph.co.uk
The Telegraph released the story of a drunk man in Mcdonalds who was arrested because he had called an officer a “pig” using sign language after a few minutes of confrontation. It was stated that the officer understood sign language and arrested the man. Now, the altercation could have actually happened, but the whole “getting arrested for sign language” thing most definitely did not.
1. When a mad scientist became superhuman and gained night vision
Via metro.co.uk
This story made the rounds on the internet after a story made the rounds about a mad scientist using himself as a guinea pig in his own experiment. During said experiment, a light sensitive substance known as Ce6 dripped into his eyes. They put the results to the test in the woods where he was to spot people at night from 50 meters away. The story ended there and had little conclusion leading people to believe that the mad scientist never actually gained night vision, thus proving the article a hoax.
What fake stories got you going this year? Share them with us below!
