List of All Articles with Tag 'viral'

iShowSpeed has been in the news an awful lot recently and he’s one of the most popular streamers on the internet. So popular, in fact, that an impersonator is racking up millions of views by showing his old streams. An IShowSpeed fan account has been posting screenshots from the account, which is restreaming old content. The old streams were being picked up by plenty of fans, too. One grab showed that more than 18,000 concurrent viewers were tuning into old footage of the streamer playing Roblox. Other restreams have also been flagged by fan pages recirculating old footage. IShowSpeed hasn’t responded to the old streams yet, though – and at the moment, he’s probably got other things on his mind. The 18-year-old ended a recent stream suddenly after accidentally exposing himself to fans live on air last week. The hugely popular figure was broadcasting to 24,000 people when he accidentally flashed the camera, looking shocked after realising what he’d done instantly. The streamer, real name Darren Watkins stood up, showing his crotch, not realising that his penis was exposed The streamer has since returned to the platform and addressed the "embarrassing moment," and how it's impacted him mentally. "These past days and hours, I've been suffering very mentally, genuinely," he told viewers. "At the end of the day, I'm still a human being." He said it was "one of the worst fears" that has happened and that it's "just depressing." "You guys are joking, you guys can crack your jokes – but you're genuinely not looking a the bigger picture," he said. "Do you all know I have family, little siblings?" "I don't know what to do anymore, bro," Speed continued. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

An abandoned home that looks completely normal on the outside has been discovered filled to the brim with children's toys. Barbie dolls and retro toy figurines fill most rooms of the house, with most of them still in pristine condition. The property was visited by professional urban explorer Dave, better known as Freaktography, who shared his findings online with shocked viewers. "Not looking like much from the outside it was quite clear that this home had been vacated or abandoned not long ago," Dave told Need to Know. "We almost passed it up as it seemed to be too new for our liking, however after finding an obvious way inside we stepped in just to see if there was anything worth shooting. "We quickly realised this was an abandoned house of toys, old retro toys from the late 70s and early 80s. "Old lunch pails, action figures, very old Barbie dolls, books, old cameras. "This house was a retro toy collector's dream." The photos showcase the wide range of toys including an old box stuffed with figurines like E.T. and a Smurf, as well as Star Wars products. Although most of the toys are in good condition, some have been played with a little too hard – one doll no longer has eyes and the face appears to be scuffed. There are also three life-sized baby dolls, a Fisherprice Movie Viewer and a Wendy Walker doll. It is not clear how long the house has been abandoned and who lived there. Social media users have been left feeling nostalgic by the findings. One person wrote: "All this stuff, it looks like my childhood, right down to the Fisherprice Movie Viewer. "It was one of my favourite toys growing up, you can’t find one any more, for anything! "It makes me feel slightly sad for whoever the kid was that owned this stuff, I know that that kid would be my age now, but I still feel sorry for them." Cathi wrote: "Looking at this house of toys one doll stands out – it was a Wendy Walker doll. "I got it when I was about 5 and she was very special to me even though I was a tomboy. "The other toys date from the 70s and very early 80s." Elisa added: "Someone needs to find that owner so those toys can be saved. “Lucky Green, The large doll in the middle of the three dolls is a rare doll from Canada." Lindsey said: "How does one know it is abandoned? Only in this house for instance that it looks like it still belongs to someone. "It seems to have been to some extent and the belongings are taken care of. "I hope any relatives can be found to claim these wonderful things before someone comes in and takes them or destroys them." