# Snopes: Do people REALLY believe this crap? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 13, 2014, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-do-people-really-believe-this-crap/701236 "2014-10-13T20:32:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-do-people-really-believe-this-crap/701236/61 "2014-10-14T16:47:48Z")
In a word, YES, most people are gulible and will believe anthing that they read or see. They don’t belive you when you tell them Mr. Rogers doesn’t wear a sweater to cover either prison tats, or tat’s and/or scars from being a Navy Seal in Viet Nam. Or that Captain Kangroo raised the flag on Iwo Jima. You show them proof and they will say that’s made up and the other is the real story. People like excitement, and if they have none in their own life thay want to believe it of others. In a word, YES, most people are gulible and will believe anthing that they read or see. They don’t belive you when you tell them Mr. Rogers doesn’t wear a sweater to cover either prison tats, or tat’s and/or scars from being a Navy Seal in Viet Nam. Even when you point out that his show was on during that war. Or that Captain Kangroo raised the flag on Iwo Jima. You show them proof and they will say that’s made up and the other is the real story. People like excitement, and if they have none in their own life thay want to believe it of others. I just started a similar thread: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737311](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=737311) ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-do-people-really-believe-this-crap/701236/62 "2014-10-14T17:54:48Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Dude. It’s flu season. If I hear one more, “I don’t get the flu shot because my sister’s cousin’s roommate got it once and it gave her the flu,” I might just shank a bitch. Where’s the “Like” button on here? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-do-people-really-believe-this-crap/701236/63 "2014-10-14T18:20:09Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > gulible The word is ‘gullible’. > [@picunurse](#): > > Feel free to share your stories of ignorance fought, or at least attempted. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-do-people-really-believe-this-crap/701236/64 "2014-10-14T18:44:45Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > It wouldn’t be too hard to convince me that Sara Palin actually did utter the words: “I demand Barak Obama invade Ebola!” So, she wants obama to send troops to invade a river in the Congo? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-do-people-really-believe-this-crap/701236/65 "2014-10-14T19:06:02Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > You never heard any third term rumors about Carter or Bush Senior. I did about Ronald Reagan, though. I’m not sure how serious they were, but there were people who would have liked to see Reagan run a third time. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-do-people-really-believe-this-crap/701236/66 "2014-10-14T19:15:36Z")
Merged duplicate threads. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-do-people-really-believe-this-crap/701236/67 "2014-10-14T20:21:04Z")
[quote=“Chefguy, post:33, topic:701236”] > [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > The persistence of older people believing and spreading patently absurd stories, usually ones that put them in a victim/target spot, isn’t new… but wow is the propagation fast and persistent. The real fears and worries of old age are bad enough without using them to spawn belief in national/global/liberal programs to disenfranchise, marginalize and murder them. I guess if you feel you’re no longer important or relevant, putting on the victim hat is a way to become so… if only amid your fellow inmates in the nursing home. > > But godelpus, they still _vote_. > > And then there “older” people like me (is 67 older, or do I need to wait a while?) who routinely use Snopes to debunk the crap that is sent to me by younger people who should definitely know better. Nobody is exempt from gullibility, but I won’t be giving computer control to someone from Microsoft anytime soon. I keep asking, “Where the ‘Like’ button.” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-do-people-really-believe-this-crap/701236/68 "2014-10-14T20:24:29Z")
> [@Kimballkid](#): > > The word is ‘gullible’. > > 😃 Babydoll, that’s called a typo. I took a sleeping pill last night. 😃 (I just can’t think of a better excuse…Oh, I havee ADHD, how’s that) ---
**Author:** ![sich\_hinaufwinden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@sich\_hinaufwinden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sich_hinaufwinden)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-do-people-really-believe-this-crap/701236/69 "2014-10-14T20:32:15Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > It wouldn’t be too hard to convince me that Sara Palin actually did utter the words: “I demand Barak Obama invade Ebola!” > [@MacTech](#): > > So, she wants obama to send troops to invade a river in the Congo? 😉 Those who don’t believe it are just in denial. ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-do-people-really-believe-this-crap/701236/70 "2014-10-14T21:12:20Z")
I finally convinced my mom to check Snopes before forwarding along obvious urban legends, and then the UL-originators upped their game. I started getting stuff from her that would say something like “Snopes confirms that \” with either a broken link or no link at all. Which she would believe and not actually check Snopes. ::sigh:: I’ve noticed this with a lot of people who get fooled by scams and hoaxes: they don’t seem to internalize the idea that untrusted information must be verified through some other channel. ---
**Author:** ![Toucanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Toucanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toucanna)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-do-people-really-believe-this-crap/701236/71 "2014-10-14T21:51:39Z")
[QUOTE=Just Asking Questions] {snip} Can cell phone calls from particular phone numbers cause brain hemorrhage and death? {snip} [/QUOTE] About 40 years ago, when I was 13 years old, I saw a headline in _The National Enquirer_ claiming the Soviets had developed a special electronic tone that they transmitted in telephone calls to zombify? brainwash? brain-deaden? (heck, I forget) western intelligence officers. At the time I believed it–hey, I _said_ I was 13 y.o. Maybe that “article” morphed into the above-quoted rumor. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-do-people-really-believe-this-crap/701236/72 "2014-10-14T22:17:21Z")
> [@iamthewalrus\_3](#): > > … I’ve noticed this with a lot of people who get fooled by scams and hoaxes: they don’t seem to internalize the idea that untrusted information must be verified through some other channel. I have an MIL like that. But it’s more like she imbues the info with her impression of the trustworthiness of the person who forwarded it to her. IOW if it comes from her friend Jane it must be true because she knows Jane is sweet, kindly, and would never steal from her. And because Jane is honest, somehow anything Jane carelessly forwards is also somehow honest, or is converted to honesty by Jane’s touching it. I finally persuaded her that one old friend is a clueless idiot who’ll forward anything, the glurgier the better. So she (MIL) has agreed that that one old lady is untrustworthy on email forwards. But I cannot get her to accept the idea in general for all forwards from all sources. If her cousin Ida sends it, it must be true, no matter how many counterexamples I’ve snopes’d up for her that came from Ida. etc. ---
