Forward or Delete: This Week's Fake Viral Photos
Occasionally, against all odds, you'll see an interesting or even enjoyable picture on the Internet. But is it worth sharing, or just another Photoshop job that belongs in the digital trash heap? Check in here and find out if that viral photo deserves an enthusiastic "forward" or a pitiless "delete."
FORWARD
Since last week's Charlie Hebdo shooting, scores of inaccurate, misattributed and just plain fake images have been circulating online in connection with the tragedy, but this photo of Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama's subtle homage to the slain cartoonists is real.
Cropped from a wider shot showing the Albanian delegation to Saturday's Unity March in Paris, Rama himself shared the pictures on social media Sunday.
Images via Twitter/Facebook
DELETE
It may not be the miracle he thought it was, but ESPN reporter Don Van Natta Jr. was right about one thing: This isn't a photo. It's an ad for Nike.
As Deadspin explained this week, the viral picture isn't a one-in-a-million snapshot from Monday's game, having been created as a promotional image by the sportswear giant. Furthermore, thanks to NCAA rules about advertising, it almost certainly doesn't feature any current college players.
Below is the actual coin toss, showing a number of obvious differences from Nike's ad. See if you can spot them all!
Images via Twitter/AP Images
DELETE
As online mind-blower @TheMindBlowing suggests, this picture is indeed unbelievable, but only because it doesn't show a shooting star at all.
In reality, the photo is a two-minute long exposure of a space shuttle launch, a fact helpfully pointed out on Tuesday by Twitter's resident photo cop, @PicPedant.
Image via Twitter
FORWARD
While these photos of a deer fawn and its unlikely bobcat companion are real, the caption they went viral with this week is wrong.
Contrary to the internet's dirty lies, the animals weren't "found in an office together, cuddling under a desk after a forest fire," but gravitated to each other after being rescued from 2009's Jesusita Fire.
Although wild animals, especially of separate species, are never placed together due to regulations, in this emergency situation, [California's Animal Rescue Team] had no choice. During the mayhem of the fire, they were forced to put animals anywhere they could, since they had run out of crates large enough for the fawn. The kitten ran to the fawn, and it was instant bonding.
Still, it's been a long week and the photos themselves are legit, so go nuts, people, and pass these along—you deserve it.
Image via Imgur
