In the last day or so, news has been filtering down through the internet about the possibility of Facebook testing a satire tag for use with the increasing number of satirical news websites out there. Just so people are aware: satirical news is not news about satire. A satirical news story is a comedy story published online that mimics the format of real news sites. Now, obviously The Onion and The Daily Mash have been around for a number of years, and The Day Today and Brass Eye were doing this back before the Internet was a glimmer of free porn in a lonely geeks eye. Nonetheless, Facebook still feels the needs to signpost satire because a horrifying proportion of its regular users will not check the background of a story before sharing it with all of their friends. But this massive, widespread gullibility isnt just limited to satirical stories like The Price Of Fame: Another Worlds Oldest Person Dies, and Men Warned Over Loom Penis Bands Trend (Clickhole and The Daily Mash, respectively). Neither is it limited to foolish Facebook posters real, semi-respectable news outlets, desperate for content, are parroting the most ridiculous nonsense, which you and your monkey are then sharing across the interwebs. In the interests of clarify and the mental health of all mankind, weve compiled a list of ten of the most ridiculous fake stories that your friends have probably shared all over Facebook with worried looks on their gormless faces: because a lie can run halfway around the world before the truth has got its boots on, and we think the truth should have a jetpack and a machine gun to even the odds.
Professional writer, punk werewolf and nesting place for starfish. Obsessed with squid, spirals and story. I publish short weird fiction online at desincarne.com, and tweet nonsense under the name Jack The Bodiless. You can follow me all you like, just don't touch my stuff.
