Heading into 2021, the Snopes newsroom was in a steady routine of fact-checking election fraud rumors, COVID-19 denial claims, and pseudoscientific arguments against vaccinations. We were prepared for misleading memes or videos around those issues to keep surfacing — and they did.
But, as the year progressed, Snopes fact checkers addressed rumors that no one could have planned for.
[See also: 13 Bizarre Animal Antics Snopes Fact-Checked in 2021.]
Take a NSFW video that seemingly showed two gorillas “going down” on each other; a purported Facebook thread showing users touting ivermectin-soaked tampons as a method to overcome COVID-19, or videos and memes promoting the scientifically illiterate claim that drinking apple juice can increase a person’s penis size.
More topics that Snopes staff members said they couldn’t believe needed fact-checking in 2021 are listed below. You can read all of our “Staff Picks & Standouts” for a variety of content categories here.
False. We tracked down the origins of the rumor that was displayed in online advertisements.
False. An uncredited meme would not likely be the first to report the discovery.
True. A NSFW video appeared to show two gorillas “going down” on each other.
Whether one should is another question entirely.
Unproven. The same person also shared photos that appeared to show various other contaminants in the same box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
Ok, we’ll after further...
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