49 Hoaxes People Actually Believed - mental_floss on YouTube (Ep.12)

Hoaxes, hoaxes, and more hoaxes that people actually believed.
Weird hoaxes, unbelievable hoaxes, and strange hoaxes that you won't believe anyone bought.
The List Show is a weekly show hosted by John Green, where knowledge junkies get their fix of trivia-tastic information. This week, John looks at some of history's greatest hoaxes including "Balloon Boy" (the boy, by the way is now in a metal band), "Lonelygirl15" and "War of the Worlds" (you didn't think we could do an episode on hoaxes and NOT include it, did you?).
Mental Floss Video on Twitter: / mf_video
Images and Footage provided by Shutterstock: www.shutterstock.com
Artist acknowledgements for this episode:
Ron Swanson & Kill Bill prints by Sarah Yakawonis, dft.ba/-Yakawon...
Captain America sheild by Zachariah Perry, dft.ba/-ZimProps
My Drunk Kitchen spatulogo, Zelda heart containers, CGP Grey logo felt textile artwork by Danica Johnson, dft.ba/-SaysDanica
Circus Sideshow Nesting Dolls, Gravlax, dft.ba/-Gravlax
8 bit perler bouquets, Geekapalooza, dft.ba/-Geekapa...
Hank & John, Sherlock & Watson wooden dolls, Kimmy Fiorentino,dft.ba/-maddasa...
----
Website: www.mentalfloss...
Twitter: / mental_floss
Facebook: / mentalflossmagazine

[@MentalFloss]

Check out more things people believed, despite evidence to the contrary, in our episode about conspiracy theories (including which band people claim Kurt Cobain played in after his untimely passing): kzbin.info/www/bejne/pKulXp2ZjrKBZqs

[@xxtina00]

Sleep deprivation is causing me to hear "menopause" each time John says "mental floss". I'm also not too sure I'd hear any differently if I weren't sleep deprived.

[@MommaShakespeare]

My favorite hoax- the DVD rewinder.

[@tiggetty]

If you rewind the dvd of the wizard of oz while holding "play" it plays a pink floyd album.

[@atrailerinthewoods]

From the future... Is your favorite hoax the LGBTQ+ cult that's says sex isn't real and it's interchangable or are you in the cult too?

[@OrAngeAnArchy]

I like the Green colored CGP grey logo in the back :)

[@notpickybutstrict9484]

#CGPreference.

[@isaacv02]

OrAngeAnArchy u”l”

[@oscarmccormack1611]

Where is it?

[@classiccarsclassicrock9433]

I love your stuff on the shelves to go with your list stuff.

[@angeluscorpius]

When he says "mental floss", I hear "menopause". Anyone else?

[@charmcrafter7587]

Ok. No... 1st one it was actual.footage they used that was not complete so some shots are real footage they were given

[@CloneDaddy]

No. Do you suddenly start to feel warm, too? :)

[@CloneDaddy]

@Hand Made Human Hmm, I think my dog's a member.

[@CloneDaddy]

@Hand Made Human What gave me away? Was it barking at the postman, or crapping in the garden?

[@CloneDaddy]

@Hand Made Human Charming.

[@JustHANO]

that screamer wasn't cool, but still best episode.

[@diktatoralexander88]

What screamer?

[@afluffytoster4143]

Robert Neson In the beginning of the video of the murder girl

[@diktatoralexander88]

It didn't look like a screamer though.

[@Rekos2012]

Ikr ... i was half asleep when it happened

[@chloer.5366]

Don't call me an idiot but is the same John Greene that wrote THE FAULT IN OUR STARS?

[@TheQuantumSpark]

Yes, he is.

[@Scoinsoffaterocks]

Yes, he and his brother have a whole damn NETWORK of KZbin channels, each one about a different thing. Although I lost count, Crash Course and vlogbrothers are the most popular.

[@AuroDHikoshi]

Yup I only found out they are the same John Greene

[@Quadsie]

I know him as John Green, host of MentalFloss and part of Crash Course.

[@thanksking4372]

Yes. And his name is John *Green*.

