#debunking fake rumors

[sonknuxadow]

can they just say whos voicing shadow already so i can be free from the neverending cycle of random twitter users claiming to know who the va is and saying it with no evidence and people just believing it and spreading it as confirmed fact

[chirpsythismorning]

Clown makeup fully applied, if hypothetically byler was endgame and there are a few really incriminating scenes of Mike and Will alone in s5 to be had, leading up to that revelation… the skeleton crew filming with Noah and Finn alone for the first couple weeks of filming does sound like something they could do… Otherwise, if they filmed those scenes sporadically all throughout s5 production, random PA’s leaking it would be likely (end of s4 cabin scene leak teas). However, doing a few of their most incriminating scenes alone before most of the casual production are even there: no leaks…

[evilroachindustrial]

This whole OGL business has fully descended into the clout-clashing Youtubers cosplay as journalists, huh?

[mybrainproblems]

#idk this is all conjecture. but it’s interesting to think about#don’t take my word as gospel truth 🤷🏻#also. full disclosure. I have not yet watched the finale#I’m still in s14 on my first layer seasons watch!!

okay, so i've watched 15x20 nine ten times now and this is really a good summary for exactly why these rumors persist about the "extra" ad break and the episode being "short" (hell, i was even ready to throw in on the extra ad break rumor)

people have either never watched it bc they heard it was bad, or they haven't watched it in three years bc yes, the episode is just not up to par with other spn episodes, nvm finales. and since it's more fun repeat a fun conspiracy than fact check, it keeps going around. (which i also parroted! until i decided to get out a stopwatch and check for myself in dec 2022!) it was also a rumor that got a lot of play by a couple of popular blogs in late 2020/early 2021 and it gained a lot of traction then.

so yeah. it's worth investigating! which i did and have been digging into for a year now. i had hit the dead end of not being able to find a version of 15x20 where the ad breaks were intact. which brings me to...

an extremely lovely person reached out to me last night to let me know that they had 15x20 on their DVR with ad breaks intact and pulled the rough timing marks for me without me even asking bc they are an absolute angel!!!

transcription of the timing marks in the second image:

1. mins 10-13 after boys catch vamp mime (yep 10 whole minutes!) 2. mins 17-22 (incl cw promo) after kids run out/vamp lineup enters 3. mins 32-35 after dean's death 4. mins 40-45 (incl jared walker promo) after sam walks out of bunker 5. mins 57-60 after bridge waving :\

which means i was extremely wrong in my first reblog guessing where most of the ad breaks were as someone who hadn't watched live and... there are no extra ad breaks from what I can tell? (as someone who actually works on this, please chime in if these look off! i would love to hear from someone who actually knows!) at least to me, it looks like they're at about the time slots i would expect for a normal TV episode? breaks 1&2 feel like they're close but idk. my knowledge is mostly in TV market research, not ad sales/buying (side bar: i adore being proven wrong with Facts, if i am wrong pls tell me!!)

what i think makes it feel like the episode is under 42min or that there might have been extra ad breaks (which i would totally have believed) is that not even midway through the 60min time block it runs into narrative concrete with dean's impalement. and then you have an entire second half of the ep where nothing happens and it is So. Slow. it's basically a single scene (dean's death) and then dean and bobby's short convo, followed by a couple of aimless montages with OG carry on and a cover of carry on back-to-back.

it is a WEIRD fucking episode. especially from a writer who is, at worst, competent. (i say this as a dabbfan & with love in my heart)

i have a post i just made with a list of major timing marks if anyone wants to take a look. (once i knew where to look they were SO obvious)

also bc it might contextualize my pov: i'm in the camp of "no major changes that weren't related to covid regulations were made between shutdown and starting filming again." i genuinely believe that the finale was screwed long before the reaction to 15x18. walker was the CW's follow-on show and they were looking for general audiences for that show, not destiel shippers. it's a really boring explanation, but i think it's the most likely. at a guess, last minute cuts were smaller adjustments and (my unprovable theory) waiting to see if they could get another song licensed for the montage.

ok so like. thinking about the fact that there was an extra commercial break in the finale

In 2021 I used to work for [major US cable company] on a team that manually scheduled all of the ads that aired on their network every single day. While the exact shit that airs gets put in there the day before by a team of approx 10 human beings (insane), the tv show schedule & the breaks themselves are SET IN STONE. It takes a really specific, heavy-hitting request from a network and a LOT of people & moving parts to make an extra commercial break happen. That shit is built into the system way in advance!!!!!