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A lavish Italian wedding took a turn for the worst after the millionaire groom exposed his cheating bride during his speech. A clip from the wedding mortified thousands of viewers since being shared online, along with the 150 guests at the ceremony itself. "I want to give Cristina the freedom to love," Massimo Segre, 64, said at his Turin mansion. "Specifically, to love another person; a notable lawyer, who she clearly cares about more than me." He then went on to read a letter dedicated to his bride Cristina Seymandi, 47. "Dear Cristina, I know how much you are in love with him mentally and sexually," he said. "And I know that before him you had a relationship with an industrialist acquaintance." Seymandi awkwardly looks at the wedding guests while her partner reportedly proceeds to share a series of snaps of her with the alleged other man. "Don't think it pleases me to look like a cuckold in front of all of you," he said. "Cristina is so good at telling her truths, that I couldn't leave her alone to narrate the reason why I'm ending [our] life together tonight." "It's a banal story of infidelity, even premarital. I am so disappointed," he continues. "I am heartbroken." Segre wishes his assumingly now-ex partner well, before encouraging her to enjoy the Mykonos trip with him. Seymandi has since opened up about the incident with Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Sera. "When he started talking, I thought it was a joke. Then I was petrified. It was an act of abhorrent violence," she said. "Not to mention the comments on social networks with obscene words and phrases. If the same thing had happened but with the roles reversed, the reactions would have been very different. But I am a woman, and in this world, that makes a big difference." Seymandi's advisor also suggested that legal action could take place. "Very probably Seymandi will be taking legal action for reputational damage," Luca Poma told The Times. "She has suffered very serious attacks on social media and threats from Italian citizens. It has been traumatic." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

When the UK Government embarrasses us on the world stage on a regular basis, us Brits will take any small win we can find, and in the latest Twitter/X debate, we’re fighting to be crowned the country with the best plug socket – yes, really. The discussion started after user Darsam shared a graphic of our three-pinned plugs and wrote: “Britons will look you straight in the eye and say ‘yeah that’s a normal power outlet wdym [what do you mean]?’” In a follow-up tweet, they posted a picture of the EU plug socket with two holes and added: “In this house we believe EU reins [sic] supreme through its normalcy and simplicity.” Except the reason why we have three pins as opposed to the two pins elsewhere is because the top pin is known as the ‘earth pin’, and as the Digital Museum of Plugs and Sockets (we think they’re pretty switched on when it comes to this stuff) explains, “shutters [for the live and neutral holes] are pushed away by pressing down the earth pin – a very common mechanism found on most British sockets”. And popular YouTube educator Tom Scott has a handy demonstration – using an unplugged extension - on his channel from 2014, in which he says: “It’s really difficult for a kid to take, say, a screwdriver and just poke it into one of the holes, ‘cause up here is earth … that’s a safety one. “These two here are live and neutral, where the actual danger is, but they’ve got shutters over them … and I cannot poke the screwdriver in there right now. “What I have to do, is plug the earth pin – which you can see is slightly longer, the brown pin here – in first, and when that goes in, little shutters come up and let the other pins in.” British Plugs Are Better Than All Other Plugs, And Here's Why www.youtube.com And while a few people offered up other plugs than the UK or EU versions, many were quick to defend Britain on this issue: So sorry, world, we have the best plugs, and you’ll just have to suck it – or, rather, socket – up… Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

When you’re living your life constantly online, it’s no surprise that streamers occasionally make mistakes for all to see. Streamers have become some of the most watched people on the planet over recent times, with millions tuning in to consume content on platforms like Kick and Twitch. Inevitably, mistakes – deliberate or not – are made and scandals emerge, with platforms quick to clamp down on anything that infringes on their rules. These are the biggest scandals in streaming history, from content violations to the most unfortunate slip ups imaginable. iShowSpeed The most recent - and arguably most unfortunate - scandal involves iShowSpeed. The 18-year-old accidentally exposed himself to thousands of fans while live streaming to 24,000 fans. He inadvertently flashed the camera, explaining that it all happened because he didn't have any clean underwear and had to go commando on the day. He escaped being banned by YouTube, thankfully, but he’s been subjected to trolling by fans in the days since with people (including his father, no less) constantly calling him "IShowMeat" online. "These past days and hours, I've been suffering very mentally, genuinely," iShowSpeed told viewers recently, honestly discussing his feelings since the incident. "At the end of the day, I'm still a human being." He said it was "one of the worst fears" that has happened and that it's "just depressing." "You guys are