In honor of Facebook ending its fact-checking partnerships, here are the funniest fact-checks of Babylon Bee jokes:
A running 🧵:
1. CNN Purchases Industrial-Sized Washing Machine To Spin News Before Publication
This was fact-checked by Snopes, and Facebook threatened us with suppression and demonetization for sharing false information. A classic.
2. Ocasio-Cortez Appears On 'The Price Is Right,' Guesses Everything Is Free
Thank you to the brave fact-checkers at Snopes for calling us out on this one. Otherwise people might have been fooled. Fact check: FALSE.
3. Ninth Circuit Court Overturns Death Of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
USA Today, another one of Facebook's fact-checking partners, helpfully pointed out that this was satire.
4. With Moon Water Announcement, Trump Proposes Space Navy
Another fact-check from USA Today. (You can also tell it's satire because if you look really closely, you can see there's a picture of an aircraft carrier on the moon).
5. Trump: 'I Have Done More For Christianity Than Jesus'
In our defense, we wrote this before he actually said something like this.
6. Elevation Church Debuts Water Slide Baptismal
More great fact-checking work from Snopes here. (Well, OK, this one is believable).
7. Pope Francis Says Covid Vaccine Will Now Be Required To Enter Heaven
Another believable one, if we're being honest. Thanks for the fact-check, Reuters.
8. Ballot Drop Boxes Installed Along Border Wall
Despite our official statement to Reuters fact-checkers that this article is true, they insisted it was false.
9. California Considering Tax On Breathing
Snopes found this false, but we're pretty sure it's true?
10. Joel Osteen Apologizes For Using Lord's Name In Sermon
Another from Snopes, keeping us safe from Joel Osteen jokes.
11. Thanks To New Laws, VeggieTales Finally Introduces New Cannabis Character
Fact check: false, 420 times over.
12. NBA Players Wear Special Lace Collars To Honor Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Even the Guardian got fooled by this one. Sad!
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Kyle, this is Seth. I'm sending you a private message because this is urgent and confidential. Listen, we're running out of copies of The Sacred Texts of The Babylon Bee. I'm not sure how much longer we'll have them in stock. I don't want this to become public and start a panic.
What do you think we should do? Should we lie and say everything is fine, like China did? It seemed to work out okay for them. I generally don't like to lie, but you're the one who said, "Our fans are so gullible. They'll believe anything you tell them."
Also, I totally agree with you that Ethan isn't as funny as he used to be. Who should we replace him with? A cardboard cutout would be as entertaining.
Anyway, call me when you get this. We need a game plan.
With Moon Water Announcement, Trump Proposes Space Navy buff.ly/3e3MFSN
Sadly, we must retract this one. We'd like to thank @USATODAY for calling us out with this fact check. We will strive to do better.
Our writer @IMAO_ is responsible for this one. We called him into the office and said, "Hey, dummy, boats don't go in space!"
He said, "Oh. I guess that makes sense. Probably should have looked into that on Google." He then committed seppuku to preserve his journalistic honor.