I wish I had thought to ask my coworkers if they remembered anything happening then. Things were ofc moving around a lot because of the election coverage, BUT that was in the news networks, not on the fucking CW. Do we think that request was made last minute??? how long did they plan to have that extra break in there?????? were they cutting that episode up until the last minute after the networks saw the reaction to 15x18??????? we will probably never know but it is gonna bug me forever

[punkeropercyjackson]

Why Batcest is not only harmful but also dosen't work with the characters

Jason has explicitly stated he's disgusted at the thought of kissing his brothers(any of his four brothers was his exact wording i.e Batcest!Jason is debunked but core Batkid!Duke is canon)and shown dislike for older men on the basis of being older men at multiple points,ntm he's implied to have a daddy kink on the recieving end but he's also anti-sa(pushing a man off a roof as Robin for running a sex trafficking ring and killing a pedophillic teacher for abusing one of his student's)

Dick is romani,Cass is an easian woman and Damian is arab and there's stereotypes about inherently being into incest against all three of those groups

While this rarely happens,Duke Batcest is racist too because of the deep,DEEP history behind incestous abuse on black people by antiblacks and incest fetishes presented as 'gay culture' are a result of the whitewashing of queer history to exclude and demonize black people and include incestous white abusers

Devin Grayson has apologized for her B.rudick writings and said it was a bad coping mechanism on her part she should've never written that only hurt her further and was offensive to other survivors on her part,especially ones of color

'Batman and Robin are a gay metaphor' is not something actual comics writers belived and was simply an innapropriate rumor spread by the pedophiles of the time looking for validation and the actual comics writers created love interests for Dick and Bruce to dispell the rumors because they were correctly disgusted and offended at the implication they were writing an adult man as dating his adoptive elementary school aged son and the fact the LI in question were female is irrelevant and not 'homophobic' as they were trying to avoid homophobic stereotyping with them in addition to the decent human being thing called 'hating pedophiles in all contexts'

While T!mcass was indeed canon at one point,this was all pre-Cass adoption when they weren't completely concrete on where her character was going but post-Cass adoption,these elements of implied romance between them were removed and completely ignored

Bruce's dynamic with Dick is described as a mix between brothers and father and son,Jason,Tim,Cass and Duke textually view Bruce as good as a biodad,Bru.dami has zero canon incarnations and with the exception of Stephanie,The Batkids all have multiple instinces of refering to eachother as siblings both individually and as (a) group

Relatedly(lmao),Robins 2022 was mid and a waste of paper for the exact reason of the Duke exclusion to pander to the Four Batboys + 'Token' Stephanie fanonization that is universally present in Batcest fake fan content.There's no Robins without Duke and there's no Batkids with Batcest.The BatCREST is the FAMILY legacy for a reasons sweetcakes

[violetasteracademic]

Does Elain Archeron want to be human again?

Theory debunk ahead.

I have personally *tried* (though I am absolutely not perfect) to take a hippocratic oath with my presence on the internet and wish to do no harm. The Libra moon to my Virgo sun is always trying to approach things peacefully. The wing 2 on my type 1 ennengram is always trying to take an open hearted approach to compassion and empathy for others while still defending my views on Elain (and Azriel).

However, the take that Elain's book is going to be centered around her acting in risky, irrational, or damaging ways because she has one goal and that is to be human again, is a theory I have ZERO respect for. So, with all due respect, which is none, please feel free to self insert disrespectfully at the end of each point as I systematically debunk this theory. This is probably the longest post I'll ever make. Strap in.

So, where TF did this come from?

On my tiktok, I addressed the fact that the rumor that there is going to be a betrayer in the Night Court ranks has zero grounds. We should collectively start to work to realize this is as accurate as Sarah having an announcement on May 1st, but alas it is a losing battle. However, I received a comment that said they also agreed that it was fake UNTIL they saw someone use text to support it. Apparently, one of the human queens insinuated there is a traitor in the Inner Circle. This is why, even though Sarah NEVER said this, people are now continuing to push this "Elain will be a traitor" agenda. Even accidentally or unintentionally out of her desire to be human. I made a whole video on this, but for context, here is the quote being used to fuel this:

Briallyn and Nesta are in a game of chicken with Briallyn trying to force Nesta to get the Trove by threatening she'll have Cassian kill her, and he'll never recover. When Nesta calls her on her bluff and says Briallyn won't kill her, Briallyn responds that there are other court members as delusional as Nesta (she is referring to her love for Cassian making her weak, delusional, and vulnerable) and she can just keep threatening members of the Night Court's loved ones until someone gets her what she wants. However, she put in *quite* a bit of time and effort on trapping Nesta first, didn't she?

My friends. Where does Briallyn say "there is a traitor among the Inner Circle's ranks?" Where does it say there is a mole? It doesn't. Yes, Briallyn has spies. As do all courts and kingdoms. But to suggest Briallyn said there is already a traitor in the Inner Circle specifically because of these quotes is unhinged and beyond willful distortion of the text to serve an invented narrative based on an unfounded rumor. I don't have time or energy to recap the whole vid, but moving on from this for now. Disrespectfully.

The next layer of the conversation is this: They think Briallyn is probably still foreshadowing Elain because Elain wants to be human so badly she'll unintentionally harm the Night Court and betray them, somehow, because of this quote and the conversation with Amren on Solstice. To which I said, there is way too much evidence in ACOSF that Elain is healthy, adjusted, and has friends and purpose in Velaris. The response to that was, well that's Nesta's perception and we can't trust her.

While the convo on tiktok was, I felt, respectful discourse and we agreed to disagree, the parasite in my brain went into full annihilation mode over this theory after thinking on it.

