UNDERNEWS: CORRECTION: Pat Robertson's alleged comments were satire

April 7, 2020

CORRECTION: Pat Robertson's alleged comments were satire

We recently ran an alleged quote from Pat Robertson in which he associated the cause of the current virus with oral sex. The fact checker, Snopes, says this is not true:

While the Business Standard News carries a disclaimer labeling its content as fiction, many people encountered this rumor on social media when a screenshot of the article was shared without any mention of its satirical origins. This false rumor received a viral boost when it was shared by celebrities Patricia Arquette and Chelsea Peretti. Televangelist Pat Robertson did not blame oral sex for the COVID-19 pandemic. The rumor originated with a satire article that was commenting on Robertson’s penchant for linking catastrophes to perceived human failings.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...: OK, first of all I'd like to say that I was Not Curious... just curious.

According to Snopes:
This item was not a factual recounting of real-life events. The article originated with a website that describes its output as being humorous or satirical in nature, as follows:

The Business Standard News is a satirical site designed to parody the 24-hour news cycle. The stories are outlandish, but reality is so strange nowadays they could be true.

While the Business Standard News carries a disclaimer labeling its content as fiction, many people encountered this rumor on social media when a screenshot of the article was shared without any mention of its satirical origins.

BUT: At the Business Standard News article, I looked very carefully for some type of 'disclaimer', and failed to notice any.

I knew about The Onion, and years ago I enjoyed Avant News, but I had never heard of the Business Standard News.; April 9, 2020 at 9:58 AM

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