In March 2021, the Facebook page “Marvellous Realm” shared the following image, which purportedly shows an “Easter egg” involving the live-action 2021 Disney+ show WandaVision, contrasted with what appeared to be a still from t
Publication: Entertainment
Truth or Fiction?→ Rap Legend DMX’s Death Confirmed Hours After Confusion Online
Hip-hop icon DMX died on April 9 2021, hours after confusion spread on social media thanks to premature reports of his passing. The music news outlet XXL posted a statement sent by the rapper’s representatives: We are deeply saddened to announce
Logically→ The audience for NBC’s Golden Globe awards 2021 was down by 60% this year.
Figures suggest that the number of viewers for the prestigious awards event sunk to a 13 year low.
Logically→ The egg, an ancient symbol of new life, has been associated with many cultures celebrating spring.
Pagans saw eggs as a symbol of regeneration in springtime. Early Christians borrowed this idea and applied it to the rebirth of Christ.
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Scotty from ‘Star Trek’ Inspire a Woman to Not Take Her Own Life?
Actor James Doohan’s relationship with a fan was remembered fondly online in March 2021 to commemorate what would have been his 100th birthday. Fans of the Canadian actor’s work on the original series of Star Trek honored the occasion onlin
Logically→ The Weeknd had cosmetic surgery.
The Weeknd wore prosthetics as part of the character in his music video 'Save Your Tears'. He has not had facial modifications via plastic surgery.
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Mad Max is Set in 2021’
In late 2020 a set of memes began spreading, all of which contained wording to the effect of, “I don’t want to be [a pessimist,] but Mad Max was set in 2021″: It wasn’t clear where the combination of image and phrasing above a
Truth or Fiction?→ Twisted Tea Circle K Fight Video Spreads Virally
On December 24 2020, “Twisted Tea” became a popular trending term in the wake of footage showing an altercation at an Ohio Circle-K. Footage of the incident, which involved racial slurs and a can of Twisted Tea, was shared to r/PublicFrea
Truth or Fiction?→ Is This a Deleted Scene From ‘Love Actually’?
Since it takes place around Christmas, the film Love Actually becomes an online conversation topic every holiday season. In December 2020, however, still more people became aware of a scene that didn’t make it into the movie’s final cut. I
Truth or Fiction?→ Is a ‘Firefly’ Reboot Coming To Disney+?
On December 15 2020, rumors of a purported Disney+ Firefly “reboot” that was refashioned to be “family-friendly” spread on social media, with fans of the show registering opinions about the what that might mean: We have ex
Truth or Fiction?→ Did an Italian Singer Score a Hit Song Using ‘Nonsense’ English Lyrics?
A decades-old cross-cultural hit by Adriano Celentano and Celeste Mori was brought back to light both in the U.S. and the pair’s native Italy in November 2020, thanks to social media and a Scottish artist. Harriet Mould found herself becoming co
Logically→ Princess Diana was wearing a costume the first time she met Prince Charles.
In their February 1981 engagement interview, Diana described them as meeting "in a plowed field" with no mention of a costume.
Truth or Fiction?→ Did James Woods Play Rudy Giuliani in a Movie?
Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani’s embarrassing November 2020 continued apace after social media users discovered a clip from what could charitably be called a flattering portrayal of him from nearly two decades earlier. The scene, taken
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Debat’ Trends After Rudy Giuliani Tweets, Deletes a Cryptic Comment
On the morning of October 1 2020, “Debat” was a Twitter trending topic — largely populated with memes and references to New York City’s former mayor Rudy Giuliani. Ever on top of internet trends, a social media account for the
Logically→ Kangana Ranaut called farmers as terrorists.
Kangana Ranaut has clarified that she only called protesters who are against the farm bill as terrorists and not the farmers.
Logically→ PUBG parent scouts for Indian partner.
PUBG Corporation, in a press release, said that it is planning to provide Indian users a localized gameplay environment to remove ban in India.
Logically→ The Indian government has imposed a ban on 118 Chinese mobile applications including PUBG.
The Indian government has blocked 118 Chinese apps including PUBG citing that these apps were prejudicial to the sovereignty and integrity of India.
Logically→ Indian firm likely to buy the PUBG video game app.
No media, print or broadcast, has reported that Indian firms are interested in acquiring PUBG and this game has been banned by the Indian government.
Logically→ Multiplexes are open across Karnataka from September 1, 2020.
The guidelines released by the MHA says that Cinema halls will remain closed.
Truth or Fiction?→ Did WitchTok ‘Baby Witches’ Hex the Moon?
On July 18 2020, a rumor began spreading on “WitchTok” (a TikTok witch community) that a group of “baby witches” endeavored to “hex the moon” and “hex the fae,” setting off moral panics and fevered discu
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘The Golden Girls’ Blackface Controversy
On June 28 2020, Facebook user Matt Joseph shared the following post, which showed a BuzzFeed article (“An Episode Of “The Golden Girls” Was Pulled From Hulu For Featuring Blackface”) and a comment about how the decision was co
Truth or Fiction?→ Dave Chappelle Releases ‘8:46’ via YouTube, Netflix, Discusses Death of George Floyd and Protests
In June 2020, comedian Dave Chappelle released an unexpected, 27-minute-long special titled 8:46 — a number instantly recognizable as the amount of time former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyd’s neck, killing
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Neil Gaiman Reveal That He Was Reading a Book About Divorcing a Narcissist?
