As tensions between the United States and Iran escalated in June 2019, a number of memes circulated that purportedly depicted tweets sent by Donald Trump between 2011 and 2013 — predicting that former United States President Barack Obama would fabricate a reason to attack Iran to divert attention from his administration. At least two versions …
On June 18 2019, Twitter user @johncatsjr shared the following tweet (“why I’m voting for Donald Trump in 2020”), a missive picked up by innumerable other users — along with an original misspelling: In that first version, the user spelled “manufacturing” as “manufactuing,” an error present in reposts of the same cut-and-pasted content: In the …
‘Why I’m Voting for Donald Trump in 2020’ Twitter Meme Read More »
On June 11 2019 Twitter user @n_robe shared the following tweet, claiming that the word “homosexual” was only added to the Bible in 1983 as a pretext for codifying anti-gay sentiments in Christianity: According to the tweet, “the word ‘homosexual’ didn’t appear in the Bible until 1983, replacing a verse stating that “man shall not lie …
Was the Word ‘Homosexual’ Only Added to Leviticus 18:22 in 1983? Read More »
On June 13 2019, @Complex tweeted the following footage, purportedly showing a ride called “Gyro Drop” and its “swing” feature: The tweet was viewed more than 13 million times in just 24 hours. @Complex did not include any additional information about the “Gyro Drop” ride, such as its location. However, replies to the tweet addressed …
In June 2019 (not long after the feature film John Wick 3 was released), a purported tweet attributed to Keanu Reeves began circulating on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and meme sites. Screenshots of what looked like a verified @KeanuReeves account tweeting “be kind to animals or I’ll kill you” spread across social media, followed by a rumor …
Did Keanu Reeves Tweet ‘Be Kind to Animals or I’ll Kill You’? Read More »
The hunt for an “identical wrist freckle” among women on social media went viral in May 2019 following a widely-shared tweet: In it, the original poster included four images of a purportedly identical wrist freckle on four different people, and wrote: ladies….. u got a freckle on the middle of ur wrist or is this …
During a May 23 2019 vote in the UK, early-morning rumors circulated that the latest in a line of milkshake-throwing incidents involved elderly British Army veteran Don McNaughton in the south England town of Aldershot: British tabloids raced to publish articles about the latest purported milkshaking incident. Express.co.uk reported the rumors: The elderly man was covered in a thick …
Was a Milkshake Thrown at an Elderly Brexit Party Volunteer? Read More »
Amid a rash of near-total abortion bans in various American states in May 2019, a screenshot of two tweets regarding sexual consent laws in North Carolina caused further confusion on social media. As of May 22 2019, one of the two tweets was deleted, but one was still live: In the screenshot, both the deleted …
Is North Carolina Changing Rape Laws So Victims Cannot ‘Withdraw Consent’? Read More »
On May 17 2019, a Facebook user shared one of several social media claims that controversial new near-total abortion bans in Alabama, Ohio, and Georgia constituted “forced pregnancy” under United Nations (UN) regulations governing the definition and handling of genocide and genocidal acts. The post (archived here) included a screenshot from the United Nations Office …
In May 2019, screenshots of a purported exchange between a prayer-seeking fan and the Joel Osteen Ministries page began circulating on social media: In the screenshot, someone posted: “I am requesting prayer for my marriage.” In response, it appeared that the Facebook page for Joel Osteen Ministries replied: Unfortunately, your Joel Osteen prayer request account has …
Is Joel Osteen Ministries Charging Facebook Commenters for ‘Prayer Requests’? Read More »
