Kentucky's "Real-Life Dexter" Is Really Fake

16.99K

Hudson Hongo

07/10/14 02:20PM

Filed to: bad satire

"Wouldn't it be crazy if [TV show I watch] were real?" That's the thought that had Showtime subscribers losing their shit this week after an article came out about 17 dismembered bodies being found in the Ohio River near Henderson, Ky. According to the report, the victims were wrapped in individual plastic bags and some had "extensive criminal records," causing police to speculate the murders were possibly "inspired by the television series Dexter."

It was a good story, judging by the 200,000 Facebook shares the article had amassed by Thursday morning, but it was also totally bogus. Asked if the report was true, Henderson County Coroner Bruce Farmer told Gawker, "No, not in the least bit." "We did retrieve a lower leg out of the river on Friday," said Farmer, "but no 17 bodies." Henderson Police similarly disputed the story of the serial serial killer killer, issuing their own denial via Twitter:

Article stating that 17 dismembered bodies have been found in Henderson has been showing up on FB feeds. This is a hoax, completely untrue.
— Henderson Police (@Henderson_PD) July 8, 2014

The original source of the story was Empire News, a self-described "satirical and entertainment website" who, in this case, were apparently satirizing the police's foolish tendency to find dead people.

[Image via Showtime]

The following replies are approved. To see additional replies that are pending approval, click Show Pending. Warning: These may contain graphic material.

30

AdmiralTubington Hudson Hongo 07/10/14 03:13PM

The popularity of The Onion and shows like Colbert has led to a whole lot of awful "satire" from people who don't get the meaning of the word. It is not the same as just making shit up. Looking at Empire News' main page, absolutely nothing hits the right mark. Their stuff is inane and random, but not satire.

1

NomNom83 AdmiralTubington 07/10/14 03:18PM

Wow. You weren't kidding.

13

Gregoire AdmiralTubington 07/10/14 03:19PM

I wish we could scrub the Daily Currant from the web. It's painfully not funny, and close enough that there's always a relative that posts on Facebook.

6

BaldwinTheLesser AdmiralTubington 07/10/14 03:21PM

Was just about to say the same thing. I don't know why anyone thinks there's a void of great satire that needs to be filled by "der Dexter is real you guys!" Just stop.

1

Jane, you educated prude NomNom83 07/10/14 03:25PM

You replied to something I wrote but kinja ate it... Been happening all day :/ I can only see it from the notifications.

I am not in fact "jane, you ignorant slut", a different GT commenter who clearly had her name before I showed up last month. I will be changing it soon based on people's confusion *sad trombone*. I don't want to misrepresent her with my sassiness.

4

SomeoneShitOnTheCoats Hudson Hongo 07/10/14 03:11PM

Well fuck. Somebody make it true then.

5

Owl is lost SomeoneShitOnTheCoats 07/10/14 03:14PM

We'll be right here waiting.

14

txboy65 Hudson Hongo 07/10/14 03:13PM

Could we please stop referring to Empire News as a satire website? It's clickbait pure and simple, and their misuse of the word "satire" (and, yes, I know they're the ones using it) is an affront to a word that deserves our respect.

21

cheerful_exgirlfriend txboy65 07/10/14 03:19PM

I agree with your modest proposal.

RemeCA txboy65 07/10/14 03:20PM

They're satirizing the satire sites and calling it satire. Obviously.

whatever2222 txboy65 07/10/14 04:38PM

It's satire of the news reporting business and the public in the Internet age.IIt's sending up how we can have totally fake news now and people think it's real, and most news outlets will just run shit that appears online somewhere without ever checking if it's real. But the situation is so dire now it's hard to satirize. I mean, the parody Dexter-ripoff story of the 17 dismembered bodies wrapped up and found in the river was share more than 200,000 times — far more eyes than most actual news stories could ever hope to reach — and was taken seriously to the extent that the local coroner had to disavow it.

txboy65 whatever2222 07/10/14 05:03PM

The parody is so meta that it cancels itself out?

4

HolyCow! Hudson Hongo 07/10/14 03:18PM

It would have been a better ending to the show than having him become a lumberjack.