Moronic Newspapers Reprint Onion’s Conspiracy Article As Fact
I thought some “readers” were joking when they claimed they believed the Onion’s story on a conspiracy theorist finally convincing Neil Armstrong about how the Moon landings were faked. They weren’t. Like these two newspapers, who reprinted it as fact.
Not one—The New Nation, a newspaper from Bangladesh—but two—the Daily Manab Zamin, who ran the story in Bengali—published the whole story quoting the “Onion News Network, Lebanon, Ohio.” They reprinted the whole thing, starting with the headline: Conspiracy Theorist Convinces Armstrong Moon Landing Was Faked.
Their excuse: “We thought it was true so we printed it without checking.”
Frankly, I understand them. After all, if it is in in the internet, it must be real.
What is even more worrying is that there are a couple of Gizmodo readers—now banned—who actually believed the whole thing when we published it as a joke, and then used it as an argument in the story of Chandrayaan-1’s image on the Apollo 15 landing site. [Wired UK]
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Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)
If everything on the internet was true, then I'd have ladies lined up around my door because of the false info I spread about me under assumed names.
wow, I have no respect for those who don't believe in the moon landings
pwnerjam4.0
[www.theonion.com]
Ahhh, Lebanon, Ohio. Wasn't that where President Max Klinger was from?
Hold on u mean it wasn't fake? NO WAY! The Onion is a lot more legitimate than Fox News I would believe the onion over Fox so it has to be real =P
I'm not surprised that some foreign newspapers reprinted that. The Onion is, after all, "Americas Finest News Source."
I am amazed, however, that some Giz readers believed it. I'll have to go read their comments for myself.
@GitEmSteveDave_Galactica1980: If everything on the internet was true, "lil' Sharnaff" would be much bigger, and I'd have inherited billions of dollars from long lost relatives in Nigeria.
sharnaff is a sleep type pokemon
"We thought it was true so we printed it without checking."
What happened to investigative journalism.
All journalist should know that the onion is fake, I mean this is their line of work, they should know real news from fake news.
@encyclia: "because the idiots"???
so long! :wavey:
UofITom
In Texas yesterday, there was a story that an actual chupacabra was found. No joke.
[www.kmov.com]
You banned people because the idiots?
I'm in heaven!
encyclia
Please don't ban the conspiracy theorists! I love being able to point and laugh at them.
"there are a couple of Gizmodo readers—now banned"
（＾▽＾）Finally, the gods have granted our wishes!!
(Starman) AnalysisDialysis
@EdgesRazor: LOL back in highschool it got banned for that very reason
@encyclia:
Finally the stupid of the world are punished as they should be!
SGTalon
Isn't The Onion also responsible for the Harry Potter promotes Satanism in kids rumors too? If so, kudos to them, they write their articles very well.
EdgesRazor
Someday...when all that are left are "fragments" of this civilization, someone will find that reprint and archive it as "fact."
Then who will have the last laugh...????
Banning people from Gizmodo? Jesus Diaz! How does it feel to be a dictator ?
2 banned users? Aw crap. It was my idea for the virus....wasn't it?
ottermann want's a Snickers
They obviously didn't do enough research to read the older issues.
Lupus_Yonderboy
@EdgesRazor: I saw this hilarious bit on the 700 Club where they were claiming that Harry Potter was one of the signs of the apocalypse.
They also cited abortions, gambling, and bunch of other stuff too.
Those guys crack me up.
Shook-Yang
The banhammer forgives no one.
David Mascarenhas Watkins
@Colonel Jack O'Neill: They are form a different country, so you expect them to be in on the joke and just know the site does this kind of thing, would you know by looking at a joke news site Bangladesh when they fake a story about something in Bangladesh. I'm not saying they get a pass for not checking but they should not be expected to just know.
Weakskills
@ottermann want's a Snickers: too bad one of them wasn't moracity
kernel panic
This is not the first time a news agency from another country mistook an Onion article for being real. Several years ago, a Chinese newspaper ran an Onion story about how the U.S. Capitol Building was going to be remodeled with a removable dome. Here's the best part: The Chinese refused to retract the story!!!
Man. You've GOT to love The Onion. I've had otherwise intelligent friends forward some of Onion videos to me, all alarmed that what they were saying was true. *laughing* The Onion knows how to do it right.
wolfshades
Bahahahahahahahahaha!
No way!!
Disregarding the Onion origin of this "story", does anybody know the physics of the dust not having been blown away by the rocket engine at landing (so the foot prints could be made so close to the lunar module)?
puzz
@UofITom: don't grammar nazis get banned too? ;)
Haha... noobs.
@GitEmSteveDave_Galactica1980: Corporal (later Sergeant) Max Klinger was played by Jamie Farr. Both the actor and the character were from Toledo, OH.
But Jamie Farr is of Lebanese descent, so nice mashup with that Lebanon, OH thing.
Toledo has some good Lebanese food, in addition to Tony Packos (which you can order online):
[www.tonypackos.com]
Go Mud Hens!
Zanzan42
@sojrner: Do it on the streets, like everybody else.
AEchinoderm
@puzz: Have you seen a helicopter landing on a beach? How can there be any sand left after the wash from the rotor blades? Therefore, men has never landed on the beach.
AEchinoderm
In the internet's defense, The Onion is available in a print edition as well
burningsensation
@Major-n0ob: I wish I had that much hair.
@Zanzan42: BUT, Colnel Potter made Max recite the oath of president when he wanted to re-enlist when his girlfriend left him for the Sausage King of Ohio.
@RainyDayInterns: "..When Charlie Chaplin and his evil Nazi regime.."
brought to you by Carls Jr.
@prouted: I think you may be confusing the comments section of a blog w/ a government.
@elvisml2: I'm Not Sure
@RainyDayInterns: Are you talking about the Bible?
@Shook-Yang: Oh my god! I love the 700 club! It really is the funniest show on TV.
@Jack of all Tirades R.O.A.C.H.: That reminds me of a Thursday this summer--when I was in DC and would pick up The Onion in print--when they were "bought out" by a Chinese company and the whole edition was full of fake Chinese propaganda and anti-US stories. Truly a great read on the metro.
@otko: Fuck you, I'm eating.
@superberg: I like money
They couldn't print it if it wan't true! :P
notlikeacat
@puzz: I'm sure there was enough dust left over
notlikeacat
@AEchinoderm:
I like your approach, lol. There is some difference between a rotor and a rocket, but perhaps not that important. The powdery stuff seen on the foot print photos seems to be also much finer than sand (try to make a clear foot print on DRY sand) but maybe that's not that important either.
puzz
no way....WE LANDED ON THE MOON!!!!!
clem1651