joking, you guys can crack your jokes – but you're genuinely not looking at the bigger picture," he said. "Do you all know I have family, little siblings?" "I don't know what to do anymore, bro," Speed added. Twitch streamer banned for running over dog A Twitch streamer was banned from the platform for appearing to run over a dog after getting distracted by her phone while driving her car in a bizarre case earlier this year. On February 17th, Polish streamer 'sidneuke' was streaming from her car and chatting to her followers when she briefly glanced down at her phone. In those few seconds the car appears to hit something and a small yelp can be heard. A distressed 'sidneuke' then stops the car and gets out to check whatever she hit was ok. Shortly after the ban 'sidneuke' received a ban from Twitch. Her account read at the time: "This channel is currently unavailable due to a violation of Twitch’s Community Guidelines or Terms of Service." It is not clear if the ban is permanent or not. It was not clear why 'sidneuke' was hit with a ban but it has been suggested that it was for using her phone while she was driving, which has happened to other streamers on the platform. Twitch streamer banned for 'sexual content' while playing fishing simulator A Twitch live streamer was banned due to “sexual content” in 2022 while streaming a fishing game and hit out at the platform as a result. Streamer Sara "ih3artpew" Heart criticised the app, owned by Amazon, for the indefinite ban which came just minutes into a stream. Heart claims the Amazon-owned site banned her for “sexual content” but insists there was nothing sexual about the stream. The incident occurred on 22 August last year when Heart went live online playing the game, Ultimate Fishing. Woman banned for having sex while live on a Twitch stream A popular Twitch streamer was banished from the platform for sexual content in 2022, marking one of the most blatant violations of streaming rules. Kimmikka was banned for having live sex during one of her broadcasts. While the footage didn't explicitly show anything explicit, the window reflection gave it away. The pair were drinking alcohol while the camera focused primarily on her face. Her facial expressions soon started to change, creating suspicions in the comments. Her partner's face can also be seen in the background at one point, while the streamer tried to keep things discreet by continuing to respond to viewers. Twitch streamer banned for humping Garfield toy Viral Canadian Twitch streamer and YouTuber Ricky Berwick was banned from the platform after he “humped” his stuffed Garfield toy. Surprisingly, though, he said he had no regrets. Berwick is known on social media to create comedic skits, but things went a little too far during the broadcast earlier this year. On 4 January, StreamerBans shared a tweet, relaying the news that Twitch banned Berwick. Fortunately, the creator didn’t waste any time revealing what went down and how long the platform said his punishment would carry on. In a post on his official Twitter, Berwick shared a screenshot of an email Twitch sent him about getting a “Community guidelines strike” concerning “sexually explicit content”. “My Twitch is disabled like me,” Berwick captioned the tweet. And in another tweet, he said he got the suspension because he decided to get a bit frisky with his Garfield stuffed animal. “It's only a 7 day ban. I humped my Garfield plush (clothed) for 20 subs.Worth ittt,” Berwick added. Streamer banned after recording himself receiving oral sex Twitch streamer Heelmike was banished from rival platform Kick for a single day after recording himself receiving oral sex. The crude footage showed Heelmike recording himself while a woman performed the sex act. He took to social media following the act, admitting he was "over the top". "One day ban on Kick after averaging 15K views and honestly I got lost in the sauce and was over the top," he admitted. "I’ll be back with the energy, but not being disrespectful." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A string of familiar faces will join Fearne Cotton this September for her famed Happy Place festival at Cheshire's idyllic Tatton Park. After a successful weekend at Chiswick House and Gardens in summer, Cotton will return with a nourishing lineup of wellness workshops, celebrity guests and enriching conversations from experts across the board. The aim is to offer a wholesome weekend that aids self-care, through breath and sleep sessions, mindful calligraphy and arts and crafts workshops. The festival, taking place on 2 and 3 September, will also be home to electronic music meditations, women's circles, yoga, sound baths and pilates classes. Experts will take to the Talk Stage to discuss body image, unrealistic ideals, societal pressures, and ways we can work to make the industry a more inclusive place. Not to mention, a live recording of Cotton's popular podcast. Best-selling