An October 15 2020 post to Reddit’s r/myfavoritemurder, titled “Found under floorboards[,] Percy Long Prong’s business card,” introduced a battered but risque calling card for a male sex worker purportedly catering to widows, s
Publication: viral content
Truth or Fiction?→ Nutella PR and Accidentally Racist Halloween ‘Ghosts’
Around October 29 2020, a purported Nutella Puerto Rico (@NutellaPR) Halloween post — an apparent screengrab from Facebook or Instagram featuring Ku Klux Klan-like ghosts — began circulating on Twitter, Reddit, and Facebook: Some posts ab
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Someone on the Walmart Social Media Team Has Had Enough of COVIDiots’
On October 29 2020, a Reddit user created a thread titled “Someone on the Walmart social media team has had enough of COVIDiots” in the subreddit r/MurderedByWords: Someone on the Walmart social media team has had enough of COVI
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘If You Ever Wonder What Food Is Like on a U.S. Navy Ship, Here It Is, the USS Nimitz (Cvn 68)’
On October 3 2020, Facebook user Kevin Selfaison shared the following image set, which purportedly showed rations aboard the Navy ship USS Nimitz (archived here): Alongside a gallery of 25 images, Selfaison wrote: If you ever wonder what food is li
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Fake Melania’ Rumor Spreads Again After Photograph From White House Lawn
On October 24 2020, Twitter user Zack Bornstein shared a photograph of President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump… or was it? The only thing I'll miss from this administration is them swapping in new Melanias and just pretending we won&#
Truth or Fiction?→ Did Women Start Shaving Their Legs Due to a 1910s Marketing Push by Razor Manufacturers?
An October 14 2020 Facebook post about the purported origins of women shaving their legs quickly became popular; it depicted a screenshot of a conversation in which one participant ascribes “capitalism” as a motive for a “1910s”
Truth or Fiction?→ Jamie Lee Curtis, ‘Irregardless,’ and Merriam-Webster
On October 22 2020, Upworthy published a post (“Jamie Lee Curtis isn’t happy about Merriam-Webster recognizing ‘irregardless’ as a word”) which — as might be expected — was shared by numerous social media acco
Truth or Fiction?→ Joe Biden’s 2002 Letter to Ruth Cooke
On October 15 2020, a Facebook user shared a purported letter dated February 19 2002 that was attributed to Joe Biden and addressed to a widow named Ruth Cooke: On October 16 2020, the letter was referenced in a post to Reddit’s r/politics:
Truth or Fiction?→ Original Script for ‘The Addams Family’ Writer’s Note, ‘Demonic Levels of Horniness’
On October 16 2020 a Facebook user shared the following Twitter screenshot which purportedly depicted a “writer’s note” on the original script for the 1991 film The Addams Family: The following dialogue appeared in an image attache
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Since the Netflix Love Letters Have Been Pouring For Chris Watts, Including Marriage Proposals and Money’
On October 8 2020, Netflix’s American Murder documentary was popular enough that it generated a whole slew of viral claims. Among them was a Facebook rumor that subject Chris Watts received a flood of new “fan mail” (including money
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Fun Fact: Dolly Parton is Not Blonde, All Her Blonde Dos Are Wigs … She Just Clark Kents Her Way Into Maintaining a Private Life’
An October 15 2020 Facebook post about Dolly Parton’s husband and purported success in moving through public in incognito mode went viral almost immediately; it looked like this: In the Facebook post, an undated tweet appeared above two Tumbl
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘This Is a Reverse Financed Internship So You Will Pay $15/hr to Work Here’
An apparent prank job listing first spotted in January 2020 has continued recirculating through Facebook, with some readers taking it as a sign of late-stage capitalism’s descent into pure self-parody. The ad was posted on the job listing websit
Truth or Fiction?→ Is This a Trump Supporter’s Truck Getting Repossessed in Florida in ‘a Perfect Metaphor’?