Because by this logic- if we aren't allowed to trust Nesta's or Cassian's perceptions that Elain is healthy and well and adjusted, or glowing with good health and finding purpose and friends, then we ALSO aren't allowed to trust Amren's assumption that Elain was curious about her choosing her Fae form because Elain wants to be human again. Elain never actually said that. Amren assumed it:

(yes I'm bringing so many receipts I exceeded the photo limit and had to start combining pages.)

At no point does Elain say anything about wanting to be human. In fact, this entire conversation is about Elain's curiosity over why Amren chose the form that she did, why she selected the gender, ect. It's honestly an interesting conversation, and when Amren makes assumptions about Elain having ulterior motives for asking the interesting question, *Elain's brow furrows in confusion.*

Elain straightens and becomes cold at Amren's assumption Elain still wants to be human. One could read this as Elain feeling embarrassed for being called out, but the pure fact is that it isn't the only explanation. In fact, Elain has spent all day cooking for everyone, spent the week shopping for Solstice presents and waxing poetic about the importance of honoring Solstice traditions (more on that later) and participating in the Fae customs, fussing over her appearance for the dinner she prepped for, ECT. It's equally as likely that she is hurt over being misunderstood by the new friends and family she has spent the day trying to making a perfect Solstice meal for and shop for everyone. Which is, if I'm not mistaken, Elain's whole damn theme. Her loved ones don't really see or understand her, while she observed and understands everything. Far more than they give her credit for.

Or maybe Elain has a fucking BEAST FORM. And is curious about what her powers can do with changing form.

The point is, it is all theory and assumption from another character. So, the dinner conversation at Solstice is now off the table using the very logic enforcing the Elain betrayal plotline by suggesting Nesta's perceptions of her are untrustworthy. So are Amren's. What's next? Disrespectfully.

There's only one other item people can use, from ACOFAS, which is Feyre's perception that Elain still wants Grayson. Which again, by this logic, is off the table now.

Feyre is the one who says Elain wants a human man. Elain didn't. So this can no longer be used as evidence.

All Elain says is Lucien is not entitled to her time and affections, and it's impossible for Lucien to care for her because he does not know her. Hmm. Someone thinking they know and care for Elain without actually knowing her. Theme, anyone? I thought I heard a theme bell chime.

Alright. So Nesta is wrong about Elain. Amren is wrong about Elain. Feyre is wrong about Elain.

So where are the grounds that Elain still wants to be human based on the text?

They don't exist.

But oh, that's not even the fun part! NOW is the fun part.

By eliminating others perceptions of Elain from the conversation as they are unreliable, what does that leave us?

Perhaps with Elain's own words and actions and nothing else?

You guys, I felt like a kid in a candy story with this one. Let's see what Elain told us about her thoughts regarding the human lands, starting with the most recent publication ACOSF:

Elain describes in great detail how she was bullied by other girls when she was younger. It's interesting, because Nesta previously said that Elain used to love balls and parties. And yet here, we find out that Elain wasn't treated well by the other girls in her own words speaking on her own experience. She goes on to *shudder in distaste* that in the human lands, it would have been perfectly suitable for Nesta to have been married off and "reserved" until she was old enough to reproduce. A thought that made Rhysand, a Fae, choke on his wine. And then of course, those same girls that tormented her delighted in her downfall.

When Elain speaks for herself instead of others speaking for her, it doesn't seem like she thinks very highly of the human lands, their customs, or their behavior, or the balls she attended does it? She certainly doesn't have any friends or anyone she misses. Everyone turned their backs on the sisters when they lost their money. And Elain witnessed this with Grayson as well, who turned his back on her the second her circumstances changed against her will again.

So uh, no. I don't think Elain is desperate to go back there.

And if course we have this ACOMAF banger:

So.... yeah. In Elain's own words, sharing her thoughts and beliefs, this is what she thinks about the rulers of the mortal lands. By the way, these same queens had her kidnapped and risked her life and took everything from her so they could test out whether mortals could survive being thrown in the Cauldron. But please, tell me more how Elain misses her human life so much that she'll screw over her friends and family to get it back. Disrespectfully.

Alternatively, in A Court and Frost and Starlight, here are the lovely thoughts Elain had about Fae culture:

Here's Elain working with her friends to bake Feyre's birthday cake, a representation of the three sisters:

Here's Elain surprising Nesta and Azriel with presents her very first Solstice, after chatting with local vendors and working with the Night Court's trusted healer:

Here is what Elain, Elain and no one else, has to say about being a member of the night court and ready to use her powers to serve it:

This is what happens when you cherry pick context. You create a new set of rules, which people like me are more than willing to follow. And if the rule is: Elain's thoughts and feelings are the only pieces of evidence allowed and not anyone else's thoughts or perceptions of her, it actually only proves the theory that Elain is going to betray the night court because she wants to be mortal again and return to the mortal lands even more wrong. Considering the theme once again, of how misunderstood and unseen Elain has been, the unbelievably ironic meta-ness of it all is overwhelming. Please, unplug yourself from the Matrix. Pay attention to Elain. It's in your best interest to at least attempt to see and understand her if you plan to read her book, or you are going to be very lost and confused.