[@blqhk942]

LMAO!!! "The same 28% currently yelling at me for the crop circles comment" so true lol

[@TheBuddsO]

Omg Captain America. All I could think about. Sorry I'm a bit obsessed. But hilarious video! Was this perhaps inspired by Hank's Top Ten Hoaxes video? :)

[@alannar.5520]

So guess who believed the cardboard cutout fairies? Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who later went on to write a completely serious, non-fiction book about fairies, elves, etc.

[@komninosm]

Do you know how hard it was not to have fairies help Sherlock Holmes solve mysteries for him? :p

[@alannar.5520]

I know. He actually hated Sherlock Holmes, and tried to kill him off. After fans protested so much, he brought him back to life.

[@candycechristensen410]

There's a movie about that. Very fictional, but interesting. I was expecting them to talk about this but they didn't and I'm kind of surprised.

[@gritsonamission]

If I remember correctly, he also spent quite a bit of time and money on figuring out if you could communicate with people after their death. I do believe he felt we could communicate with the living after we died. Unless I am mistaken, he even tried to convince Houdini.

[@MarielleMae123]

OMG his pronunciation of 'Derbyshire' is hilarious!!

[@cevichegrace]

he said "derby shire" lmao

[@seanmalloy7249]

@@cevichegrace He probably doesn't pronounce "Featherstone-Hough" properly, either.

[@QuikVidGuy]

Is it possible to have one yt comment section where people don't start flame wars about religion? Like not on every video is it relevant to say "lol fairy tales"

[@Hubs88]

Won't happen here on KZbin. lol #ExterminateISIS

[@Onion_Wolf]

QuikVidGuy It's probably because it's the biggest factor of hate which most people can relate to. And people get very passionate when it comes to hate.

[@legendary176]

Flame wars about politics.

[@thisguyy]

Religion is brainwash material.

[@CloneDaddy]

Satan told you to right that. :)

[@gestaposantaclaus]

"49 Hoaxes People Actually Believed" Do not scroll down. DO NOT SCROLL DOWN!

[@LauraLou122]

I can kind of understand how people were fooled by "War of the Worlds". We listened to it in middle school, and I remember it being pretty frightening and believable. They did repeat several times that it wasn't really happening, however.

[@coolionotcool]

My favorite "hoax" if you could call it that is the lady who said all of her babies were just dying and scientists were taking research about the babies' behaviors and everything and it turns out she was just killing them for attention

[@fizbanic2903]

If you are talking about Munchhausen by proxy syndrome, that is not a hoax although the hoax was what she was stating.

[@coolionotcool]

***** I just meant that she was performing a hoax, not that the situation was a hoax.

[@fizbanic2903]

Official-Mashed-Potatoes Thank you for clarifying.

[@MyLameAnimations]

I laughed out loud at the home LASIK kit list of things that should shoot you in the eye with lasers. Very funny.

[@bettyhouk8727]

MyLameAnimations unfortunately some dimwits would actually do that ! My rule to avoiding stupid things is if my pets (5 dogs,3 cats !) don’t like it neither do I ! So where the treats ! We got to wait till we get the stimulus check ! Or is that a myth too 🤨🧐🤓😎🤩🥳

[@Dr_Do-Little]

"The same 28% yelling about my crop circle comment." 😅😂🤣

[@SirShwibert]

I think you guys should make a video about weird micro-nations.

[@emmaklein3041]

Great, but every time he says "mental floss" I think John's saying "menopause." "Thank you for watching menopause..."

[@MiloBoz]

49 Crazy Hoaxes People Actually Believed... A reminder to never allow ourselves to become too gullible : )

[@ThekiBoran]

"Science is the belief in the ignorance of experts." Richard P. Feynman

[@buckminsterfullerenecoraxp5995]

This is yes! Your commentary on Lonelygirl15 was awesome! Get this, I never knew until right now what that was even about. My shallow allegiance to, "That looks like it's probably very annoying based on the people who won't shut up about it" kept me from saying, "If this is real, why aren't all of you calling the police to help?" Boom. Is it worth it to watch this now, knowing that it is purely fictional, for entertainment? Your KZbin videos are watched with more excitement and allegiance than anything we watch on Netflix! Thank you, and keep up the excellent work!

