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People who don't check things on Snopes...

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  • #1

    People who don't check things on Snopes...

    So I was "snooping", for lack of a better way of putting it, on a relative's FaceBook page the other day, and I saw a post that any thinking person would check out on Snopes, or any other "urban legend" website. Because it seemed to not be true, just on the face of it.

    It basically had to do with this:

    http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/scams/headshoulders.asp

    Which is a derivation of another hoax that was going around several years ago.

    If I actually had a FaceBook account, I would have been VERY tempted to put, "don't you people ever check these things out on Snopes.com?" or "Just how dumb are you people?" with a link to the Snopes article.
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  • #2
    You don't even need Snopes for that, even if you haven't run into that picture (or the breast one) before. A cosmetic product that's been widely used for fifty years is not going to have an obvious, disgusting physical side effect, or that would have become widely known and the product withdrawn decades ago.
    "My in-laws are country people and at night you can hear their distinctive howl."

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    • #3
      Originally posted by mjr View Post
      If I actually had a FaceBook account, I would have been VERY tempted to put, "don't you people ever check these things out on Snopes.com?" or "Just how dumb are you people?" with a link to the Snopes article.
      I've been known to post the Snopes link, along with a comment like "I can't believe people actually fall for this shit!" Someone posted the usual "Facebook is going to charge charging" junk just last night. I was nice this time. I just posted the link without commenting.
      --- I want the republicans out of my bedroom, the democrats out of my wallet, and both out of my first and second amendment rights. Whether you are part of the anal-retentive overly politically-correct left, or the bible-thumping bellowing right, get out of the thought control business --- Alan Nathan

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      • #4
        Originally posted by HYHYBT View Post
        You don't even need Snopes for that, even if you haven't run into that picture (or the breast one) before. A cosmetic product that's been widely used for fifty years is not going to have an obvious, disgusting physical side effect, or that would have become widely known and the product withdrawn decades ago.
        Doesn't that just prove, though, how ridiculous (or, at least ridiculously ignorant) the people are who post something like that to begin with? And why would it be on one shoulder? Wouldn't it be across the back of the neck, or maybe on the person's head? That seems much more logical.

        It's not like a proven product like that is going to all of a sudden change their product. And even if it did cause that particular side effect after a formula change, they'd have a massive class-action lawsuit on their hands.

        I'm actually surprised someone hasn't changed it to be a "picture" of someone's testicles. I suppose in time that will happen, too...

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        • #5
          A part of me can't help but wonder if the original author of the claim really was using Head & Shoulders and really did develop that strange growth but made the wrong conclusion.

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          • #6
            That is one of my pet peeves, too. People who'll believe anything they read or are told, without investing a single bit of brain matter into actually thinking things over.

            For instance, the introduction and proliferation of Islam is a big topic in Germany, especially in connection with the Refugee crisis. I was in a discussion about this with a few coworkers a while back, and one of them gave as "proof" for the "uncontrolled spread of Islam" the "fact" that there were three districts in Berlin that were now officially governed by Scharia law.

            Now, it doesn't take more than basic knowledge about the German constitution to realize that this is absolutely impossible. And it didn't take more than 2-3 minutes on Google to determine that organized crime in Berlin and other cities is using Scharia law both as a means to police areas with a strong muslim community, and to intimidate these people. Yes, there are areas where Scharia law is used, but it's definitely not "officially".
            "You are who you are on your worst day, Durkon. Anything less is a comforting lie you tell yourself to numb the pain." - Evil
            "You're trying to be Lawful Good. People forget how crucial it is to keep trying, even if they screw it up now and then." - Good

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            • #7
              There's a similar thread going in the Pop Culture section. Yes folks, Snopes is your friend. I've had to tell my SIL that more than once on her FB.
              People behave as if they were actors in their own reality show. -- Panacea
              If you're gonna be one of the people who say it's time to make America great again, stop being one of the reasons America isn't great right now. --Jester

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              • #8
                Originally posted by Mr Hero View Post
                A part of me can't help but wonder if the original author of the claim really was using Head & Shoulders and really did develop that strange growth but made the wrong conclusion.
                I doubt they'd develop that strange growth. Especially with the pods in it. It's a lotus plant that someone photoshopped.

                It's possible that maybe they developed some sort of rash, but it likely looked nothing like the image.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by mjr View Post
                  I doubt they'd develop that strange growth. Especially with the pods in it. It's a lotus plant that someone photoshopped.

                  It's possible that maybe they developed some sort of rash, but it likely looked nothing like the image.
                  What I'm trying to say is that maybe they developed that strange growth, but Head and Shoulders wasn't the cause of it, but because they happened to be using that as their shampoo, they jumped to conclusions. Of course this is all speculation on my part.

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Mr Hero View Post
                    What I'm trying to say is that maybe they developed that strange growth, but Head and Shoulders wasn't the cause of it, but because they happened to be using that as their shampoo, they jumped to conclusions. Of course this is all speculation on my part.
                    No, mjr is right on this one. That's not a growth at all.

                    What you see in that picture is the seed pod of the lotus flower photoshopped into someone's skin. Now, the wound it's been shopped into might really be there, but I seriously doubt it came from an allergic reaction, especially not to such a widely-used product.

                    Assuming the damage to the skin is real, and not just part of the shoop like the seed pod "growth", I'd bet the original image was a picture of a brown recluse spider bite. That can cause necrosis in the skin and surrounding tissue, and the inflammation of the skin in the picture looks rather like other pictures I've seen of it.
                    "The hero is the person who can act mindfully, out of conscience, when others are all conforming, or who can take the moral high road when others are standing by silently, allowing evil deeds to go unchallenged." — Philip Zimbardo
                    TUA Games & Fiction // Ponies

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                    • #11
                      No snopes in this one, but a similarly gullible relative. Last week, my uncle shared a post on FB claiming that Obama was going to put Oprah on the $2 bill. Complete with badly shopped picture of the bill. There were so many things wrong with it, I just had to laugh. I just commented, "That's a great joke."

                      I'm pretty sure my uncle and his friends still think it's true. Or at least plausible.
                      "The future is always born in pain... If we are wise what is born of that pain matures into the promise of a better world." --G'Kar, "Babylon 5"

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by KabeRinnaul View Post
                        Assuming the damage to the skin is real, and not just part of the shoop like the seed pod "growth", I'd bet the original image was a picture of a brown recluse spider bite. That can cause necrosis in the skin and surrounding tissue, and the inflammation of the skin in the picture looks rather like other pictures I've seen of it.
                        If true, they wouldn't have needed to photoshop the image, as brown recluse bites already look sufficiently nasty.
                        People behave as if they were actors in their own reality show. -- Panacea
                        If you're gonna be one of the people who say it's time to make America great again, stop being one of the reasons America isn't great right now. --Jester

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                        • #13
                          Snopes is a great resource for debunking, but even they can be wrong, on occasion.

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                          • #14
                            Well, then, use other sources, or just plain google it before sharing.

                            There are a ton of myth busting and urban legend exposing sites out there.
                            They can't all be wrong.
                            Point to Ponder:

                            Is it considered irony when someone on an internet forum makes a post that can be considered to look like it was written by a 3rd grade dropout, and they are poking fun of the fact that another person couldn't spell?

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                            • #15
                              I had that once. Email at work circulated about some racist statements supposedly made by Tommy Hilfiger, with the sender swearing they would never buy his products. The link didn't even seem suspicious to me at the time, but I wanted to know more. Took me less than a minute to find the snopes article debunking that one.

                              Surprised no one got mad at me for that.
                              Customer: I need an Apache.
                              Gravekeeper: The Tribe or the Gunship?

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