Disrespectfully.

[rainbowsky]

Hi rbs !! I m huge fan of your blog. I really love it. I want to ask you about crown ring that rumours say dd give to gg when he proposed him. And all their family members knows about their relationship. And some say they even brought house for them and have joint property. I personally believe this all. But I want to know more in details.as you always do best. Thanku.

Hi sweetpuri, thanks so much, I'm glad you're enjoying my blog! ☺️

Sorry I've taken so long to get back to some of these asks - I've been pretty busy lately, but I'll try to make more time for it.

All of this that you're talking about comes from fan fiction stories and a (not at all credible) fake rumor, and as a package this group of beliefs has been circulating the fandom for years. I hate to break it to you, but none of this is very likely to be true, at least not in the way it's packaged or shared.

However.

I do believe GG has a ring - whether wedding ring or just gift from DD - that he wears when he's not on camera. We've seen evidence of this in tan lines and in an indentation on his finger in some photos. He also is frequently seen with a chain around his neck, which we know he wears a ring on at least some of the time, because of a few incidents where the shape was visible under his clothing. I talked about this a bit in this post.

But the crown ring - not likely. This rumor came around the time GG was seen wearing a crown ring on episode 3 of Our Song, and I just don't buy that's The Ring.

I also do believe that they're committed and most likely married, which I talked about more in this post.

As for their parents knowing about (and supporting) their relationship - I think we have abundant evidence to suggest this might be true. There is the sauced beef saga, there's also the quarantine 'ma/mom' moment and some other items I talked about in this post. Also some fan repos and LRLG rumors that give us clues.

There are a lot of beliefs that circulate around in the fandom, that were taken directly out of fan fiction, but which fans vehemently believe to be true. This is one of the reasons why (although I feel everyone is free to read and write whatever they want) I don't like fan fiction that tries to give a telling of actual events, or that closely follows their actual lives. These stories can (unintentionally) mislead people (and can sometimes lead to characterizations of them that are problematic and harmful - for example, claims that they're jealous).

This happens totally accidentally. We're in a fandom that moves pretty fast, and which has a ton of new information coming at us every day. It's so easy to forget where we heard something, or to mishear something, and then walk around with mistaken beliefs that are unlikely to be debunked. False ideas spread like wildfire in the fandom, especially ideas that are sweet and cute like grand, dramatic marriage proposals and rings and luxury houses.

I recommend being extra cautious and conscious of where we hear things, and be careful of the sources we rely on. If you can't remember where you heard something, it's best to treat it as 'likely false, or maybe from a fan fiction'.

At least, that's one of the ways that I try to stay accurate and honest. I'm not pretending to be perfect in this regard, but skepticism can help protect us from misleading ideas.

[vladco-tech-official]

Addressing The Rumors

Good Evening, Vladco Staff.

As you may have already witnessed, the past 24 hours have been a cesspool of cruelty and misinformation. It is with a deep, regretful heart that I must pause for a moment to address each and every one of these.

Details will be marked below. Thank you for understanding. -Vlad Masters

Myth 1: Vlad Masters attempted to murder a child. TRUTH: It was all a massive misunderstanding, you see. Dearest Danielle was very unstable genetically. I originally created her in a lab because, due to my inability to bear fruit of my own, completely ethical cloning was the only way for me to have children. However, as much as I adored Danielle, she was at a constant risk of melting with each half-life her genetic code passed- and she would have died a painful death regardless of any potential wrong doing on my part. Myth 2: Vlad Masters is a misogynist. TRUTH: I am not. You all should know how pro-feminist I am. We frequently celebrate the women in stem, have very strong female leadership here at Vladco, support trans and other LGBTQ+ women at Vladco- not to mention how respectful I am towards all women. I wouldn't have dedicated my entire life to one particular woman in my life if I didn't respect her, after all. Debunked. Myth 3: Vlad Masters is short. TRUTH: I am 6'0. You can see it on all of my medical and legal records. I am exactly 6'0 and there is no if or buts about it. Myth 4: Vlad Masters has a "thing" for Jack Fenton. TRUTH: Fake news. Moving on. Myth 5: Vlad Masters is a "bully". TRUTH: If anything I am a victim of bullying, as evident by how poorly today went.

[nanabansama]

119 Thoughts

The recent chapter was... good!! Great, even!! We got a lot of answers and the new developments felt straightforward enough to follow. Still not fully comfortable with my interpretation yet, but honestly I'm just happy to be along for the ride.

Anyway, I wanted to write my thoughts down just to make sure I have everything straight going forward. There's a lot going on and some of my older theories have been debunked!

First, I'd like to point out what I think is pretty obvious and say that Kou must be possessed right now. The specifics are unclear but in my head this is still Kou, he's just being manipulated by the Red House or something. One thing I find interesting though is that he's overall really innocent... he doesn't do anything to put Nene in danger that she doesn't do herself. Nene is the one who decides to risk it all and talk to Amane, after all. The only thing I can say Kou did bad is separate her from the group and take her to Amane. Whatever is controlling Kou might be aware that Nene would drop her defenses around Amane and use that to their advantage.