author Vex King will be in attendance, along with the likes of Nick Grimshaw, Denise Van Outen, Henry Holland, and Vicky Pattinson among many more. "I am so excited to be back at the beautiful Tatton Park in September and to meet some of our Happy Place community," the famed broadcaster and podcast host said. "Last year at Tatton was such an inspiring experience, and to see so many people enjoying and engaging with our Happy Place programme and speakers was truly wonderful to see. "We have been carefully curating and programming all elements of the festival and we are so excited to bring powerful and impactful conversations with some incredible, inspiring speakers and guests." Cotton went on to share the aim of offering "a version of self-care that festival goers can enjoy and consume at their own pace," from expert talks, live podcasts and trialling a variety of new workshops and activities throughout the weekend. "I can’t wait to see you all there," she concluded. For more information about the lineup and tickets, click here. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A woman is raking in the cash as a so-called “surrogate wife” for married men online, saying she can perform tasks “like no other woman”. Babi Palomas is an OnlyFans model who has gone viral in the past after revealing her former school teacher allegedly signed up to see her saucy snaps. Originally from a small town near São Paulo, Brazil, the 24-year-old influencer has become a social media star with 110,000 followers on Instagram (@babipalomas). And she has plenty of male admirers, claiming she has begun offering a new service: acting as a “surrogate wife” – for the handsome price of $30,000 (£23,605). "I do tasks that average wives often prefer to avoid, like watching a football match on television without complaining,” Babi told Jam Prime. “With one client, I made dinner while accompanied on a call and we watched movies together. We then watched a football match, among other little things. They [these men] open up to me and tell me about their lives. She continued: “In these conversations, I realised that many of the men who are married and have families feel lonely. “In fact, they miss having someone with whom they can share these 'masculine' activities with them, or even miss being pleased.” The model says men also like her independence, like the fact she “can even change my own car tire”. The model, who is single, says she loves playing her impromptu role but hopes to have a real-life partner and family of her own one day. She said: "Actually, I dream of getting married one day, you know? I want to have my family. But while I don't have one, I train with my fans. “I don't go to my fan’s house, my work is only online. I make 12-hour or 24-hour packages and talk to my client until I arrive at a good price for both of us.” Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

A conspiracy theorist who last week claimed the end of the world was coming, issued an “explanation” as to why the Earth was not destroyed. Mike Buckner, an American conspiracy theorist, warned people that a rogue planet named Nibiru was going to strike on Friday 18 August, ending life on Earth as we know it. Buckner told users on X (formerly Twitter) that he was “heading for the caves” for his best chance of life after claiming “few will survive”. He wrote: “THE FINAL 24 HOURS OF CIVILIZATION NIBIRU APPROACHES. THE POLE SHIFT IS COMING. FLOODS. QUAKES. FIRES. “HEAD FOR SHELTER. CAVES. BUNKERS. ALERT YOUR FAMILY. FRIENDS. NEIGHBORS. FEW WILL SURVIVE. “I AM HEADED FOR THE CAVES. GOOD LUCK” As other users mentioned in the community notes on the post, “The world did not end” on Friday. But, according to Bucker, there is an explanation as to why the planet did not end in a fiery collision. Bucker explained the reason is because he now believes the Earth is flat. He doubled down on his rather bizarre prediction by completely changing his view on the shape of the planet. He wrote: “I thought I was right. I thought Nibiru was coming. The physics worked. What didn’t work was my fundamental understanding of reality. “I now know the Truth. We live on a flat plane. We live underneath a firmament. The Globalists lie for control. More to come.” In the past, NASA has previously commented on the fact that a planet called Nibiru does not exist. The same conspiracy theory that Earth was going to be struck by “Nibiru” arose twice in 2012, leading the space agency to set the record straight. The space agency said: “Nibiru and other stories about wayward planets are an Internet hoax. There is no factual basis for these claims. “If Nibiru or Planet X were real and headed for an encounter with the Earth...astronomers would have been tracking it for at least the past decade, and it would be visible by now to the naked eye. Obviously, it does not exist.” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

