Buzz
Every time we browse the internet, we're inundated with fabricated visuals. From political scandals to celebrity gossip, these images vary from expertly edited scenes to absurdly altered memes. Distinguishing between authentic snapshots and outright fakes has become a daunting task.
The images below were so believable that they skyrocketed to viral fame—only to embarrass those who shared them once they were revealed as nothing more than intricate pranks. This perfectly illustrates Mark Twain's famous quote: “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still tying its shoes.”
10. JFK and Marilyn Monroe
John F. Kennedy Jr. and Marilyn Monroe’s rumored romance became a global sensation after her sultry performance of “Happy Birthday” at his 45th birthday celebration in 1962. The iconic actress, one of Hollywood's most desirable stars, had been photographed chatting with JFK five years earlier at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. Unseen by the cameras that evening were Marilyn's husband, playwright Arthur Miller, and Jackie Kennedy, who were also present.
Decades later, new images surfaced showing JFK and Marilyn seemingly cozying up in a window. These photos, however, were cleverly staged by British photographer Alison Jackson using skilled lookalikes. Jackson is renowned for creating provocative images of celebrities and political figures in fictional scenarios.
9. George W. Bush’s Inverted Book
During a 2002 visit to Houston's George Sanchez Charter School, President George W. Bush was photographed reading with students from Lynne Cheney's book, America: A Patriotic Primer. The Associated Press published the image, but the Internet humorously flipped the book, making it seem as though Bush was reading it upside down. The viral photo turned the president into an unwitting source of amusement.
Although often the target of online jokes, Bush has commended the media for holding politicians accountable. In 2017, he remarked, “I believe the media is essential to democracy. It’s crucial for the media to hold individuals like me accountable. Power can be addictive and corrupting, and it’s vital for the press to challenge those who misuse their authority, whether here or elsewhere.”
8. Soldier in Iraq
Amid the Iraq War, Brian Walski, a staff photographer for the Los Angeles Times, snapped a photo of a British soldier seemingly urging a man holding a child to seek shelter in Basra. The Pulitzer-worthy image graced front pages and gained global recognition.
However, the photo was later exposed as a fabrication. Walski had merged two separate images to craft the striking scene. In the unaltered version, the man and child were in the background, not directly in the soldier’s line of sight. The manipulation was uncovered when a colleague noticed duplicated elements in the background.
After two decades as a professional photographer, Walski parted ways with the newspaper. He admitted, “I have no excuses. I’ve damaged the reputation of the Los Angeles Times. Throughout my career, I’ve upheld the highest ethical standards, and I can’t fully explain my lapse in judgment. The answers will only come during the many sleepless nights ahead.”
7. Tourist Guy on 9/11
In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, the internet was flooded with images, videos, and firsthand accounts of the tragedy. Among them, one photo gained notoriety—a man dubbed “Tourist Guy” standing atop the World Trade Center with a plane seemingly moments away from impact in the background. The caption originally claimed, “This is an incredible photo. It was found in the WTC wreckage, developed by the FBI as evidence, and leaked online today . . . The man remains unidentified and missing.”
In 2001, the internet lacked the scrutiny it has today, as this image would have been debunked instantly. The plane depicted is a Boeing 757, not the 767 used in American Airlines Flight 11. It was later revealed that the photo featured 25-year-old Peter Guzli from Budapest, who had altered an image from a prior New York trip as a private joke among friends. He confessed, “This was meant only for my friends, not for strangers.”
6. Jeffrey Dahmer in the Snow
A widely shared photo of cannibal and serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer shows him posing next to an “ice bong.” Dahmer, who murdered and dismembered 17 men and boys between 1978 and 1991, became the subject of this image, which surfaced on Reddit in 2013 with the caption: “So I just found this photo of Jeffrey Dahmer . . . ” The photo, allegedly taken in 1978 during his brief time at Ohio State University, has since been featured in numerous collections of rare serial killer images.
