Buzz
10. The Muslim Family Was Denied Entry to Disneyland, and Here’s Why
Just days before Christmas, a shocking story emerged, revealing a disturbing moment for the US. A British Muslim family, on their way to Disneyland, was abruptly barred from boarding their flight by US officials. Their vacation dreams shattered, and the airline refused to refund their $13,340 in ticket costs.
Commentary suggested the rise of “Trump-era” attitudes, attributing the incident to growing Islamophobia in America. A member of the UK’s opposition Labor Party even called on Prime Minister David Cameron to step in.
Following the public outcry, a representative from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a brief statement explaining the reasons behind the family's removal from the flight. Contrary to what many believed, there were two justifiable reasons for their exclusion.
9. #TheDress Led to Family Conflict and Financial Strain
Cecilia Bleasdale bought 'The Dress' to wear to her daughter Grace’s wedding. However, this was no ordinary dress. To some viewers, it appeared white and gold, while others swore it was blue and black.
The viral photo had a profound impact on Bleasdale’s family. Within months of it going viral, their family was on the brink of falling apart, and they lost a substantial amount of money.
The financial loss occurred because websites like BuzzFeed used the photo without compensating Bleasdale a single cent, even as these platforms reaped massive traffic from the image.
To recover her earnings, Bleasdale was forced to take legal action against several outlets, including prestigious publications like The Guardian. Unfortunately, she didn’t earn enough in back royalties to cover her lawyer fees (though her lawsuit against BuzzFeed is still ongoing).
Adding to the turmoil, the saga surrounding #theDress led to a fallout between Bleasdale and her daughter Grace. While the rift has since mended, it seems like a steep price to pay for fleeting internet fame.
8. The Kangaroo ‘Grieving’ His Mate Likely Just Killed Her
In the midst of the January 2016 news cycle, filled with gloom, a touching viral photo broke through and captured everyone’s heart. A male kangaroo gently cradled the head of his dying mate as she lay in his arms, while their sorrowful joey watched. The media eagerly covered the story, describing the “marsupial family's grief” and essentially humanizing the kangaroos.
However, this goes to show how misleading images can be. Dr. Derek Spielman, a senior lecturer in veterinary pathology at the University of Sydney, explained that the male kangaroo wasn’t “mourning” his dying mate, but rather attempting to mate with her.
Male kangaroos, driven by sexual instincts, often hold their mates in a manner that appears “protective,” but is actually extremely stressful for the female. In fact, it’s possible that the male’s embrace is what led to her death.
Spielman isn’t entirely certain of this conclusion, but it seems to be the most plausible explanation. This means that the “heartwarming” image of grief actually depicted a disturbed male kangaroo finishing off his mate.
7. Techno Viking Found Himself Caught in an Absurd Lawsuit
Chances are, you’re familiar with the name 'Techno Viking.' A true early internet sensation, the Viking was a shirtless, warrior-like figure filmed dancing and defending a woman’s honor at Berlin’s annual Fuckparade. He became the meme to top all memes, but he also found himself tangled up in a long and complex lawsuit that lasted for years.
It turns out that Matthias Fritsch, the man who filmed Techno Viking, hadn’t asked for his consent. And as countless memes have shown us, it’s never a good idea to mess with the Techno Viking.
Techno Viking took legal action against Fritsch. At one point, Fritsch was actually bankrupted by the steep legal fees piling up. The case dragged on through German courts for over three years.
In the end, Fritsch caught a break—and anyone who has ever filmed a video on their phone will rejoice—when the courts ruled he could keep his videos online as long as he didn’t profit from them. Surprisingly, the gates of Valhalla didn’t burst open to unleash a million invincible warriors to exact revenge on Germany.
The case did bring about an unexpected turn, however. Techno Viking’s identity is now legally protected. Apparently, the real person behind the meme wasn’t thrilled with the attention and has taken steps to legally remain anonymous.
6. The Weasel Clinging to the Woodpecker Was Trying to Kill It
At the time the photo was snapped, however, the woodpecker likely didn’t find it charming at all. The weasel wasn’t playing nice—it wasn’t just hitching a ride. It was doing everything it could to kill the woodpecker.
Weasels are fierce predators, unafraid to attack creatures much larger than themselves. In an interview after his photo went viral, photographer Martin Le-May explained that the woodpecker had taken off when the weasel attempted to shred it.
In the moments leading up to that adorable shot, there were a few blurry images of a bird fighting for its life. Fortunately, the takeoff seemed to do the trick. Le-May later reported that the two crashed to the ground, with the woodpecker managing to break free.
5. Anti–Planned Parenthood Activists Were Charged With Selling Organs
You might recall the media uproar from the previous year, when a group of activists secretly filmed members of Planned Parenthood seemingly confessing to having sold the organs of deceased fetuses. This covert operation was led by David Daleiden from the Center for Medical Progress and sparked a massive controversy—especially after investigations revealed the videos had been edited.
The story took a bizarre turn in January 2016, when Daleiden was indicted by a Houston grand jury, along with his accomplice Sandra Merritt. They were charged with the “purchase and sale of human organs,” the very crime Daleiden had accused Planned Parenthood of committing.
