Ben Collins Profile picture
ۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗۗSenior reporter, investigations, @NBCNews. "The most dangerous person in media."—Glenn Greenwald

Mar 31, 2023, 12 tweets

So, as you may know, I've taken some time off and I've come back with an exclusive story — and a sentence I never thought I'd have to write.

New from me:

On the internet, she #DiedSuddenly. In real life, she's very much still alive.

nbcnews.com/tech/misinform…

Every few weeks, #DiedSuddenly trends. It tries to attach every public medical event to the COVID vaccine.

It's great branding for the anti-vaccine movement, tied to the viral film Died Suddenly. It's also not true.

Died Suddenly's trailer alone has just... a bunch of living people in it, whose medical events had nothing to do with the vaccine.

In the trailer of Died Suddenly, Keyontae Johnson passes out shortly after a man says "the dead can't speak for themselves."

Not only is Keyontae Johnson alive, his team just made the Elite 8 and he's projected NBA Draft pick.

Despite what's implied in Died Suddenly, he passed out before the vaccine was even officially available in the US.

The ultimate proof that nothing matters in the Died Suddenly-verse?

The comedian Heather McDonald passed out on stage last February. She was fine within days and cranked out a podcast to let everyone know. It didn't matter to antivaxxers, some of whom still believe she's dead.

Joe Rogan brought up Heather McDonald's fainting spell on his podcast, calling it "Instant Pharma."

McDonald had known Rogan for years and DM'd him asking him to go on his show to clear things up. He just didn't respond.

There's no widespread extinction event attributed to the COVID vaccine, so antivaxxers are now pivoting.

The producer of Died Suddenly is now alleging the vaccine makes your "penis rot off." He also claims Damar Hamlin and maybe John Fetterman have been replaced by body doubles.

All of this sounds stupid, but it has real-life impact.

Rep. Paul Gosar went on Stew Peters' show this month, talking over a scroll about DiedSuddenly.

An Idaho state lawmaker—and fan of Died Suddenly—introduced legislation this month to outlaw administering MRNA vaccines.

The whole story proved to me how futile combatting vaccine lies is.

This woman is old fashioned, Hollywood FAMOUS and people still think she's dead because anti-vaxxers pushing #DiedSuddenly have immense power.

It was a wake-up call. Hope you read it.

nbcnews.com/tech/misinform…

(Also, a fun lil' documentary about this is coming soon on YouTube with @AndrewJStern. You should follow him. He's a lovely young man.)

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