Believing what you see

[urbpan]

I won't post it because I suspect it's a viral video advertisement and they don't need my help, but there's a very convincing video out there of a large bird of prey swooping down and lifting a toddler a few feet before dropping it. It blew up on my twitter page last night around midnight, with people from disparate sources suddenly talking about it at once. That to me is the biggest evidence that it is part of a marketing campaign and not a real event. If it's real it will be picked up by legitimate journalists, and it will be kind of a big story. But I don't think it is.

Edit: we seem to have identified our hoaxers. I'm pleased that it was a not-for-profit operation.

Comments

[audacian.livejournal.com]

I laughed out loud when I saw it this morning. I am going to make a terrible parent.

[donnad.livejournal.com]

Most likely CGI

http://wtvr.com/2012/12/19/viral-fake-out-golden-eagle-snatches-kid-is-cgi/

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

i DL'ed the video, 720P, and went through it a few times frame by frame.

found a Gawker post specifically claiming which frames they did not like and looked myself. i can't agree with their findings.

if it's fake, it's VERY well done. VERY VERY.

two things: 1) the bird apparently is a not a golden eagle, but an osprey and 2) someone is claiming it's a TRAINED bird, and a fake kid - that would be more hysterical, considering the claims of CGI

#

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

So do you give them an A?

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/golden-eagle-snatches-kid-youtube-1497644

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

yes!

everyone pointing out WHY it was a fake though, i give a D...

it was "too clean" imho... it's one thing to doubt, but saying something like "i know flying, i have seen many CGIs and this one is one"

well :) they might have been cynics, doubters, and RIGHT, but they didn't have compelling proof they were right :D

good work kids!

#

[stephbg.livejournal.com]

It was shown on our local news service as a real story, which gives you some idea of the quality of journalism we enjoy here. Perhaps they were distracted by the 14 tiger sharks feeding in shallow water off a local beach. That one was definitely true.

[kryptyd.livejournal.com]

There's no way it's real. It's a less convincing set up than the gunmen handing a chimp a rifle film! Oh! Did I ever tell you the story about my mate in Ireland getting signatures for a petition to reintroduce the golden eagle into some parts of Ireland? Anyway, this guy got extra signatures by going around pubs and inferring that it was a petition to exterminate an evil, childnapping bird of prey. Haha. Not very ethical, but I laughed!

[bleppo.livejournal.com]

Aw man, I just saw it a few minutes ago and was all WHOAH and reposted it on my stream. So ok, I believe what I see...

[shellynoir.livejournal.com]

I thought the wings seemed just a little bit off. The joints weren't quite right.