[@MegRay]

At first I thought this said 49 Horcruxes o.0

[@captainpete6]

i wish btw avada kadavra

[@ShadowWolf66105]

captainpete6 I'll get the ministry of magic on your case ((I mean a man lost a finger and they declared him so obliterated that the rest of him was gone so I think you'll be good))

[@killmenow4761]

No one cares you Harry Potter homosexuals

[@kang1599]

Mocumenty about mermaids,,, I never laughed sofa king hard

[@blowdowntoppianna1123]

🤔😂😂😂🤦🏾‍♀️

[@TheBlueQuasar]

Six years later and everyone on the they are not really dead list is still alive. I guess the best way to live forever is to have John mentioned you on an episode of mental floss

[@Porkytool5]

:20 secs scared the shit outta me.. Jesus Christ

[@QuikVidGuy]

Wasn't Frederick Lorz' story adapted by Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? I remember that happening to Geoffrey.

[@ryangowing7576]

#4 this reminds me of the Simpsons episode where they find the bones of what they thought was an angel

[@BasisForToday]

I like the CGP Gray thingy on the wall!

[@prankpatrol89]

OMFG YES!

[@regular-joe]

Every time John says, "Mental Floss", my ears hear "menopause", and sometimes "mental pause". Just adds to the quirky humor, far as I'm concerned.

[@wozzupgamer]

Btw Derbyshire is pronounced 'Darbyshire'.

[@maniacpwnageking]

9:45 Sounded like "Thanks for watching menopause."

[@frogbear02]

9:44 i for sure heard this as "thanks for watching menopause" at first xD

[@AndyHoward]

Couple of other Death Hoaxes: Jackie Chan and John Bon Jovi

[@leeolsson5271]

I am so jealous of that wall full of fun figures!

[@williamsledge3151]

Lee Olsson the wall of magic.

[@cbgreiwe]

You did good picking those celebrities, John. Three and a half years later and they're all still alive.

[@littlefurnace]

Derbyshire is pronounced dar - buh - sheer.

[@abirobins608]

First thing I picked up on! It just sounds so wrong the way he says it! (Not his fault but still cringy)

[@maiacotovan2421]

littlefurnace I thought it was dar-bee-shur

[@caseypomeroy]

Or just Dah-bee

[@y_fam_goeglyd]

Closer to Dar-bee-shuh. Berkshire is not burk-shier, either, it's bark-shuh. Added only because I've heard it lots of times.

[@northernric81]

Hopefully he didn't need to say Leicestershire, that would have been calamitous!

[@camcroney7965]

all still alive as of 2019. yay science.

[@epen1898]

Still not dead

[@reneekittycat]

18/1/20 all still alive!

[@towel2043]

Your profile pic is awesome!

[@garygorospe6454]

You were saying?

[@camcroney7965]

@@garygorospe6454 oh crap who died?

[@evanrhodes9229]

how did I not find your channel until now?? Ure awesome btw!

[@SS-qn9qz]

YEAH, UMMMM, DID YOU JUST USE THE WORD AWESOME?ARE YOU LIKE A 12 YEAR OLD SKATER DUDE FROM L.A.?THAT WORD IS SO NON-OF-THAT.HOW ABOUT USING OLD SCHOOL WORDS LIKE; FAR OUT, OUT OF SITE, DYNOMITE, GROOVY, MAIN, DIG-IT, BITCH IN A BUZZ SAW, KEWL & THE GANG, WITH IT, AND LOVELY. PLEASE, NO MORE, AWESOME. SERIOUSLY GAY.

[@SS-qn9qz]

MY FAMILY SEX COULN NOT BE BETTER, AND YOU ARE VERY ANGRY AT LIFE. YOU DIG. SHEEP.

[@GrandmaRazzle]

Did anybody else see the mini TARDIS in the back? The FEELZ

[@JuniperAbaddon]

"Balloon Boy" Hey, remember when this didn't mean a character from a shitty game?

[@aromaticresidue6956]

Yes

[@worcestershirey]

I like how CGPGrey's logo is on the wall.

[@Awesome1Enderman]

I am to busy looking at the background to listen to what he is saying... Why is hello kitty in a jar?

[@gadgetsage]

Because she smells

[@Ananchel27]

Dude, Elvis Presley IS alive! :) The King of Rock N' Roll is definitely alive! He just has his hair white because obviously, he's old!

