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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe cat "truthers" (Catruthers?) are further proof why we can't have nice things
Not going to link to any specific examples to avoid call out rules, but, suffice to say, there is a small contingent out there who believe that the dog attack on the little boy (followed by the cat chasing the dog off) was all staged. Never mind:
-The stitches the boy received
-The fact that the footage comes from a multi-camera security system
-That the dog is being held by the authorities and will be put down due to the attack
There is a further subset that instead blames the victim for provoking the dog in some way.
So what is the point? We are so used to reality being either manipulated or selectively reported that it can be hard to take anything at face value.
My curiosity is why do we see this kind of wild speculation on masters like the dog attack, financiers being "offed", vaccines and autism, etc?
My own theory is that it is extremely easy to find a website that supports any theory or conjecture that a person has and add the perception of validity to that way of thinking. As a result, it is a small step to where everything can be questioned.
TreasonousBastard
(43,049 posts)the population being assholes.
There will also be a certain amount of conspiracy being foisted upon us.
It would be nice if it wasn't so difficult to tell the difference.
Silent3
(15,235 posts)...conjectures as serious candidates for the answers to those questions that's the problem.
reformist2
(9,841 posts)It's as if they're so afraid of being with the herd, lest they be branded "an unthinking sheep," that they
allow themselves to entertain all sorts of wild theories, no matter how ridiculous. This gives them a sense
of superiority.
Then there are probably others who could be branded as truly paranoid - in this case, they see this
video and think it's part of a huge government plot to take away everyone's dogs. These people are beyond hope.
Xipe Totec
(43,890 posts)reformist2
(9,841 posts)Fumesucker
(45,851 posts)Guy Whitey Corngood
(26,501 posts).
Tommy_Carcetti
(43,184 posts)CHEMTRAILS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
?92aa7f
Fumesucker
(45,851 posts)Enrique
(27,461 posts)for me, the involvement of a news organization makes the difference. For all their problems, it's pretty rare that even a local TV news station falls for a total hoax.
FSogol
(45,491 posts)The tape is edited. Why would someone filming it show the dog in a different yard? I can see where someone would have doubts
Of course, there is the explanation on multiple angles from a security camera, but I don't think that was mentioned in the article blurb, it was only apparent if you read the full article.
We live in a skeptical age, so I'd cut the cat truthers some slack unless they are still crying "fake."
randome
(34,845 posts)But then seeing the timestamps on both views, I figured I was over-thinking it.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Stop looking for heroes. BE one.[/center][/font][hr]
Starry Messenger
(32,342 posts)Lizzie Poppet
(10,164 posts)haele
(12,660 posts)Something that looked like an evil fighting breed, not the friendly neighborhood mutt.
That would have been the most effective emotional trigger for an internet meme - the big nasty gang-banger dog, the innocent kid, and the kick-ass hero cat.
Just saying.
Haele
Archae
(46,337 posts)Like when Faux "news" shows old footage of an Occupy march, and claims it's a march by some far-right group.
Or when advertisers and jokers create hoax videos.
At Cracked.com they have a running series, about the "news stories" that turn out to be bullshit.