iShowSpeed lived a fever dream in real life recently after accidentally exposing himself to thousands of fans, and it’s safe to say the internet isn’t letting him live it down. The 18-year-old was live streaming to 24,000 fans when the incident took place and he inadvertently flashed the camera, before immediately ending his stream with a look of panic on his face. He escaped being banned by YouTube, but since then, he’s been subjected to trolling by fans – and he recently took issue with people “reposting” the clip and laughing at his expense. It’s clearly getting to iShowSpeed. One stream filmed since the incident shows his frustrations, standing up and screaming at the camera: “Like bro, how the f*** would you f***ing feel motherf***er? How the f*** would you feel?” “How would you feel? Just because you didn’t have any clean f***ing underwear? You had no clean underwear so you put on some goddamn pants! How would you feel?!” Showing how much the constant messages and trolling had impacted him he added: “I’m sick of f***ing chilling! You can’t chill! Don’t tell me to calm down.” It’s been clearly evident in the days since that he’s been suffering. The streamer also spoke about the "embarrassing moment," and how it's impacted him mentally. He begged his viewers to stop trolling him over the incident during his first stream back, but people still constantly calling him "IShowMeat" and flooding the chat with steak emojis and other comments. The impact of something like this is impossible to comprehend – especially for most of us whose life hasn’t been lived out with millions watching. The cruelty of the internet has always been evident in his streams. Even with the outpouring of support from fans in Japan, which saw them show up outside the building in Tokyo to show their support, thousands unsubscribed just at the moment he was due to hit 19 million subscribers, even when he’d “nearly died” just days before and was suffering with horrendous cluster headaches. The idea of having the worst moment of a person’s life at a young age broadcast to millions is the stuff of nightmares. Everyone knows how awful discourse online can be, with millions seemingly unable to respond with any degree of empathy to major events, and it’s no surprise to see social media users respond in such a way. "These past days and hours, I've been suffering very mentally, genuinely," iShowSpeed told viewers recently, honestly discussing his feelings since the incident. "At the end of the day, I'm still a human being." He said it was "one of the worst fears" that has happened and that it's "just depressing." "You guys are joking, you guys can crack your jokes – but you're genuinely not looking at the bigger picture," he said. "Do you all know I have family, little siblings?" "I don't know what to do anymore, bro," Speed added. As another TikToker pointed out, even his dad repeated the words “ishowmeat” in a recent stream, which has been used to refer to the incident. While it’s not clear whether or not Darren Watkins Sr knows of the relevance of his words, the fact others are asking him to say it and perpetuate it on his own stream speaks volumes. @noahglenncarter People are upset with IshowSpeed’s dad for saying this #foryou #ishowspeed #live Due to the permanence of the internet it’ll never go away completely, but we can only hope that things can move on for iShowSpeed soon. Thankfully, many have shown him support in the comments section. “Remember speed always make people laugh don't let him be sad. Stay Strong speed,” one said. Another wrote: “Its okay speed! People wont understand what you feel! I hope you get over this soon!” One more added: "Don't beat yourself up about it bro, we all make mistakes it'll pass and be forgotten, here for chats anytime, I didn't see the live and plan to avoid seeing any reposts. everyone should take a second and have some tact he's only 18 where I'm from thats a teenager." We hope these are the sorts of comments iShowSpeed sees more of over the coming days. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

YouTuber Cody Detwiler, who boasts over 5 million subscribers on his WhistlinDiesel channel, was caught in terrifying moment when, in just minutes, his brand new Ferrari and rental van caught fire - destroying both vehicles in a couple of minutes. In the video’s caption Detwiler writes: “I regret to inform everyone that my $400,000 Ferrari F8 and rental minivan with only 5,000 miles on it [have] recently burned down to a pile of ash.” The video opens with Detwiler speeding around an empty corn field in his new car. That is until his friends in the rental van begin to scream “fire!” At him, after the right tire is seen catching on fire. Once Detwiler realises he quickly brings the vehicle to a halt and gets out. The group attempt to put the flames out by throwing water and whatever other liquid they have onto the fire, but due to the dry surroundings, the fire quickly grows, with the van also catching fire seconds