By: Sharon Aron Baron

Another year has gone by and the masses were fooled again by pranksters online. We loved every minute of these hoaxes because many of us forwarded these photos and videos causing them to circulate around the globe. It also never hurts to have a little entertainment along with all the grim news we have to hear on a daily basis.

Here are some of the biggest Internet hoaxes that I can recall from 2013:

Twerking Hoax

Jimmy Kimmel’s “Worst Twerk Ever” video had many wondering if it was real or fake. I admit, I was even fooled for weeks and even asked my online friends what they thought. Many believed it was fake, but I was fooled.

“We shot the video about two months ago,” Kimmel explained to the NY Daily News. This would have meant that he shot it a month before Miley Cyrus was twerking on stage with singer Robin Thicke. “We put it up and didn’t send it to any TV station. I didn’t tweet it, we didn’t put it on any websites. We just put it up on YouTube and let the magic happen.” “To the conspiracy theorists on the Internet who thought the video was fake: You were right it was fake,” Kimmel, 45, said after playing an “extended” version of the clip that features him appearing with a fire extinguisher at the end.

Python Eats Drunk Guy Hoax

This photo allegedly of a Python that ate drunk man in India made the rounds on Facebook and Twitter. As you can see, the photo is pretty good as it does appear to have eaten something. However, the same photo had been around the internet for over 12 months, more recently in South Africa, where a South African reporter named Linda Laina Nyatoro claimed to have taken the photo near Durban North, South Africa.

None of the stories have been confirmed by any reputable news source. And many snake experts say that this type of pythons cannot eat an adult human.

Let’s get those pythons out of the Everglades and near the bars to discourage heavy drinkers!

Gay Waitress Tipping Hoax

Dayna Morales made national headlines and received an outpouring of public support and at least $3,000 in donations after she claimed a family stiffed her and left her a note on the receipt reading, “Sorry, I cannot tip because I do not agree with your lifestyle and the way you live your life.”

But after an unidentified couple came forward days later with a customer receipt and bank statement to prove that they had in fact left Dayna Morales an $18 tip on top of the $93.55 check, former friends of Morales also came forward claiming she was a compulsive liar.

Following the allegations against Morales, her employer the Gallop Asian Bistro said on December 7, that she no longer would work at the restaurant.

The restaurant posted a message on its Facebook page that read in part, “In light of the investigation and recent events, both Ms. Morales and Gallop Asian Bistro have made a joint decision that Ms. Morales will no longer continue her employment at our restaurant. We wish her well in the future.”

Man in a Cube

The Astor Place Cube, or simply The Cube, is an outdoor sculpture by Tony Rosenthal, located on Astor Place in New York City. In the video, a man named Dave claims he moved into the cube because he was getting “burnt out with life in general.” To pacify the situation, the artist allegedly moved into a sculpture in the island of a busy intersection, where tourists can physically spin his home around, as shown in the video.

“This video is fictional. It is not possible to gain entry to the interior of this cube,” a New York City Parks Department spokesperson told Mashable.

The video may be a hoax but it’s creative and the video is fun to watch.

Eagle Snatches Toddler Hoax

The video of an eagle snatching a toddler ended up being a fake created by animation students for a class.

Students at a Canadian animation school created the one-minute YouTube video of an eagle swopping on a child in a suburban park and snatching him up using CGI-style effects for a “production simulation class.” The story of the incredible footage of the eagle swooping on the child went viral online even as many questioned its authenticity.

“Totally Fake…but very well done. Too bad the “Golden Eagle” is an Osprey,” said YouTube user pattycakes96.

Mars Hoax Day

In August, many of my Facebook friends fell victim to a hoax that claimed that Mars will loom just as large in the night sky as the full moon, and be closer than it has in 60,000 years! If you were one of those that hoped to spot a big red orb in the heavens on August 27, you were disappointed to find out it was all one big hoax.

The yearly re-circulation of the phony information has earned Aug. 27 the nickname “Mars Hoax Day.” The hoax, which has fooled countless people since it first originated in 2003, may have begun in innocence.

The Mars hoax e-mail has been passed on to countless others who haven’t been able to resist forwarding it to their entire address book. In some cases, the message has been turned into a full-blown PowerPoint presentation, accompanied by snazzy-looking graphics seemingly providing a sense of authenticity to the message.

Mandela’s Corpse Photo

A newly circulating photograph is said to show the corpse of former South African President Nelson Mandela has been spreading over social media these past couple of days.

Here is the original photo that was used to create the hoax

AFP’s photo department confirmed, however, that it is actually a photo of Mandela with his eyes closed taken back in July 1991 and according to South Africa’s Independent newspaper group, Mandela’s family spokesperson said the renowned statesman’s relatives are “outraged.”

Spotted an Internet hoax from this year that fooled you or someone else? Send it to Tamarac Talk.

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Sharon Aron Baron

Sharon Aron Baron is the Editor of Talk Media and Tamarac Talk, Coral Springs Talk, and Parkland Talk. Tamarac Talk was created in 2011 to provide News for the residents of Tamarac and is the #1 News Source for Residents.