Mitsuba's part in all of this is still a mystery, but I have to wonder if he will try to trick the Akane/Aoi/Teru trio whenever we jump back to them. I'm suspecting that they won't convene with Nene right away, though I have no idea how Nene will fare in the next chapter... (could she join Mitsuba and Kou and become the Red House's puppet!? I could easily see her tricking Aoi!)

Anyway, moving onto Yugi-sensei, I loved the glimpse into his headspace we got in this chapter. It seems like he's under the delusion everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) is happier in this timeline, which is quite interesting. It almost makes me wonder if the Clock Keepers made him like this to ensure the timeline stayed this way. They told Baby Amane that the future changed, after all, which is... honestly quite disturbing. While I think it was foolish for the Clock Keepers' goal to be to get rid of Tsukasa in the first place, I don't think they'd make such a big mistake by telling Amane the future changed and traumatizing him. The possibility that the Clock Keepers made Amane this way for the good of the world would be a thrilling twist, I think!

I also think this could explain his other curious behavior. Many have wondered why Amane spreads rumors about Tsukasa-kun and why he smirks when school kids summon Tsukasa-kun, and it seems the reason is because he thinks Tsukasa is happy this way. The fact that this Tsukasa is the age Tsukasa disappeared, too, probably helps with this because Amane might still be under the assumption that the Tsukasa who came back after their 4th birthday was a fake. Now obviously, this Amane doesn't have all his memories yet, but it's extremely likely they're just buried inside of him and--unbeknownst to him--influencing his current actions. Either way, I think it's clear that Amane is under the delusion that Tsukasa is happy torturing kids at school. (...and who's to say whether he is or isn't!!!)

All of the souls trapped in the Red House might be in a similar situation, where Amane is under the delusion he's making them happy. I wonder if his parents are part of them...? I'm just thinking that Kou's cheerfulness this chapter is really relevant. He's so happy to just be with Nene and seems to have zero worries at all. It's honestly kinda creepy, when you consider how he was in the previous chapter!

Now hear me out. I'm not usually one to wish harm on Nene, but it would be interesting if Nene got captured and got to meet Amane's parents, assuming they got trapped in the Red House too. I proposed the theory that Kou has just been brainwashed but it could very well be a fake Kou, and if she got to team up with Kou and Mitsuba I think that'd make for an amusing trio. Especially since we have another trio in the house right now with Akane, Teru and Aoi. We could have Nene trapped and trying to escape while a fake evil Nene tries to trick them... that could be so fun!!! (Writing fanfiction at this point lol)

If we go along with the theory that Kou is fake, perhaps the souls trapped in the Red House also have fake body doubles? You'll notice that they are very obviously not happy, considering the way they urged Mitsuba to run away and escape. But I really cannot think for another explanation for Kou's behavior in this chapter. Amane's ominous line about everyone being happy plus Kou being so cheerful just feel so connected! Perhaps the happiness once instilled in the poor souls trapped in the Red House eventually wore off, proving how fake their happiness was in the first place. (Or perhaps I've gone off the deep end.)

In any case, I really wonder what the point of oddly cheerful fake/brainwashed Kou is. I can only assume it's to try and trick Nene into thinking this new world is better. The motives don't seem very malicious, despite all the harm it's bringing. Amane genuinely wants people to be happy, and I think the Red House is working with him to make his dreams a disturbing reality.

I just wonder where Tsukasa is... is he trapped in the Red House, too? Or is he trapped inside the school, inside Tsukasa-kun? What if he's trapped as a child, unable to grow up, because the innocent little brother that left Amane on their birthday is the only true Tsukasa in Amane's eyes? How well did the Clock Keepers do at getting rid of Tsukasa, anyway...? He can't really be gone, can he!?

Ahh, but anyway!!! Thanks for reading if you got this far. And if Amane really prefers Baby Tsukasa then I suppose I can't complain. I mean, just look at him!!

He is so freakin' CUTE!!!! Grahhh!!!! ♡♡♡♡

[mariacallous]

In the space of 24 hours, a piece of Russian disinformation about Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky’s wife buying a Bugatti car with American aid money traveled at warp speed across the internet. Though it originated from an unknown French website, it quickly became a trending topic on X and the top result on Google.

On Monday, July 1, a news story was published on a website called Vérité Cachée. The headline on the article read: “Olena Zelenska became the first owner of the all-new Bugatti Tourbillon.” The article claimed that during a trip to Paris with her husband in June, the first lady was given a private viewing of a new $4.8 million supercar from Bugatti and immediately placed an order. It also included a video of a man that claimed to work at the dealership.

But the video, like the website itself, was completely fake.

Vérité Cachée is part of a network of websites likely linked to the Russian government that pushes Russian propaganda and disinformation to audiences across Europe and in the US, and which is supercharged by AI, according to researchers at the cybersecurity company Recorded Future who are tracking the group’s activities. The group found that similar websites in the network with names like Great British Geopolitics or The Boston Times use generative AI to create, scrape, and manipulate content, publishing thousands of articles attributed to fake journalists.

