People are very slow to catch on to Phoenix resident Paul Horner's antics.
Horner has used fake news articles to convince people of many things, including street-artist Banksy being arrested, Governor Jan Brewer putting gay-to-straight programs in Arizona schools, and Bill Murray going on a nationwide party-crashing tour. Now, Horner apparently fooled a bunch of people into thinking "twerking" -- which is some sort of dance-like thing -- was banned in the small Louisiana town of DeQuincy.
See also:
-No, Jan Brewer Is Not Putting "Gay-To-Straight Programs" in Arizona Schools
-Paul Horner Didn't Win the Powerball
Horner's hoaxes work for a few reasons, including the stupidity of others, but also because his website, "National Report" isn't a name most people recognize as fake, and due to the fact that he uses a website that distributes real press releases to distribute the phony stories.
Still, places like ABC News still have trouble getting to the bottom of the hoax, as evidenced by their coverage of the fake "twerking" ban.
Horner explained in a recent Facebook post that he uses DeQuincy when he "need[s] a redneck backwards town" for his fake articles.
According to news accounts, the mayor of the town is personally pissed off at Horner's stories about the town, which also include the town arming teachers and children, banning Korean people, and a gay zombie on bath salts murdering people.
People actually buy this stuff, as evidenced by the town's mayor having to tell a national news outlet that the townspeople are "not just a bunch of dummies."
Since people actually thought a Louisiana town was throwing people in jail for suggestive dance moves, and nobody seems able to catch on to Horner's antics, we're ready to crown Horner as king troll of the Internet.
Send feedback and tips to the author.
Follow Matthew Hendley on Twitter at @MatthewHendley.
