Misinformation

When you think of pandas , you typically think about one of two things: One, the adorable, monochromatic animal that was the subject of a 2003 DreamWorks Animation film, or two, that song by Desiigner . The latest conspiracy theory currently making the rounds on TikTok concerns the former — specifically, whether or not panda bears are real, or whether, as some have speculated, they are simply humans in bear costumes. As discussed on this week’s episode of Don’t Let This Flop, Rolling Stone ‘s podcast about internet culture, the “pandas aren’t real” conspiracy theory has been circulating on the internet in some form for a long time. On Reddit, for instance, a 2015 post with the headline, “I’m fairly certain pandas are just an extremely elaborate hoax” received a few thousand upvotes, with people speculating whether pandas are just humans in adult costumes, because of how human-like a lot of their movements are. Others have also pointed out odd facts about pandas — such as … [Read more...] about ‘Pandas Aren’t Real’ Is the Latest Conspiracy Theory Taking Off on TikTok

Republican congressional nominee Yesli Vega last month downplayed the likelihood of a woman becoming pregnant via sexual assault in audio recordings obtained by Axios. Vega, who is running against incumbent Abigail Spanberger in Virginia’s liberal-leaning 7th District, has been a vocal opponent of abortion rights. Here's the audio clip in question: pic.twitter.com/0k6iBA2bUA — Ned Oliver (@nedoliver) June 27, 2022 In the audio, an unidentified source asks Vega if she’d heard that women who are sexually assaulted are less likely to become pregnant because their body “shuts down” in some way. Vega responded “maybe” because “there’s so much going on in the body.” “I don’t know,” she continued. “I haven’t, you know, seen any studies. But if I’m processing what you’re saying, it wouldn’t surprise me. Because it’s not something that’s happening organically. You’re forcing it. The individual, the male, is doing it as quickly … and so I can see why there is … [Read more...] about GOP House Candidate Doubts Likelihood of Pregnancy After Rape