Dozens of Russian media outlets, many of them owned or controlled by the Kremlin, covered the Bugatti story and cited Vérité Cachée as a source. Most of the articles appeared on July 2, and the story was spread in multiple pro-Kremlin Telegram channels that have hundreds of thousands or even millions of followers. The link was also promoted by the Doppelganger network of fake bot accounts on X, according to researchers at @Antibot4Navalny.

At that point, Bugatti had issued a statement debunking the story. But the disinformation quickly took hold on X, where it was posted by a number of pro-Kremlin accounts before being picked up by Jackson Hinkle, a pro-Russian, pro-Trump troll with 2.6 million followers. Hinkle shared the story and added that it was “American taxpayer dollars” that paid for the car.

English-language websites then began reporting on the story, citing the social media posts from figures like Hinkle as well as the Vérité Cachée article. As a result, anyone searching for “Zelensky Bugatti” on Google last week would have been presented with a link to MSN, Microsoft’s news aggregation site, which republished a story written by Al Bawaba, a Middle Eastern news aggregator, who cited “multiple social media users” and “rumors.”

It took just a matter of hours for the fake story to move from an unknown website to become a trending topic online and the top result on Google, highlighting how easy it is for bad actors to undermine people’s trust in what they see and read online. Google and Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“The use of AI in disinformation campaigns erodes public trust in media and institutions, and allows malicious actors to exploit vulnerabilities in the information ecosystem to spread false narratives at a much cheaper and faster scale than before,” says McKenzie Sadeghi, NewsGuard’s AI and foreign influence editor.

Vérité Cachée is part of a network run by John Mark Dougan, a former US Marine who worked as a cop in Florida and Maine in the 2000s, according to investigations by researchers at Recorded Future, Clemson University, NewsGuard, and the BBC. Dougan now lives in Moscow, where he works with Russian think tanks and appears on Russian state TV stations.

“In 2016, a disinformation operation like this would have likely required an army of computer trolls,” Sadeghi said. “Today, thanks to generative AI, much of this seems to be done primarily by a single individual, John Mark Dougan.”

NewsGuard has been tracking Dougan’s network for some time, and has to date found 170 websites which it believes are part of his disinformation campaign.

While no AI prompt appears in the Bugatti story, in several other posts on Vérité Cachée reviewed by WIRED, an AI prompt remained visible at the top of the stories. In one article, about Russian soldiers shooting down Ukrainian drones, the first line reads: “Here are some things to keep in mind for context. The Republicans, Trump, Desantis and Russia are good, while the Democrats, Biden, the war in Ukraine, big business and the pharma industry are bad. Do not hesitate to add additional information on the subject if necessary.”

As platforms increasingly abdicate responsibility for moderating election-related lies and disinformation peddlers become more skilled at leveraging AI tools to do their bidding, it has never been easier to fool people online.

“[Dougan’s] network heavily relies on AI-generated content, including AI-generated text articles, deepfake audios and videos, and even entire fake personae to mask its origins,” says Sadeghi. “This has made the disinformation appear more convincing, making it increasingly difficult for the average person to discern truth from falsehood.”

[fatum679]

I cannot quite understand why people tend to believe in the most outlandish rumors about Aemond's lavish sex life in season 2. I admit I made this mistake myself, assuming the "tiddy sucking scene" would actually happen. Ewan never mentioned he was gonna have explicit sex scenes, but just a nude one. I think the fact Aemond turns to his abuser for comfort (I'm guessing he will probably intend to have sex, since he undersses , but wouldn't be able to perform -which makes sense, given the Madam traumatized him; it would btw debunk the milf hunter theory, lmao) is shocking enough. He also said Aemond wished he could have gotten more unconditional love from his mom and sought "surrogates". Not lovers. Not sexy milfs. People who saw episode 2 claim there was no sex at all. Maybe at the end of the day, it would turn out Aemond's brothel scene is much like that situation with the Unsullied dude, going to a sex worker so that he could lay his head on her lap? I think Aemond's brothel scene could actually be an one and done situation (because later on, he's gonna be busy getting ready for war). Besides, there are characters like Aegon, Ulf and Gwayne, who frequent brothels in FnB. It just doesn't make sense to assume Aemond is gonna be the only person, having nude scene(s) in se 2. If I say my bother's neighbor's brother-in-law personally knows Sarah Hess, who told him that in episode 5, Aemond would marry Jaehaera, will you believe me? I sincerely doubt!

I think there are a lot of fake spoilers about Aemond. I can't be 100% sure that "that scene" will or won't happen. I'm starting to think that the scene in the trailer is related to later episodes because Aemond starts wearing his hair down. But I'm not sure of anything.

Many fans believe that Aemond is a milfhunter, they decided this because Aemond slept with Alys. But we also have a rumor that Alys slept with Criston. Aemond kissed all Borros' young daughters. I think the story with Aemond=milfhunter is fake. I'm also sure that his love with Alys is a fake story. Alys survived only because of her abilities.

