Hoaxes (HW)

1. Comment on the activities of the “Yes Men” (Do you think their activities make a difference? Could you think of a similar hoax being used on sth. in Germany?)

The aim of the activities of the “Yes Men” are in my opinion to create an utopia. It is complicated to decide whether it is a good idea or not, because for example the fake New York Times with the false news that the Iraq war is over is in my opinion to delicate to make a “joke” out of it. I think that their intention is that people at first believe that the article is true and feel happy and safe. Then they realize that it is a fake and start to think about how great it would have been if the article was real and the Iraq war would have really come to an end. This also applies to the other activities from the Yes Man.

In conclusion I think that the activities of the Yes Men make a difference, because it puts the reader in a perfect world (utopia) and dramatically they change from hopeful & happy to guilty and discontent.

I think that the news about the end of the war could also be used in Germany between others which I do not have in mind right now.

1. Find a definition of the term “hoax” and choose one hoax to present in class.

 

Definition of “hoax”:

1. An act intended to deceive or trick.

2. Something accepted or established by fraud or fabrication

Synonyms:
1. deception, fraud, fake, imposture, humbug.

A kind of hoax could be magic. Everything is fake and people sometimes believe what they see, even though it is all unreal and impossible. Some people even pay a lot to know the tricks.

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