[@Ananchel27]

I know right x)

[@puppetmazter4718]

The 1904 Olympic marathon is actually a very interesting story. Jon Bois made a great video about it that's definitely worth checking out

[@JasonHalversonjaydog]

everybody's talking about a jumpscare, but either i've got iron nerves or i didn't see one anywhere in the video. what am i missing?

[@skelevibes]

+Jason Halverson I didn't see a jumpscare either....

[@yunejeebang4907]

+Jason Halverson The beginning? She killed her sister

[@Vercalos]

#16 isn't true at all. The number of people who thought War of the Worlds was actually happening is greatly exaggerated on this list...

[@brandonbuchner1771]

+Vercalos al'Corlin Maybe so, but I just listened to it. It's friggin' terrifying. It feels like a real news broadcast. There are breaks in the newscast that make it feel so realistic

[@jamespatton8201]

+Vercalos al'Corlin Yes. In fact, very few people believed it was an ALIEN invasion. This was in 1938, remember: most of the people who were scared by the broadcast thought that the chaos being reported was due to an invasion BY A FOREIGN COUNTRY, which actually makes a lot more sense.

[@clydedenby1436]

The ad proceeding this video was a Bloomberg ad proclaiming how great he is. Perfect placement.

[@sussekind9717]

The boundary of people's gullibility, has yet to be seen, much less reached.

[@joelfahlberg2679]

Still amazes me that creationists trot out piltdown man as proof that science is fraudulent when it was indeed scientists that uncovered the hoax and none in academia held it to be real :p

[@NickRoman]

28% of Americans (and probably 98% of people of certain other countries) need a new video like this to watch every week.

[@meagantate1826]

Where did Santa come from

[@shadegreen5351]

the north pole, just like he does every year

[@Correctrix]

4:05 Drrby-shier??

[@oddamerica]

Could probably watch this all day

[@Atka59]

I beg to differ, Miley Cyrus is dead, at least her career is since her occult freak show at the awards.

[@moviemaestro800]

It is very much alive if the music videos still get millions of views. If anything, the racy act got people talking about her again for the entirely wrong reasons, which was the whole point of the act. The celebrity industry is indeed despicable.

[@moviemaestro800]

Probably the latter.

[@evilsonicgoomba]

At what point did the occult come in to her dance? It was racy as all hell, but she didn't stop half way through and sacrifice a goat.

[@Atka59]

To begin with read about the god Kali and the meaning of the outstretched tongue. Then notice the obvious reference to sexual child abuse, a technique used by occult groups to break down a young mind and prepare it for programming. Search the net for info on these subjects and inform yourself. There is weird stuff going on in our world, especially in the entertainment business and media in general. Good luck Evil.

[@Atka59]

Leif Bradshaw Yeah, but look at all the "Artists" that take that path, most don't stay on top for long. We seem to strongly agree on the despicable part though.

[@thibautvdp2308]

0:23 not appreciated, dude

[@Kiinzernamestealers]

That noise after the 1st one scared my so much

[@TheSquidly1]

8:17 actually, this one does happen,(albeit very rare.) i was in Key West Florida several years ago, and saw his phenomenon. at the time there ware actually FIVE!!

[@TheZoeBig]

Wow, people are so stupid! btw awesome video.

[@amyturtles]

John your pronunciation of Derbyshire is brilliant 😂 I live here, it's Dar-bee-sha :)

[@paulspydar]

RE the female pope,,,however it is true that when a new pope is chosen,He is carried held high enough for a Vatican/church official to check that the new pope is indeed a male,

[@fast84gti]

Or they just kiss one of the alter boys to taste it.

[@paulspydar]

Guero Loco & You thought of that...ewww...:-(

[@fast84gti]

eeew is right. I wouldn't have had that thought, if it had not happened before. I didn't invent catholic preist man boy love. And I don't promote it. Hence, the mocking, sarcastic tone.

[@bobtheduck]

Guero Loco Except that was a VERY small number of priests. The reason it got such wide coverage was because of the contrast between the supposedly pure, chaste priests and the heinous crime of child molestation, as well as the Church's tendency to protect their own, particularly from accusations that MAY just be an attempt to gain notoriety (but no, I'm not saying they were) I'd venture to say that a similar or even greater percentage of people in other occupations could be found to be Child molesters, but they won't create the press that a priest would. Not even teachers and coaches, which causes press for the SCHOOL and for that specific teacher / coach, but not for ALL TEACHERS or ALL COACHES everywhere.

