KYM Review: Trolls, Rumors And Hoaxes Of 2021

Like any other year in internet history, 2021 did not lack in online mischief. Trolling, in general, has always been a favorite hobby of the chronically online. When you're bored, anonymous and increasingly deranged, hoaxes and rumors become a reliable source of dopamine. Why not photoshop a fake tweet? Anything can be plausible with the right percentage of believability.

The trolling of 2021 was just as sensational as the year, with fake trends like Hellmaxxing causing Boomers to fear TikTok even more. Facebook users were shocked when they thought a man married his rice cooker, but they ended up getting a divorce soon after. Prunsel proved that Undertale enjoyers don't even know their own game because how could a giant, floating eye go unnoticed in the lore?

Other hoaxes from antiquity shined in the spotlight once again this year, like Oppa Homeless Style, which was finally debunked just a couple of months ago. What great detective work. Everyone totally thought that story was real … just like the Xbox Mini Fridge that also got some new, gullible investors this year.

It's safe to say you can't trust anything you read online anymore (not that it's ever really been), even if it's in an Instagram infographic (especially if it's in an Instagram infographic). Despite all of it being false (and sometimes harmful), trolling, hoaxes and rumors are almost always kind of funny. Enjoy reminiscing about the many bamboozles that rocked the internet this calendar year.

Unbiased Katie / Feminists Against Trolls

A troll known on Twitter and Discord for sparking controversy with ridiculous fake feminism videos and infographics that are hyperbolically alt-left.

• Type: Troll

• Duration: 2020 – Current Day

• How It Started: As early as May 2020, Unbiased Katie or Journalist Katie started posting on Twitter, passionately replying to alt-right and alt-left accounts with larger followings. Her off-the-cuff takes started being screenshotted and reposted to other platforms, which used her terrible, political opinions to justify how nonsensical the left is.

• How It Unraveled: After a fake article she wrote, called "Dear Men: Stop Working Out," was made fun of, she snowballed her virality through ironically aggressive vegan YouTube videos, as well as starting a Discord server. This led to multiple interviews, where she stayed in character to troll even deeper.

“Capitol Rioter Tasered His Testicles To Death” Rumor

A man who passed away during the 2021 Storming of the United States Capitol was rumored to have passed when he touched his taser to his private area.

• Type: Rumor

• Duration: January 2021

• How It Started: On Twitter, someone made a joke, which seemed real enough to some, that the guy who died had accidentally tasered his own balls, dying from "shock" shortly after.

• How It Unraveled: More Twitter users reiterated the false sentiment going into the days following. Once enough of them had oversaturated the platform, the rumor transformed into something believable, shocking and disappointing people who thought it was true.

Devious Licks Trend

Devious middle and high schoolers were trending on TikTok for stealing the most random and obtuse objects from their schools.

• Type: Troll

• Duration: September – October 2021

• How It Started: A TikToker uploaded a video of himself pulling a box of disposable masks out of his backpack, insisting that it was a most devious lick.

• How It Unraveled: Multiple items were then stuffed into backpacks like fire hydrants and security cameras. The trend became so notable that some students were arrested for it and TikTok deleted all the videos on the platform to halt its influence.

Tokyo Olympics Anti-Sex Beds

Too many Olympic athletes have intercourse with each other every year, so someone lied and said they'd be making the beds so fragile that only one person could lay on them.

• Type: Hoax

• Duration: July 2021

• How It Started: A person on Twitter saw that the Tokyo beds were going to be made out of cardboard and tweeted out a false reasoning for this, likening the flimsy structure to "anti-sex" sentiments voiced by the Olympic committee.

• How It Unraveled: Lots of people believed it going into the rest of July, up until the buzz was heard by the Olympics itself, who squashed the idea soon after. Apparently, they were only cardboard for "sustainability."

Squirting Isn’t Real

Although you might think it is, the NSFW act of "squirting" isn't real. Well, it is real, but it's just the same as "peeing."

• Type: Rumor

• Duration: 2014 – Current Day

• How It Started: This viral and shocking topic has been included in memes dating as far back as 2014.

• How It Unraveled: It took off more notably in 2018 (and during this year) across Twitter and Reddit, where it saw its most use. By the end of 2021, everyone seems to have swallowed the harsh reality.

Adrian's Kickback

A snowball of hype turned a small kickback into a mass gathering loaded with riots and e-boys everywhere.

• Type: Troll

• Duration: May 2021

• How It Started: A TikTok was posted by a kid named Adrian who was inviting his friends to his birthday "kickback." However, trolls and influencers on the platform hyped it up for everyone to come.

• How It Unraveled: People started flexing the distances they were traveling to stand on Huntington Beach with the rest of TikTok. Approximately 2,500 people showed up, mostly sparked by everyone's fed-upness with COVID lockdowns, manifesting itself in an ironic and chaotic way.

Nikocado Avocado

He was everyone's favorite disaster of a human being, trolling internet users everywhere into clicking on his thumbnails.

• Type: Troll

• Duration: 2019 – Current Day

• How It Started: He started out as a vegan YouTuber, posting wholesome content of himself playing the violin and his loving husband.

• How It Unraveled: Nikocado went deeper into the mukbang rabbit hole, rapidly transforming his personality and image over the course of two years. In 2021, he received increased attention for trolling other YouTubers, fishing for criticism to lash back at.

#RipChrisPratt

Other than voicing everyone (which is not a hoax), many people online thought the actor had been canceled this year.

• Type: Hoax

• Duration: October 2020 – February 2021

• How It Started: It all started with a tweet that joked about getting rid of one actor, named Chris, out of four options. It was then revealed through that that Chris Pratt had alleged ties to an anti-LGBTQ church.

• How It Unraveled: The claims were turned into a more notable hoax when in February of this year, a Twitter user created fake tweet screenshots that "surfaced" Pratt allegedly saying the n-word in 2019. This led to the hashtag #RipChrisPratt.

Adult Swim Soyjak Cartoon

This cringy cartoon hoax fooled a lot of people across 4chan where a photoshopped news headline was posted.

• Type: Hoax

• Duration: October 2021

• How It Started: An anonymous 4channer thought it'd be funny to perpetuate a lie involving the replacement of Family Guy on Adult Swim with a new cartoon featuring soyjak characters.

• How It Unraveled: The image macro spread to Twitter where users were equally outraged and confused. It was disproven though as people tried to search for any other information on its release.

Alleged Corpse Husband Face Reveal

This notable YouTuber has never revealed his face, so when it was allegedly revealed, some found him unexpectedly dorky-looking.

• Type: Rumor

• Duration: September 2021

• How It Started: Fans tried to dox Corpse Husband after he teased them with a "hand reveal." An image of a long-haired kid started circulating on Twitter shortly after.

• How It Unraveled: Reactions to his face were kind of harsh, with many people online making fun of him if it were true. With his deep voice and handsome avatar, many were expecting someone else. It has not been confirmed if it's him in the photo or not.
  

Looking for more of this year's best viral phenomena and memes? Be sure to check out our other 2021 meme roundups below:

• The Top 10 Memes Of 2021
• KYM Staff Picks Of 2021
• The Top Gaming Memes Of 2021
• The Slang Of 2021
• The Most 2021 Stories Of 2021
• Top 10 Streamer Moments Of 2021
• Breakthrough Meme Formats Of The Year
• 10 Best TikToks Of 2021
• Top 10 Lewd Memes Of The Year
• Trolls, Rumors And Hoaxes Of The Year
• Top Exploitables Of 2021
• Top Meme Creators Of 2021
• Top Meme Revivals Of 2021
• Best Gimmick Twitter Accounts Of 2021