‘Brandon Spots His Sign’: ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ Signs Help Boy with Autism
A thinly coded political meme phrase (“Let’s Go Brandon”) helped a young boy named Brandon overcome fears and led to a book.
2022
Was Princess Leia’s Droid Named After Carrie Fisher’s Bird?
Some ‘Star Wars’ fans speculated there’s a link between a new show and a classic photo of the actress.
Supreme Court ‘100 Miles’ Border Ruling
In June 2022, a Supreme Court ruling purportedly ruled that “Border Patrol can enter any home without a warrant and assault you, within 100 miles of the border.”
‘Christians Against Ms. Marvel’ Facebook Group
Screenshots of a purported Facebook group spread wildly and without context on other platforms.
Lac Del ‘Formula Pallets in Mexico’ Post
A post by a deeply misinformed Facebook user about what he spotted in a store in Mexico spread wildly on Facebook.
Wikipedia ‘List of School Shootings in the United States’ Video
A June 2022 Imgur video post purportedly depicting a lengthy list of school shootings in the United States (and the entry itself) lacked context.
Book Lovers Fight Back Against Banning Attempts
Book bans are taking over schools as part of a broader right-wing censorship campaign, following on the heels of school board takeovers — but there are ways to fight back.
Did Mark Cuban Start an Online Pharmacy?
In June 2022, a three-month-old Facebook post about Mark Cuban starting an online pharmacy spread virally.
Was Big Bird Supposed to Be on the Challenger?
A long-circulating claim that the Sesame Street character was supposed to be on the ill-fated Challenger shuttle re-emerged in June 2022.
Food Processing Plant Fires in 2022, Explained
Narratives about a purported string of food factory fires in 2022 had long-tail staying power, but rarely did debunkings address the “whys” of the conspiracy theory.