Observers and fans of author Neil Gaiman and singer Amanda Palmer were abuzz on May 8 2020, after a screengrab surfaced of what was believed to be another public manifestation of their recent split. The image — posted in at least two different p
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Dear Georgia IDGAF’ Meme
On April 21 2020, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp made the controversial decision to “re-open” some of his states non-essential businesses in spite of a spreading COVID-19 pandemic; that night, a meme addressed to Georgia residents advised, &#
Truth or Fiction?→ Did an MSNBC Commentator Say that Recent College Graduates Make ‘$75,000 a Year’?
On February 25 2020, a purported comment from MSNBC commentator Mike Barnicle on talk show Morning Joe netted him accusations of being out of touch with many Americans. Barnicle was not named in the tweet that prompted the accusation, which has been
Truth or Fiction?→ Prolific Web Artist Qinni Dies at 29
Well-loved DeviantArt and social media artist Qing Han, known to fans as Qinni, has died. She was 29. DeviantArt, a platform on which Qinni maintained a massive following (and which honored Qinni in 2017), confirmed Qing Han’s death in a tweet:
Truth or Fiction?→ Director James Gunn Refutes Fake Instagram Post Fueling ‘Guardians’ Coverage
In a microcosm of the problem with aggregation-based reporting, film director James Gunn went online to refute a story circulating about him that relied on a falsified photograph of one of his social media accounts. On February 1 2020, the pop-culture
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Actress Sandra Bullock Did NOT Say, "Donald Trump Is Doing Everything To Improve Our Nation"
Did actress Sandra Bullock say that "Donald Trump is doing everything to improve our nation" and urge his critics, including former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, to leave the country? No, that's not true: Bullock never mad
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Actor Sean Penn Did NOT Suggest He Wants To Assassinate President Trump
Did Oscar-winning actor Sean Penn suggest that he wanted to assassinate President Trump? No, that's not true: Penn wrote and narrated a fictional book, published in March of 2018, about a troubled Southern Californian who wants to kill a chara
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Ravi Shankar, Indian Sitar Maestro, Died IN 2012
Did Indian sitar maestro Ravi Shankar recently die? No, that's not true: Shankar died in December of 2012, in a San Diego hospital - not in January of 2020 as many Facebook posts would lead you to believe. A BBC obituary reporting Shankar's pa
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Singer Did NOT Ban American Flag From Concerts, Did NOT Say She Can’t Even Look At It While Trump’s President
Did singer Lana Del Rey ban the American flag from her concerts and say that she can't even look at it while Donald Trump is president? No, that's not true: Del Rey never banned the flag from her concerts and never made such a statement. Her w
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Lil Boosie Did NOT Attack George Zimmerman Outside A Miami Walmart
Did Lil Boosie attack George Zimmerman outside a Walmart in Miami, Florida? No, that's not true: Even though the rumor has gone viral in recent days, it was based on a 2014 satirical story making the same claims. The rapper - now known as Boos
Truth or Fiction?→ NikkieTutorials (Nikkie de Jager) Comes Out as Transgender
On January 13 2020, YouTube star Nikkie de Jager — known to her fans as NikkieTutorials — revealed in a 17-minute video that she is transgender: I’m coming out. https://t.co/chLHURZKk4 — NikkieTutorials (@NikkieTutorials) January 13, 2
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Nicole Kidman NOT Blacklisted After Calling For Americans To Support Trump
Did Nicole Kidman get blacklisted after calling for Americans to support President Trump? No, that's not true: Kidman has made comments saying that Americans should support whoever occupies the U.S. presidency, but she has not been blacklisted
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Pam Grier Does NOT Have Only Few Days To Live After Her Battle With Stage 4 Cancer
Does actress Pam Grier have only a few days left to live after her battle with stage 4 cancer? No, that's not true: The claim was made in a YouTube post that carried a false headline but no details to support it in the video. Grier's represent
Lead Stories→ Fake News: Star Trek Fan Did NOT Claim Wife Died During Teleportation Experiment; Was NOT Sentenced To Life In Prison For Murder
Did a Star Trek fan who had claimed his wife died during a teleportation experiment get sentenced to life in prison for murder? No, that's not true: The story was fabricated by a Canadian entertainment website that publishes fictional stories
Lead Stories→ Fake News: ‘Bionic Man’ Lee Majors NOT Dead At 83; $6 Million NOT Left To Trump 2020
Has the actor who played bionic man Steve Austin died and left $6 million to the Trump reelection campaign? No, that's not true: The former "Six Million Dollar Man" has not died and donated the amount that was used to "rebuild him" with bionic
Truth or Fiction?→ Hatsune Miku and Harry Potter
On December 19 2019, “Hatsune Miku” trended on Twitter during a controversy involving J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter, and trans-exclusionary feminism (“TERF,” an abbreviation for “trans-exclusionary radical feminist” a
Truth or Fiction?→ Folgers ‘Incest Ad’
If you frequent internet culture sites like Reddit or Fark.com, chances are you know the “Folgers incest ad” — and if you do, you either love or hate this polarizing commercial. If you have no idea what we’re talking about, read on
Truth or Fiction?→ How Many Moms Are in ‘One Million Moms’?
In December 2019 the group One Million Moms grabbed headlines for purportedly forcing the Hallmark Channel’s decision — quickly reversed — to discontinue holiday season television commercials by the brand Zola due to its inclusion of a lesbi