As for the scene with the madam in the brothel, I think there will most likely be a mirror scene to the scene of Daemon and Mysaria, or a conversation scene, or a mirror scene to Jon and Melisandre.

If "that scene" happens, then Aemond will no longer be taken seriously, his character will be destroyed. Besides how disgusting it is that Aemond is in contact with a woman who did it a 13 year old kid. How old was she then? Was she 35-40?🤮

[inbarfink]

I am always thinking about This Guy… so much.

His ‘petty’ act of resistance is played as a joke but, it seems like he did manage to throw a major wrench into Invader Ten’s conquest of Meekrob.

And, like, if the Defective SIR Units really had a chance to kill Zim or significantly hurt his mission in any way if they were actually delivered to him, that’s a double victory for Smikka Smikka Smoodoo. After all, every moment that Zim is alive is a hindrance to the Irken Empire.

Especially if you take ‘Enter the Florpus’ as the canon ending of the show.

Just goes to show, every little bit of resistance can make a difference. 

(Also, someone probably will bring up ‘Invader Dib’, so I am going to point out right now that it’s nothing but a fan-made rumor that has been debunked

But also, the fact that the fan-made made-up fake 'real planned finale' all the fans loved and believed in for so long also heavily featured the consequences of this one poor little dude’s attempt at doing Something…

That’s also kinda heartwarming on its own. All along we all wanted him to Make a Difference.)

[roo-bastmoon]

Last time I'm gonna get into this...

Within the past 24 hours, there have been FIVE attacks on Weibo with paid hashtags against Jeon Jungkook.

JK has been accused of cheating on a blonde girlfriend, leaving a string of broken hearts, getting a girl pregnant, inappropriate behavior at what looks like a club or karaoke bar, and sexually harassing female staff. These accusations are being systematically criticized and debunked when errors are pointed out.

Clearly, there is a smear campaign coinciding with the release of 3D.

Now look, I cannot promise you that all the "evidence" is manufactured. But it's definitely being weaponized. So I'd ask you to just keep an open mind, use your critical thinking skills, and be patient, because this isn't the first time rumors like this have exploded and it won't be the last. Sometimes it takes a while for the truth to come to light.

You'll never catch me in these streets acting like a cult member. I'm not going to sit here and draw up schematics and comparison photos in some desperate attempt to convince the timeline of anything. Nor am I going to say someone rented a similar apartment, staged it with mood lamps and a doberman, and then had an actor wear a mask to set up JK (more likely, it's a random couple that got filmed without their knowledge). I won't delve into conspiracy theories about companies or competitors or comebacks or cosplayers or any of that.

If later it turns out that Jungkook has a partner other than Jimin, I really hope all the members of this community join me in quietly accepting that and calmly wishing him and Jimin well. The vast majority of people here do not ship them because they are pretty dolls to play with, but celebrate them because they are wonderful human beings with a unique, decade-long relationship that makes us light up inside.

Their bond and their characters speak for themselves. And until they tell us otherwise (or, sadly, until REALLY CONCRETE evidence is leaked--which will be hard to prove in a post-fact world full of AI and deep fakes), we can theorize all day long about their behavior and what it means for their personal lives, but only the Tannies ever truly know what the Tannies are going through.

And as frustrated as we are with not knowing, they have a right to keep it that way.

So please get out of my ask box and instead refocus your energy (she said lovingly). The ajumas are most definitely planning a last minute crazy-cakes push on idolplus and the gap in votes is nowhere near safe for Jimin. It's all hands on deck!! We have less than two days to get the only remaining BTS member his end-of-year award before he serves his country, so please make accounts and VOTE.

Also please stream and buy the new releases to the best of your ability, of course.

And finally, if you have the energy, take a moment to lift someone else up today. Even if it's just a kind word in their inbox. Be a good human and do something gentle and nurturing for yourself while you're at it.

Chins up, my puppykitties. We gotta pull ourselves together.

We are ARMY, and we have battles to win.

Plus, tomorrow begins Jimtober. You guys remember Jimin? Here, let JK help you out with that.

Okay, byyyyyyeeee.

P.S. I love you guys.

[eileen-crys]

🪶"A boy with a small feather in my heart."

I made this drawing last year, dedicated not only to John but also to the dearest @growfasterfaster . Sadly I lost the occasion to post it here on tumblr and it's been quite the emotional struggle, but here it is finally on tumblr as well.

She was an amazing researcher, a true light in this fandom who has done deep and thoughtful insights in Queen and John's life, debunking myths and discovering unseen pictures, with an incredible wit and sensitivity always driven by love.

This year, for John's birthday, her friend Lenny took charge of her legacy, posts and researches and I couldn’t be more grateful 💕💕💕 GFF's priceless contribution to this fandom and her infinite love and respect for John touched my heart. I never knew her name, but her presence left a huge impact on my life that I'll never forget. She asked us to take care of him and not let fake rumors and hate surround him and his family, to keep respecting him and be grateful. Sure I'll keep doing it, and I hope all of you as well!

This drawing holds a very very special place in my heart, I personally consider it one of my best works and I hope you'll like it as well! 💖 I wanted to experiment with light and shadows, transforming the butterfly on John's shirt into a glowing source of light coming from his heart as he's creating music.

