Dont repeat bullshit you saw online, especially when its something you want to believe.
I did not watch the DNC live, but instead spent Thursday night seeing a movie with a friend.
But I did help spread the rumor.
Beyoncé at the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Awards held at the Dolby Theatre on April 1, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.© Photo by Michael Buckner/Billboard via Getty Images
The bands are practicing Beyonce actually, I said, repeating a half-remembered tweet I saw earlier that day.
My friend is a hardened conflict journalist.
This is a guy whos been in and out of war zones his entire adult life.
Hes reported on rumors, hearsay, and disinformation from the frontlines.
If you thought Oprah was big, just wait.
Liberal people online have felt great about the DNC.
It was plausible that the Democrats had something else wild and fun up their sleeve.
The two biggest possibilities I saw floating around were Taylor Swift and Beyonce.
The Beyonce rumor got extra juice whenTMZreported that it was, in fact, happening.
White House political director Emmy Ruiz tweeted out abee emoji, a symbol associated with both Beyonce and Kamala.
Rolling Stonereported, credulously, that staff was preparing for Beyonces arrival.
Katie Phang, a journalist at MSNBC tweeted a rumor thatshed heardBeyonce was at the United Center.
When contacted by journalists, Beyonces managementdeniedit was happening.
But that didnt matter, the rumor was everywhere and everyone wanted to believe it.
It was in Reuters, CNN, The Hill, and dozens of other publications big and small.
But it didnt happen.
Beyonce Frenzy Exposes These Giant Dem Influencers BSdeclaredthe Daily Beast.
Were the ones who saw it, decided it was true, and spread it around.
Were all vectors for disinformation.
Angry Staffer apologized for posting the rumor Thursday night after Kamala Harris finished her acceptance speech.
Im not sure where it started, but the people who told me arent prone to hyperbole.
FWIW, Beyonce was the rumor.
FWIW, Beyonce was the rumor.
They were just telling us something we were willing to believe and we ran with it.
We should remember this over the coming weeks and months.
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