[@paulspydar]

bobtheduck Oh , well now that you have _explained_ it to us , that makes it all alright then,,,Phew! What a relief,,C`mon people leave those poor Priest`s alone cos they don't fuck nearly as many young boys ass`s as the _other_ professions & its all *_exaggerated_* . Thankyou for being you.

[@krystaljones4151]

My favorite hoax of all time was y2k. The whole world fell for it!

[@ponyote]

Um, Facebook premium? Now a thing. Love you John.

[@TheGamer201291]

What if crop circles are gallifreyan text. #gallyfreystands

[@zammm]

eehhhh no

[@TheGamer201291]

come on a bit of hope.(you know i was kidding right?)

[@danlomax4671]

Jose Carlos There is NO kidding on the internet.

[@Freeze-O]

I've tried to watch a few of these but I'm sorry I can't get into them. It's mostly because the way the hosts talks, waaaay to scripted and fake sounding. Wish he would speak more naturally.

[@meganld1729]

I do have to agree that he does sound fake when speaking, but I think some people like how it sounds and/or the effect it has on the video and what he's talking about. : )

[@TheCurtisValentine]

Loui D also I'm willing to bet the people that like it also like vlogbrothers.

[@JoeKarpinski3]

John, I can't watch that damned all state commercial even one more time. Thanks for the entertainment.

[@beaurrakbeaubama8962]

#1. the bible #2. the torah #3. the Quran #4. Yawah.... or whatever #5. Creationism #6. Nibiru (planet X) #7. 2K bug and everything else here....

[@marvel_mercedes2193]

#1. Atheist losers

[@beaurrakbeaubama8962]

Marvel_mercedes #8 Nerds like Marvel_mercedes

[@jurebegaming]

#9 This comment

[@prelynmax]

Marvel_mercedes #10 bible thumpers believing in fairy tales.

[@Augfordpdoggie]

9/11

[@mrmacc1312]

Why do these people have to talk so fast?? Makes it really hard to follow and I give up

[@darrylgibson3575]

Try reading the comments at the same time...Lol :-D

[@danielthomas5515]

7 years later and all those people are still living

[@ScreamingAllTheTime]

Justin beiber will die under my hands.

[@m1k3y48]

***** He bought his way out, same as all the previous failing starlets.

[@il_veltro]

Its 2020 and I'm missing all the justin bieber hate/murder plots

[@ScreamingAllTheTime]

jlucas bro thanks for reminding about the weird shit I did when I was 11. Thanks for the cursed memory

[@iichthus5760]

How did “climate change” NOT make this list?

[@ayushchawdhary537]

Is this a sarcasm?

[@k.chriscaldwell4141]

"Climate Change" is not a hoax, but a scam.

[@privatenoneofyourbusiness5292]

I'm from The Netherlands and you pronounced his name fine 👍🏻.

[@megganking2595]

I have a mind blowing question. How in the world did Obama win a Nobel Peace Prize?

[@megganking2595]

Vertikarl I'm sorry, but you believe that crap?!? Maybe you're not American. He's a tyrannical douche-bag who could care less about the rights of people....unless of course it makes for good international press.

[@DiscoKalle]

***** ok. And you're right I'm not american, I'm swedish

[@megganking2595]

Vertikarl thought so, or else you would have known better about him. Hello Sweden.

[@megganking2595]

***** if you really think he's innocent, you don't understand the problem

[@megganking2595]

Saurav Pandey I don't think it I know it, along with many other Americans. I would ask you and others to do your own research and enlighten yourselves. I had to....why do we live in a time when everyone wants everyone else to do the research for them?

[@josejuan6585]

I lost interest in this right at 1 minute. He talks way to fast and is uninteresting.

[@Chaggit]

My favorite part of John hosting these are the Meredith scoldings. KEEP HIM ON HIS TOES, MEREDITH.

[@nkznkz3800]

Why isn't God at the top of the list

[@Heartwing37]

Ah, a provocateur. One day you can ask Him in person why He isn’t sitting at the top of this KZbinr’s list. Good luck with that!

[@valuabledoodles]

But man, don't we wish Miley was dead now...

