# Does anybody believe the "Weekly World News"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-believe-the-weekly-world-news/339216>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [January 9, 2006, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-believe-the-weekly-world-news/339216 "2006-01-09T21:38:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-believe-the-weekly-world-news/339216/21 "2006-01-10T15:13:11Z")

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So, is Bat Boy going to run for President in 2008?

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**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-believe-the-weekly-world-news/339216/22 "2006-01-10T15:18:22Z")

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> [@mkl12](#):
>
> Intersting. I always assumed it was all BS. What do you think is the BS/real news ratio in a typical issue?

I can’t say for a typical issue, but this topic came up last year and I went through an issue, cover to cover and verified or debunked every single article in it. In that particular issue, about 80% of the stuff was real, pulled from various weird news sources, and about 20% was complete off the wall Bat Boy style stuff.

I personally love the WWN because I have never, ever read an issue that didn’t make me laugh out loud. I also love the huge crosswords they print sometimes and I enjoy cutting out articles and mailing them to friends with a “Hey, did you see this in the news?” comment.

By the way, anyone who is a WWN fan- and even if you’re not- if you see Bat Boy the Muscial come to your town, SEE IT. I mean it. It’s fantastic and the soundtrack is awesome.

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**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-believe-the-weekly-world-news/339216/23 "2006-01-10T15:43:00Z")

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I can verify that at least one story they printed is true. In the late 80’s they printed a story about a fellow from Brookeville PA stealing toes off the corpses in funeral parlors. That story was true, I knew one of the investigating officers.

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**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-believe-the-weekly-world-news/339216/24 "2006-01-10T15:47:15Z")

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I would **love** to write for WWN.

What fun and utter BS.

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**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2006, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-anybody-believe-the-weekly-world-news/339216/25 "2006-01-10T15:53:36Z")

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Still, once and a while Snopes has to answer emails regarding WWN headlines to disconfirm them. So someone out there must be believing this stuff.

Personally I love the rag! Bat boy, Galleons on the moon, Bigfoot attacks and Elvis sightings, what more can you ask for.

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