Some people still can’t spot satire

And it's f*cking hilarious!

I’ve written about this before, but apparently we need to go over it again. There are still people out there who can’t tell the difference between satire and reality. And I’m not talking about subtle satire. I’m talking about the kind where someone makes up a quote involving a Bunnings paint swatch called Ngāti Bronze No.7, and people still go, “Wow, I can’t believe she said that.”

The article in question, this one below, was clearly a joke. Satire. Not real. Yet somehow, people took it completely seriously.

The fake quote? It claimed that Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said, “I would like my skin colour to match that of a Māori woman,” while holding up a paint swatch like she was choosing a new living room feature wall. People online started talking like she was actually going to a spray tan place every week to top up her Māori glow.

One particularly committed user named @Infideliter2022 tweeted this:

"Doesn't this sum up Te Partly Māori perfectly? FAKE! Spray on brown skin. Coloured contact lenses. Talk about a Plastic Māori! Got one right here you fullas and fullaesses! Churr to da Churr. ✊🏼 Not cheap to be fake either."

The funniest thing is that they had actually blocked me, maybe they blocked me after they just realised the whole article was a joke?

Anyways, moving on it got some replies. A few solid ones, including this gem from Amy Jones (aka @Light42Lime), who dove headfirst into internet sleuth mode:

“I am no fan of Packer but this is just absolute bullshit. Tell me why there is no evidence of SunKissedByShazza on the web or in the Wayback Machine. I’ll tell you why—the site never existed.”

Correct, Amy. It didn’t exist. Because it was a fake business in a fake story designed to poke fun at people who take fake stories seriously. Congratulations on uncovering the obvious. You’ve cracked the satire code.

Luckily, someone else with a functioning sense of humor, @AnaruHayes, jumped in to explain to the confused masses:

I’m genuinely concerned that there are people out there who can’t tell the difference between reality and satire, I wrote that it was made up - it’s not just a few here and there, it’s a growing crowd, and that’s a little scary. When fake quotes and made-up stories start being treated as gospel, you have to wonder what went wrong. Maybe it’s time we admit the education system needs to step in and help. Satire isn’t just comedy; it’s a form of critical thinking, and if people are falling for the most blatantly exaggerated nonsense, maybe we need to start teaching satire in English classes across the country and make it an NCEA subject before things get even dumber

.

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Anyways, here is my favourite tweet of the week - replying to the same article:

Natalie can be forgiven though, she had never heard of Debbie Ngawera-Packer before.

Here is my reply:

DISCLAIMER: This is a satirical response

This is where we are now. Jokes require footnotes. Sarcasm needs a disclaimer. However, I don't think it would be the best business model for outlets like The Babylon Bee or

The Chimp Chronicles

, for some reason.

Some people say the best satire is the kind that’s indistinguishable from reality. But honestly, I think what’s happening here is simpler. People just don’t like admitting they fell for something fake, so instead of laughing, they go full FBI on a made-up tanning salon.

All that said, I think I’ll start writing more satire - maybe one article every Saturday. Seems fitting, right? Sat for Saturday, Sat for Satire.

Anyway, thanks for the entertainment!