[@reppepper]

It comprised the bones of three species, or was composed of the bones of three species.

[@AndyX]

ok after watching 2 random videos...your channel leaves me cold ... I don't go away satisfied at all ... one thing is you talk so fast it's like a mosquito buzzing around my head. very irritating

[@kaitlyngardner4478]

9/11

[@SilentWisdomReborn]

I squeed at your Captain America shield! XD

[@fredrechid3754]

#50 religion

[@RPPIII13]

We get it your atheist. Stop thinking you are better then everyone else.

[@fredrechid3754]

James P. Sullivan never claimed to be better than everyone else...

[@SherbertHusky]

+PROBLEMATIC DUCK! Saying religion is a hoax and anyone who believes in it is gullable is saying you are better then those who are religous.

[@fredrechid3754]

TheSkyHadAWeegee i said i never claimed to be better than everyone else. everyone isn't religious. religious people on the other hand, most of them aren't super bad. Actually the thing i like about religion is that many people need it to guide them in life. i'm not one of them. i just find the idea of a man walking on water, turning water into wine or another man riding on a flying donkey into the heavens ridiculous and crazy. That's just what i believe and i've never witnessed it and just because a book claims that it happened doesn't convince me. and its many religious people who feel as if just because you aren't part of a religion you have no morals or are satanic which in reality morals comes from your brain and studying what certain acts are positive and how it affects society. You don't need a book to tell you that.

[@SherbertHusky]

Your blanket statements make you seem ignorant, so don't make them.

[@ffanddcondragh2911]

I feel like @mental_floss should do an updated version of this for just 2016-2020

[@loganperry6407]

I'm watching this in the middle of the night and that first thing made my heart stop

[@JouvaMoufette]

To be fair about the 1904 Olympics, it was a huge clusterfuck of a very poorly planned marathon and even was part of an experiment to prove that runners didn't need things like WATER to finish. Jon Bois has a good video talking about it. It's... scary. I too would have said "fuck it" and just got in a car

[@lan6963]

Whoa! Ur also a KZbinr?!! That's so cool, ur an author and a KZbinr! Haha, I just found out now 😅 i like ur videos!!

[@kubar4]

Straight to the point. I love it.

[@n0vellette]

I saw the Merman pictured there at 5:08! It lives in Banff, Alberta, at the "Indian Trading Post." He's sorta hidden, but very macabre to look at up close.

[@matthewwick120]

Liked this video just for mentioning Ron Swanson, as all videos that mention him should receive.

[@Cat_Stevens]

I DIDN'T KNOW JOHN GREEN HAD A SHOW I'm content now.

[@charlottesaunders5457]

I think he also does Crash Course History, which is also quite entertaining.

[@kendonanderson8943]

Charlotte Saunders

[@mind-of-neo]

What was that clip at 3:12 from?

[@spencermorgan675]

Good stuff ! I always love Mental Floss in print or video. I have fun while learning. What could be better ? I am also so thankful that you are not another Q Anon Nutter spreading crazy rumors and allegations. Thanks for not being a nutter.

[@RuthandKenzie]

At 3:18 John, you had an spectacular opportunity. You could have taken that spider out of it's case for the next frame, but alas, you did not.

[@lottieew135]

I loved the Alien Autopsy talk I attended at Sci-Fi Weekender (UK).

[@richardkenton2024]

you forgot my fave. The super deluxe word processor. capable of writing in any language and in any font or style, included cutting edge error correction. Was a steal at $500 at the time. So many people sent their money in and received a #2 pencil in the mail.

[@amandawittenstein1873]

I can't stop seeing that spider now. Damn it, John!

[@araeside6979]

When is it shown?

[@trinitykarpiel9656]

+Deadly Shadow 3:01

[@araeside6979]

Trinity Karpiel ty

[@codextraordinary]

The fairy girls were actually Cicely M. Barker and Dulcie. Cicely M. Barker went on to make pretty awesome art of fairies. The two girl's stories have been made into a children's book trilogy, beginning with Fairyopolis. (I own all of them.)

[@8TFR]

Is 'car dealership tube man' the only commercial on these KZbin videos??

[@mitchellc2165]

9:36 lol! Good one. Thanks for the laugh man.

[@InfernoHawk]

All of the people on the list are still alive on 2/1/22.