4 chapters across the catalog
A viral rumor suggested that the phrase "Dilly Dilly," popularized by Bud Light commercials, was banned at the Masters golf tournament. This claim was identified as an internet hoax. The discussion notes the decreasing virality of modern television commercials compared to past marketing trends.
The BBC and other major outlets are caught reporting a fake study claiming Internet Explorer users have lower IQs than users of other browsers. Despite warnings from mathematicians like David Spiegelhalter that the data was suspicious, the story ran globally before being revealed as a hoax by a non-existent PR firm. The hosts use this as an example of how easily dubious statistics enter the news cycle.
CNN and several British newspapers fell for a viral hoax claiming that users of Microsoft Internet Explorer have lower IQs than users of other browsers. The "study" was entirely fabricated by a non-existent research company, highlighting the lack of fact-checking in mainstream digital journalism.
Pedobear Mascot Prank, Vancouver Olympics Media Blunder
A Polish newspaper and several other media outlets mistakenly published a modified Vancouver Olympics mascot image featuring "Pedobear," an internet meme from 4chan. The hosts find humor in the mainstream media's failure to recognize the prank. They discuss how the image was inadvertently included in official programming guides and news reports.