later. The Fastest Way to Lose Half a Million Dollars. My Ferrari is Gone. youtu.be Talking to the emergency services, one of Detwiler’s friends can be heard on the phone saying: “We are off road, we were going into a cornfield the vehicles are on fire, we need a fire department immediately.” The group attempt to rescue some of their belongings that are still in the van. “Alright well there goes half a million dollars,” Detwiler says to the camera whilst standing in front of the burning Ferrari. Within minutes both vehicles had burnt to a crisp. “This is financially bad, I don’t care about the cars,” Detwiler tells his friend. Two fire trucks are then seen arriving as firefighters extinguish the flames. “Do I even have insurance on this car? I think if I do it’s like the most minimal,” Detwiler says. “I don’t have full coverage on anything they won’t give it to me. They’re like, ‘he’s gonna cause an accident, burn the car down.’” Despite some claiming the video is staged, Detwiler said it was very much an accident. “No this wasn’t staged. Anyone that can read human body language can tell this was real,” Detwiler said in a statement. “Why would I also burn up a RENTAL van with all of our stuff inside? My shoes, headphones, sunglasses, sentimental Polaroid photos, tools, spare wheels and riders, and cameraman’s gear also burnt. Sure I make money destroying things, but I don’t lie. Not everything is a conspiracy.” The video has over 5 million views since being posted on August 18. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

The winner of Miss BumBum 2023 has left fans shocked after turning up to claim her title dressed in an outfit made of raw meat to protest her being “seen as a piece of meat”. Contestant, Lari Sumpani, 24, was crowned in the first place, with Sabrina Rabanne, the runner-up, and Rafaela Dias taking third place. The final presentation of the beauty pageant took place on 18 August in São Paulo, Brazil. Things took a turn towards the end of the show, as Lari Sumpani, who has 265,000 followers on Instagram (@eusumpani), decided to draw attention to an issue close to her heart – the objectification of women. "I'm only seen as a piece of meat, but contrary to what many people think, I have content,” she told NudePR.com. In a photo, Lari, who has previously hit the headlines for discussing her ‘sex diet’ fitness routine, can be seen wearing a small, bikini-like top and short skirt. The thin slices of red, fatty meat appear to be stitched together, as they hang down the model’s body. Lari also shared a video of the unusual co-ords, which has over 70,000 views online. The look is somewhat reminiscent of the memorable outfit Lady Gaga once wore to the MTV Awards in 2010. MissBumBum viewers have been left divided, with some fans reportedly calling the move inappropriate, while others have praised the move. “There was a steak for sure,” joked one fan. “Congratulations Lari, well deserved. Success smp for you,” added someone else. [sic] “Nothing but strength,” added another person. Lari can also be seen posing with her fellow contestants who are donned up in glitzy dresses, as well as bikinis and lacy underwear. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

US Senator Ted Cruz was fooled by a fake picture from the flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Hilary and people are gobsmacked. On Sunday (20 August), Tropical Storm Hilary became the first storm in 84 years to hit the Southern California area. It left a deluge of rainfall in Los Angeles and across the southern Californian deserts causing flooding and sparking a host of new jokes and memes that seem to have tripped up Cruz. One such joke was shared by one X (formerly Twitter) user who posted a fake picture of a shark appearing to be swimming down a flooded road. They wrote in the caption: “Friend of mine out in LA just took this picture on the 405. And yes, all news and media outlets you have permission to use this. Wild.” The community notes later explained that the picture was a “digital hoax” that had been mocked up from a real image a kayaker took of a great white shark trailing them. It first appeared online in 2011 in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene in Puerto Rico. Despite the hoax being more than 10 years old, it didn’t stop it from fooling the Texas Senator, who reposted the tweet, writing: “Holy crap.” Later, Cruz revealed that he had been told it was a hoax, adding: “I’m told this is a joke. In LA, you never know…” People expressed concern that a sitting Senator was able to fall for something so easily. One person questioned: “If he falls for this think of all the other things Ted Cruz falls for.” Another said: “We are governed by people who get duped by hoaxes so old they have their own Wikipedia page.” “Thinking this was real should get you expelled from public office,” someone else suggested. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.