**Author:** ![Toastmaker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Toastmaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toastmaker)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-do-people-really-believe-this-crap/701236/73 "2014-10-14T23:35:19Z")
The only way businesses like Snopes could prosper is to rely on the practically unlimited supply of profoundly stupid people in our society. The percentage of serious dumb-asses has been growing since about the early 80’s. It would be interesting to know what’s causing this as we’re approaching the point that we have to find a way to reverse it, or, sayonara to America as we know it ! ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2014, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-do-people-really-believe-this-crap/701236/74 "2014-10-14T23:50:09Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I believe she actually demanded that he invade e-coli. Colin Powell. Wake up Sheeple! ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2014, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-do-people-really-believe-this-crap/701236/75 "2014-10-15T00:06:18Z")
> [@Toastmaker](#): > > The only way businesses like Snopes could prosper is to rely on the practically unlimited supply of profoundly stupid people in our society. Well, that and stupid popup ads. People complain about the quality of ads here, but the ones on Snopes back in the day were why I first learned of the existence of adblockers. (It came with the popup blocker–which was my main problem.) I would guess they don’t still use 'em, simply because all browsers block popups by default now, but who knows. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2014, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-do-people-really-believe-this-crap/701236/76 "2014-10-15T00:16:22Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Again, not my area, but isn’t a return specifically foretold! Yes, but not in baby form. There are specific parameters. He has to descend from heaven the same way his followers saw him go up, i.e., a fully grown man. Also, as **JAQ** says, it would be pretty big news. He doesn’t come back secretly. He comes back to take over the world, and everyone bows down to him, not being able to respond in any other way. Not to mention the enemy combatants that die of supernatural causes, the Rapture that may happen then or up to 7 years before he comes back, and the dead people who come back with him. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2014, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-do-people-really-believe-this-crap/701236/77 "2014-10-15T00:24:39Z")
For a while, several years ago and before I finally alienated them all, I had several people who would send me every stupid/crazy/cutesy/ link that dropped into their inbox. You know, the sort of person who would get some stupid email, then blindly choose “forward to all” in their inbox. Many times per day. So I would “reply all” with a snopes link, and often a quick note about what BCC meant and why it was a good idea. What amazed me? Was the number of complete strangers who would then send me extremely indignant and pissed-off emails because I was refuting their speshul beliefs. More people than I would have expected got really angry at me. There are a lot of ignorant people out there. With internet connections and the right to vote. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2014, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-do-people-really-believe-this-crap/701236/78 "2014-10-15T01:37:10Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Well, that and stupid popup ads. People complain about the quality of ads here, but the ones on Snopes back in the day were why I first learned of the existence of adblockers. (It came with the popup blocker–which was my main problem.) > > I would guess they don’t still use 'em, simply because all browsers block popups by default now, but who knows. Nope, they still do. At least, pop under ads. I wanted to confirm they had ads before I posted my comment about revenue, and looked at their site with ad blocker off. Sure enough, they still have them. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2014, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-do-people-really-believe-this-crap/701236/79 "2014-10-15T02:11:02Z")
> [@Namkcalb](#): > > Unlikely is not the same as absurd. He is a mostly competent president with a significant powerbase. It’s more likely than Austrian-born Governor Schwarzenegger becoming President. > Untrue, but potentially based on the true fact that certain radio frequencies put out more energy than others, and thus might cause more damage. > > Is it unlikely that America might donate coffins to the affected region? > Isn’t it common for American aid to be made in America? > Isn’t it common for people to misspell million as billion. > Coffins cost ~$1000, a million dollars would get you only a thousand coffins. Ebola has been very deadly. They’re using disposable\* coffins wrapped in heavy plastic then cremating them. At least that’s what ABC news said last night. They don’t usually cremate in wooden coffins because it causes a larger amount of cremains. They’d have to make bigger urns to hold it all. I’m sure there are other reasons, but that’s all the mortuary told me, or maybe that’s all I remember. One disposable coffin, retail (read, heavily marked up) cost about $60 fourteen years ago. That’s what I paid for my son’s. \*Made of heavy-duty wax covered cardboard. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2014, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-do-people-really-believe-this-crap/701236/80 "2014-10-15T02:22:43Z")
> [@Toastmaker](#): > > The only way businesses like Snopes could prosper is to rely on the practically unlimited supply of profoundly stupid people in our society. > > The percentage of serious dumb-asses has been growing since about the early 80’s. It would be interesting to know what’s causing this as we’re approaching the point that we have to find a way to reverse it, or, sayonara to America as we know it ! I can tell you, but you might not like the answer…It’s us, the parents and grand parents of those people. We wanted our children to be _F R E E_! In allowing them to be free, we finished their home work and blamed the teachers when they failed. We gave them trophies for just showing up. We wanted to eliminate competition. By doing so, we took away any reason to strive. We killed curiosity. Without curiosity, a person will believe anything presented with little authority. Eventually, they all got through the public school system and went out and reproduced. We didn’t teach them to think. I know this is probably going to start something. Please, remember, I’m generalizing. I’m not talking about your child or grandchild. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-do-people-really-believe-this-crap/701236.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snopes-do-people-really-believe-this-crap/701236.md?page=5)