Around October 12 2020, a photograph described as a “Trump supporter’s truck being repossessed in Florida,” flags still flying, spread on several social media platforms, including Twitter: A Trumpanzee in Florida having his truck
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Spirit Halloween on Gateway’ Trump ‘Devil’ Complaint Goes Viral
On October 12 2020, a Facebook account shared a screenshot of an apparent complaint to Spirit Halloween’s Facebook page, which was purportedly about outrage over the placement of Donald Trump masks in a section labeled “devil”: In
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Charlie in ‘Willy Wonka’ Originally Black?
A September 24 2020 Facebook screenshot — which claimed that beloved children’s author Roald Dahl conceived the “Charlie” of the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as Black — became virally popular, prompting disco
Truth or Fiction?→ Chris Watts and Ring Footage with a ‘Fetus and a Skull in Oil’ in ‘American Murder’
Netflix’s American Murder documentary was popular enough in October 2020 to generate a storm of conspiracy theories, and among widely-discussed elements was a purported “coincidence” during which Chris Watts is questioned by police &
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘My Blood IS the Vaccine’ Tweet
On October 9 2020, as speculation mounted about United States President Donald Trump’s health following his COVID-19 diagnosis, a purported tweet circulated in screenshot form: The alleged tweet, which was dated October 5 2020, said simply,
Truth or Fiction?→ Ghost in the Watts Family Documentary ‘American Murder’
An October 8 2020 Daily Mail article headlined “Man claims there is a ‘GHOST’ of a little girl in new Netflix documentary about family killer Chris Watts, insisting he can see the spirit in the background of police bodycam footage
Truth or Fiction?→ Ghost in the Watts Family Documentary ‘American Murder’
An October 8 2020 Daily Mail article headlined “Man claims there is a ‘GHOST’ of a little girl in new Netflix documentary about family killer Chris Watts, insisting he can see the spirit in the background of police bodycam footage
Truth or Fiction?→ Was Netflix Indicted by a Texas Grand Jury over ‘Cuties’ Controversy?
On October 7 2020, posts claiming that a Texas grand jury had “indicted Netflix” over its distribution of the film Cuties began circulating on social media: Netflix’s Indictment in the News Readers searching to validate the stor
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the Proud Boys Rebrand as the Leather Men Following a Hashtag Offensive?
In early October 2020, the far-right Proud Boys — who already regularly made national news in the United States for their violent rhetoric, hostility toward human rights protesters, and open support of President Donald Trump — were whippe
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Happy Banned Books Week, Here Are the Ten Most Banned Books in US Libraries and Schools’
On September 28 2020, Facebook user Morgan Meeker shared the following post, which referenced “Banned Books Week” and apparently depicted the ten most banned books in American schools and public libraries: Under a photograph of a stack
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Real Ben Shapiro Tweet About Trayvon Martin Resurface After He Predicted a Lack of Sympathy for Donald Trump’s COVID-19?
News that United States President Donald Trump had fallen ill with COVID-19 broke shortly after 1:00 AM Eastern time October 2 2020. Right-wing pundit Ben Shapiro wasted no time, immediately chiding Twitter’s “blue checkmarks” (
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘There’s More Cases of Covid in the White House Than in All of New Zealand’
After news broke of U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump testing positive for COVID-19, a viral tweet contrasted the spate of positive tests in the White House outstripped the rate of positive tests in all of New Zealand: Thereâ€
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Twitter User Tweet That Trump’s October Surprise Will be the Announcement of ‘His Infection’?
Just after midnight Eastern time on October 2 2020, news broke that United States President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for novel coronavirus; a screenshot of a September 18 2020 tweet began circulating shortly thereafter
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Twitter User Tweet That Trump’s October Surprise Will be the Announcement of ‘His Infection’?
