Saturday, January 26, 2019

How About Some Really Fake News...!

Fake news is an expression we have grown used to, thanks to the POTUS talking about it...a lot! Here, from Listverse, is a fine example of early "fake news" that show just how gullible some folks can be.

Petrified Man



The Hoax: Mark Twain and his Petrified Man

Mark Twain is often praised as the man who wrote the great American novel. But long before he was penning the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, he was a small time scribe for a local newspaper. Presumably bored with the day to day monotony of his life he decided to play a little prank on his unsuspecting readers. Writing under a pseudonym—of which Twain had many over the years—he published a piece in the Territorial Enterprise on October 4, 1862 entitled The Petrified Man.

The short blurb of news described the discovery of a one hundred year old stony mummy with a wooden leg, pensive attitude, and a cause of death by protracted exposure. You may notice that the description is close to gobbledegook, which was Twain’s very intention. What he didn’t intend was the coverage the piece garnered. Originally meant as a slight jibe at the newspapers of the time’s obsession with petrifaction, Twain expected his practical joke to get found out. But before he knew it, people were reading about The Petrified Man as far away as London.


One thing you have to admit about Twain...he sure knew how to capture the attention of the public. Guess that's why he is famous as a writer and story teller.

Coffee in the kitchen this morning!

8 comments:

  1. As my Dad used to say...Believe nothing of what you hear and only half of what you see. People are so gullible!

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  2. Hey Gorges...
    He had a very active imagination, that's for sure!
    Thanks for stopping by today!


    Hey Momlady...
    Your Dad was sure right about that.
    Thanks for coming over today!

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  3. It sounds like Mr. Twain was quite a jokester and loved a good story. I like people with a good sense of humor. I feel really sorry for folks who don't laugh a lot.

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  4. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  5. Hey Dizzy...
    He most definitely had a good sense of humor and it is reflected in his writings, I think.
    Thanks for dropping by today!


    Hey Mamahen...
    Managed to accomplish what he wanted, I reckon.
    Thanks for stopping by today!

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  6. I spent most of adult years living in Angels Camp California... home of The Calaveras Frog Jump. "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" was written at "Mark Twains cabin" located on Jackass Hill Road. The man was a genius...

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