Rumors and Quotes

DailyTech - Fake Rumors of Telemarketers Getting Consumers' Cell Phone Numbers Flood Internet

Many chain letters contain quotes supposedly from certain famous people, or stories about famous people and companies. So, people forward them, believing they must be something special if some famous person said it.

What many people don't realize is they are passing on nothing but distortions, misquotes, out right lies, and even vicious rumors.

The Paradox of our Times essay wasn't written by George Carlin or a student from Columbine. It was written by Bob Moorehead, a disgraced pastor.

Did Jefferson Really Say That?

Everyone knows who Andy Rooneyis, and chances are most people on the net have or will receive a chain letter forward claiming Andy Rooney said it. These forwards range from opinion pieces on older women to political views on the French's POV on the Iraq war and the US's part in it. However, only 2 out of 7 of these chain letters are true. Those aren't very good odds, but they are every reason to check out the above link to verify or debunk the latest Andy Rooney forward to hit the inbox.

The Dalai Lama is also a target of chain letter hoaxes, and none of the forwards about him are true. Like most of the Andy rooney chains, what is falsely attributed to the Dalai Lama was actually written by other people, and sources are given proper credit in the above link for looking up these tales.

Dr. Phil's Personality Test was not shared by Dr. Phil on the Oprah Whinfrey show, or used in any professional setting. Where and who originated it is a mystery, but it was not at all likely written or taken by Dr. Phil or Oprah, and probably has nothing to do with them at all. It's just a silly piece of nonsense dressed up to look like psycho-babble, and attaching a famous name to it is the big manipulation to get people believing in and forwarding it along. It's origins are more likely from here on this usenet/google group, where it is attributed to a Dr. Charles Vine.

quotes supposedly from certain famous people musicians

Beyonce's Singing Hoax Matthew (username Aladdin82) used voice editing software to make it sound as if Beyonce was singing off key and passed it off as the real thing.

The Sunscreen graduation commencement speech was not delivered at MIT by Kurt Vonnegut, in fact, he was never a commencement speaker at MIT. It was written by Mary Schmich a columnist for the Chicago Tribune, who claimed it came from a coffee and m&m high - although there's no such thing. Coffee and candy aren't mind-altering drugs. She would've gotten the idea even if she hadn't had any coffee and m&ms. Read all about the hoax here.

50 Life Lessons Regina Brett did write the 50 Life Lessons column for the Plain Dealer in Ohio, in 2006 when she turned 50. So obviously, she is not 90 years old as the popular chain letter about her claims. Sometimes the forward goes by different titles such as 7%, or Enlightenment, and it more or less contains her column, which consists of sayings such as "1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good." Although it has become a glurge chain letter, complete with the false info about her age, Regina has handled it beautifully, with a great,very humorous column about her urban legend status. Life Lessons Speed Up on Internet: 90 Years of Living in 50 in which she also reveals herselfas the author of an essay on the cost of raising a child. She includes an exerpt of that heartwarming essay in this column, quipping "Wait a minute. I wrote that nine years ago. When I was 100". It is definitely worth bookmarking, and a perfect response to any version of the forward that claims she is 90 and may be inaccurate in other ways.

rumors about several others

It's already unbelievably grievous when people spread false tales about others as being racists, but the Skinner Box slander that maliciously accuses someone of child abuse. Not a word of these rumors is true, but people continue being willingly gullible and passing along this trash. It doesn't help matters when some famous people themselves fall for and parrot these rumors. Lauren Slater wrote a book full of slanderous crap about the Skinner family, and Spike Lee bought into the Liz Claiborne racial rumor. But famous people can be just as wrong as the rest of us and just as gullible.

Jackie Christie did not get jealous of a female nurse so that she nearly caused her husband NBA player Doug Christie's death. That is yet another wildly vicious rumor.

This is why it's so important not to pass on anything that has any famous person or company name on it, and statements about or claiming to be from that famous person or company - without making certain what was said in the forward is actually true. Even so, people need to ask themselves why it's so important to pass it on, when it's already circulating and reproducing all over the net. If you send a chain letter about something/someone famous, the best thing about it is that so are a lot of other people doing the same. The worst thing is you could be spreading a terribly malicious rumor that really needs to be quelled once and for all.