Daleiden and Merritt also faced charges of “tampering with a government record,” but the organ-selling charge is where the irony lies. As part of his operation, Daleiden allegedly attempted to convince Planned Parenthood representatives to sign fake contracts for the sale of fetal organs. This is likely what led to his indictment.
While law enforcement officers often engage in minor criminal activity to catch wrongdoers (such as posing as buyers in prostitution stings), civilians who try the same can face serious legal consequences. This seems to be the case for Daleiden.
In a final ironic twist, the grand jury had been convened to investigate Planned Parenthood’s alleged sale of fetal tissue. However, they chose not to pursue charges against the organization, instead stating that the evidence pointed to Daleiden and Merritt as the true culprits.
4. The Levitating Vehicles Were Involved In A Terrible Accident
In late November 2015, a chilling video emerged from China showing strange occurrences. Two vans, parked at an intersection in Xingtai, were caught on camera being lifted by an unseen force and flung onto their sides.
The footage quickly went viral on conspiracy theory websites. Was it witchcraft at work? Ghosts? Or perhaps some telekinetic teenager furious over a ruined prom?
As you might have guessed, the truth was far less mystical. A thick cable had been stretched across the road, causing the vehicles, traveling in opposite directions, to get caught.
But let’s rewind a bit. In the frenzy of supernatural theories, an important detail was overlooked: all the cars in the video had just been involved in a horrific accident.
Although no fatalities occurred, the two van drivers were thrown through the air. As anyone who has ever flipped a car will tell you, suddenly seeing the road above you and your wheels spinning in mid-air is an incredibly unsettling experience.
And, unfortunately for the drivers, they couldn’t take solace in having narrowly escaped a poltergeist encounter. Instead, they were almost killed by pure carelessness.
3. Sean Penn Probably Didn’t Lead Mexico To Recapture El Chapo
In January 2016, a sensational story emerged with all the makings of a Hollywood film. After escaping prison earlier in the year, Sinaloa cartel leader El Chapo was finally located and captured by Mexican authorities. The twist? His capture supposedly owed something to the actor-turned-activist Sean Penn.
Penn had recently interviewed El Chapo for a Rolling Stone feature (which many criticized as a poor piece, little more than glorified biography). It was said that El Chapo agreed to speak with Penn in hopes of turning his life story into a major Hollywood production.
According to the Mexican government, Penn’s ill-advised decision to meet with a wanted fugitive led them straight to El Chapo. Mexico scored a PR victory, while Penn ended up looking foolish.
While this tale sounds intriguing, it doesn’t hold up under examination. As Vox pointed out, the timeline doesn’t add up. Penn interviewed El Chapo in November 2015. Mexican authorities apprehended him in January 2016. Between those two events, the government had a shootout with El Chapo at a ranch in Sinaloa, from which he managed to escape and go into hiding.
As much as we may wish that a Hollywood liberal unwittingly helped capture a notorious drug kingpin with aspirations for movie fame, the harsh reality is that this version of the story almost certainly didn’t occur.
2. The Double Twist Of The Muslim Paris Guard
In the wake of the November 2015 Paris attacks, which took around 130 lives, the public was desperate for a glimmer of hope. Then, a story surfaced from the attack on the Stade de France.
The bomber in question was the only attacker who died by his own hand, thanks to a security guard who prevented him from entering the stadium. Soon after, social media buzzed with the story that the guard was a Muslim named Zouheir, and that the mainstream media had ignored him due to racism.
At least, that was the narrative for a brief moment. As Snopes later pointed out and we covered shortly afterward, the Zouheir story was largely untrue. There was indeed a courageous guard, but his name wasn’t Zouheir, and he was likely not a Muslim. The hoax gradually faded away.
Then, just a week or two after we published our piece, a new twist emerged. The guard who had thwarted the bomber and saved countless lives in the stadium was officially identified as Salim Toorabally.
As his name suggests (and contrary to what we initially reported), Salim is indeed a devout Muslim. While the social media crowd had gotten the name wrong and misjudged the media's reasons for withholding it, the core of the story—a brave Muslim guard—turned out to be true after all.
1. The ‘Whale Vomit’ Guy Lost Everything He Cared About
You might recall the story of the whale vomit guy. In 2013, Englishman Ken Wilman was walking his dog, Madge, when he stumbled upon a chunk of whale vomit on a beach in Morecambe.
The vomit in question came from a sperm whale and is known as ambergris, a rare substance used in perfume making. The lump was so valuable that estimates suggested Wilman could make £100,000 from it.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t until 2015 that Wilman got the substance tested professionally. We say “unfortunately” because the delay probably added to his misfortune. Rather than hitting it rich, Wilman lost everything.
To add to his misfortune, Wilman's loyal dog, Madge, passed away. During a radio interview with the BBC, which you can listen to here, Wilman suggested that she was poisoned on purpose, possibly by someone envious of his newfound fortune.
As if things weren't bad enough, Wilman's supposed 'windfall' turned out to be a letdown. The lump he thought was ambergris—or even whale vomit—was nothing more than a useless mass of congealed oil. Reflecting on the experience in a 2015 interview with his local paper, Wilman admitted that if he could go back, he would never have found that fateful rock.