However, the image has been repeatedly debunked. It actually depicts a college student who closely resembles the notorious killer. Snopes identified the student as Scott Burgeson, as the original post described: “a snow bong sculpted by scott burgeson. The wide-angle lens distorts the subject. The . . . um . . . sculpture was about 8 feet tall.”
5. Vladimir Putin as a KGB Spy
While many wish to believe this narrative, Vladimir Putin never crossed paths with Ronald Reagan during his covert KGB operations. The image above, shared by Barack Obama’s official photographer, Pete Souza, depicts President Reagan during his 1988 Moscow visit. Souza suggested that Putin, allegedly on the left with a camera around his neck, was present. Speculation arose that the 2009 re-release of this photo was part of a political attack.
Souza explained to National Public Radio, “What’s fascinating is a photo in my Reagan book. On the left, there’s a tourist with a camera slung over his shoulder. It’s been confirmed to me that it’s Putin. When you see it, you’ll think: ‘Wow, that’s really him.’ “
However, the photo has been debunked. The man with the camera is not Putin. In 1988, Putin was stationed in Dresden, East Germany, roughly 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) from Moscow, working as a KGB agent. Additionally, during his Dresden years, Putin was reportedly heavier due to his beer-drinking habits, unlike the slimmer figure in the photo.
4. John Lennon and Che Guevara
While this photo suggests John Lennon and Che Guevara shared a guitar session, such an event never occurred. Widely circulated online, the image initially seemed plausible due to the iconic status of the Beatles frontman and the Argentine revolutionary in the 1960s. However, it was later exposed as a fabrication. The original photo actually features Lennon alongside guitarist Wayne Gabriel.
The timeline also doesn’t align. The Beatles debuted in 1963, and over the next four years, Guevara was engaged in conflicts in Havana and Bolivia. Lennon would have been just 23 at the time, yet the “Imagine” singer appears significantly older in the image.
In 1967, Guevara was executed by the Bolivian army at 39. After his death, his hands were severed as proof, and his body was buried in an unmarked grave. In 1980, Lennon and Yoko Ono were returning to their Manhattan apartment when Mark David Chapman shot him four times in the back. Despite being rushed to the hospital, Lennon was declared dead on arrival at the age of 40.
3. Albert Einstein on a Bike
In 2011, a photo of Albert Einstein cycling away from a nuclear explosion went viral. While the image of the Nobel Prize-winning physicist is authentic, taken in Santa Barbara in 1933, the background is clearly manipulated. Despite this, many believed the scene was real. The explosion image, featuring military observers, was actually captured in 1962 at a Nevada test site—seven years after Einstein’s death.
The image might seem to reference Einstein’s famous quote, “I thought of [the theory of relativity] while riding my bicycle.” In a letter to his son, Eduard Einstein, he also wrote, “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” Since his passing in 1955 at 76, Albert Einstein has inspired countless novels, films, and plays, solidifying his status as one of history’s most recognizable figures.
2. Kids Misspell ‘Romney’
During the 2012 U.S. presidential campaign, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, the Republican nominee, was photographed with children whose shirts seemed to spell “R-Money.” Romney’s immense wealth, estimated between $190 and $250 million, often drew criticism as “vulture capitalism.”
However, the image was digitally altered. Conservative blogger Erick Erickson shared the photo with the caption: “why oh why did Mitt Romney pose for this picture.” He later clarified in a tweet, “The Romney photo was photoshopped, but it’s telling that many on the right assumed it was real without question.”
Romney lost the presidency to Barack Obama, who secured 51.1 percent of the popular vote compared to Romney’s 47.2 percent, along with 332 Electoral College votes versus Romney’s 206.
1. Hurricane Harvey Shark
The tweet garnered over 80,000 retweets despite being an obvious fake. The same photo had previously been shared during Hurricane Irene in Puerto Rico in 2011 and Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The original image was taken in 2003 by photographer Thomas P. Peschak in South Africa for National Geographic. Peschak was perched on the edge of a research boat, not inside a car.