Just after midnight Eastern time on October 2 2020, news broke that United States President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for novel coronavirus; a screenshot of a September 18 2020 tweet began circulating shortly thereafter
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Give Your Pumpkins a Bleach Bath’
As Halloween loomed, a September 26 2020 Facebook post advising users to give pumpkins a “bleach bath” proved extremely popular, racking up a six-figure share count in just a few days: Alongside an image of a carved pumpkin in a bucket,
Truth or Fiction?→ Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Susan Struck
On September 20 2020, two days after the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Facebook user Amber LeBeau shared a post claiming that Ginsburg had intervened on behalf of combat nurse Susan Struck, more broadly addressing the narrative
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘Cannabis Ice Cream’
In mid-2020, a purported photograph of “cannabis ice cream” circulated on Facebook as a mildly engagement-baiting poll asking whether readers were for or against the putative dessert: Earlier iterations of the image featured the
Truth or Fiction?→ Did J.K. Rowling Promote a Website Selling Transphobic Merchandise?
Author J.K. Rowling — no stranger to controversy — roiled anger in September 2020 after using her Twitter account to promote an online store selling merchandise bearing “gender critical” or transphobic messages. Rowling posted
Truth or Fiction?→ Did the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast Recognize Bill Barr for ‘Christlike Behavior’?
On September 23 2020, “Christlike” appeared on Twitter’s list of trending topics due to a viral tweet objecting to a Catholic organization’s decision to honor Attorney General Bill Barr: The National Catholic Prayer Breakfast
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘During WWII, Lipstick Became a Sign of Patriotism’
The origin of one anti-fascist tactic circulated again on Facebook in August and September 2020, with some readers getting a new perspective on cosmetics and their impact. The post, which has been shared more than thousands of time times since its pub
Truth or Fiction?→ CDC Removes ‘Airborne’ COVID-19 Content
On September 21 2020, several prominent tweets suggested that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention added, then removed guidance indicating that SARS-CoV-2 (the virus which causes COVID-19) was airborne — meaning it could potentially be
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘A Florida Woman Has Been Accused of Driving a Motorized Shopping Cart Through Target, Drinking Wine, Eating Sushi and Cinnamon Rolls’
On September 16 2020, a Facebook page shared the following highly questionable screenshot about a Florida woman purportedly accused of drinking wine and eating sushi and cinnamon rolls while riding on a motorized shopping cart in a Target store: Ab
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Life Insurance Company’s Attempt to Curb Suicide on a South Korea Bridge Precede an Increase in Deaths?
On September 17 2020, the following post was shared to r/therewasanattempt, which described a purported initiative to curb suicides on South Korea’s Mapo Bridge: to stop suicide from therewasanattempt An image showed two
Truth or Fiction?→ Attempted Florida Pizza Shop Abduction: ‘Hold Tight to Your Babies. ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ They Are Coming for Them’
On September 11 2020, a Facebook user shared the following screen recording of an apparent attempted child abduction, captioned “Hold tight to your babies. They are coming for them”: That had been captured from the Instagram acc
Truth or Fiction?→ Did NFL Fans Boo During a ‘Moment of Unity’?
The opening game of the National Football League’s 2020 campaign drew attention online beyond the boxscore on September 10 2020, as footage spread of fans booing during what the league had hoped would be soothe tensions between players and fans.
Truth or Fiction?→ Did a Single Gender Reveal in California Cause More Property Damage Than All of 2020’s Black Lives Matter Protests Combined?
On September 7 2020, a Facebook user shared a post asserting that a single gender reveal party in 2020 caused more property damage than all of the Black Lives Matter protests throughout the year: White text against a red and orange background read:
Truth or Fiction?→ ‘You Do Know that Eliminating the Payroll Tax Defunds Social Security, Don’t You?’
As a payroll tax deferral ordered by United States President Donald Trump took effect, a Facebook user’s warning went viral: The post states, “Hey folks. ‘You Do Know that Eliminating the Payroll Tax Defunds Social Security, Don’t
Truth or Fiction?→ Was the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally a Super-Spreader Event?
September 8 2020 marked approximately one month from the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota, and it heralded purported news that the widely-attended gathering served as a “super-spreader event” during an ongoing COVID-19 pand