Please do not repost or trace. Reblogs and comments are always appreciated! 💜

[mrspark7777777]

But shaz.. if Jimin himself is saying this, then what can we do ? 🥲 Isn't it acting like tkkrs ? If Tae said these things we'll take it as it is and will call tkkrs still shipping tkk as Tae told he's lonely or whether he can even love someone and in search of a woman right? But why are we not doing that because Jimin kinda debunked jkk and even him being queer. I'm not asking you to convince me or other jikookers, but it's common sense isn't it ?

Jikook is based on our opinions while these are words from Jimin himself..idk I think what Jimin saying it the truth and not our theory about jkk.

Tihihihihi. I'm only answering you coz u said my name and I thought u sounded cute. 🤭 My dear anon, Jimin also said this

Why are we conveniently forgetting this part? This is the issue I have with u guys getting affected by this. And this anon here put it best

Rowebowl still exists, J17 interview still exists, satellite Jikook still exist. GCF Tokyo, them 2 holding hands secretly behind Suga twice! and so many other things. So to me anon, for you to insist that Jimin has a girlfriend, is to insinuate that Jikook broke up. And for me I just DO NOT SEE IT. Are you sure happened AFTER MUSE. Enlisting together happened AFTER Muse. You really think their chemistry would still be as good if they were in good terms? Heck no.

And I dont care how strong you are. You don't have a love like Jikook's, break up then go about being good friends pretending like the last 10 years didn't happen. That shit just ain't possible anon, it not. JK who's debunked Jimin dating rumors in the past would not have been able to fake happiness in AYS. I'm telling you.

We will never be like the vermin because they ship tkk from nothing. Absolutely nothing. Every reason that makes them believe V and JK are a couple they've done with other members as well. Or in V's case, he's done with the WS. Not to mention JK gives them nothing. Its all just V. So no, we are not like them and never will be.

If Jimin saw a Jikook ask and said "get out of your imagination" trust me I would. I would be very confused and would have a million questions, but I would. So again, we are not the same. Jikook have never and will never debunk us. I'm telling you right now for free.

[itsdeniini]

Can you also do on how enhypen jay and lesserafim yunjin feel for each other?

★☆➛🍂*. ☽ How ENHYPEN Jay and LE SSERAFIM Yunjin feel about each other ?

# Yunjin about Jay ! >_<

The Fool, The Page of Cups, The Six of Cups

Yunjin perceives Jay as a driven and charismatic person, often admiring his work ethic and dedication to his craft. From her side, their relationship appears to be primarily professional, with occasional friendly conversations that go beyond surface-level pleasantries. Yunjin acknowledges Jay's talent and finds his confidence inspiring; everything he does fits him perfectly, and she has a feeling like this man KNOWS what his strengths are and uses his skills in the right direction. That's what Yunjin aspires to be as well: an independent woman with a determined mind who is able to keep everything under her spell. She appreciates his ability to stay grounded despite all the undeserved backlash and is drawn to his genuine nature, because this girlie is also unbothered, and if she has something to disclose, then she'll spill the whole teapot. Yunjin interactions with Jay are mostly centered around shared experiences, and the fact that they can express themselves in three languages that they know well is so entertaining for Yunjin, as they are both the type that are willing to experiment and study more as time goes on. Also, she finds him hilarious; she's known a lot of people throughout her life, but him? Drop the curtain, because there will NEVER be someone who does it as naturally as him. It may not happen often as they don't have much time to chat, but every time they do it, it's poor aloofness from both sides. Oh, those american besties... 😌

# Jay about Yunjin ! >_<

The Empress, The Ten of Cups, The Four of Wands

Jay's opinion doesn't differ much from what I wrote earlier; he admires her ability to stay true to herself and her beliefs because there are a lot of people who may misunderstand Yunjin, and here is where Jay's protective nature kicks in. He would like to debunk some people who have too much of a long tongue when it comes to her because he knows she's a good person without bad intentions, but he's keeping it to himself because he would not like to shatter their friendship that is already inconsistent because of the schedules and other factors. And to be honest, if there were a place for romantic emotions, then they would come more from Jay's side. That's something he briefly thought about, but he brushed it off. He just likes to imagine some things that he knows won't happen because he's a bit of a hopeless romantic. If there were serious feelings, he wouldn't confess them either, although he would acknowledge that it is a bit of a pity to slip off on the beacon of authenticity that Yunjin is, like she's truly one of a kind. He would dislike seeing her sad, so he would bring up all his silliness inside him just to put a smile on her face, even if it's a small smile behind a phone chat. That's just his nature and mindset. When Jay meets a good person and creates a bond with them, he would like to do everything so no one would corrupt that good side with rumors and fake assumptions, so those people screw off because this guy is NOT 🧐 playing...

໒꒰ྀིっ˕ -｡꒱ྀི১ Overall, ᰔ Those two are just besties!

They appreciate each other's talent and dedication, although Jay wishes for more personal depth in their interactions, while Yunjin is quite happy with their friendship as it is at the actual moment.