It's a little more difficult to trick someone on April Fools' Day because they're expecting it. But, on the other 364 days of the year, it's easier to fool people — say with fake celebrity quotes. In the age of the Internet, it's all too easy to post a quote to Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, etc. and claim that it was said by someone. Then other people see it and think it's true because not nearly enough people fact check that kind of thing.
Fortunately for you, I'm a rather obsessive fact checker. I won't reblog or post a quote that I haven't verified because spreading misinformation is one of my pet peeves. Throughout my time on the Internet I've seen a great deal of fabricated quotes. Some are made up entirely, some are just attributed to the wrong person, but all of them are frustrating. Nearly every celebrity has been subjected to this. Dead celebrities often face this problem because they can't actually defend themselves or deny what they supposedly said. (For example, there are a lot of fake Marilyn Monroe and John Lennon quotes out there.)
But living celebrities have suffered the invented quote problem too. Tom Hiddleston, Morgan Freeman, Kendall Jenner, and more have been misquoted over the years. It's important to remember that just because there's a GIF of a quote floating around on Tumblr doesn't mean it's necessarily true. And now, here are nine fake celebrity quotes you totally have to stop posting.
“This generation has lost the true meaning of romance. There are so many songs that disrespect women. You can’t treat the woman you love as a piece of meat. You should treat your love like a princess. Give her love songs, something with real meaning. Maybe I’m old fashioned but to respect the woman you love should be a priority.”
This quote has been attributed to Tom Hiddleston. There's no denying that Hiddleston supports women, but the wording in this quote is just a little off. It has fooled a lot of people, though, because it has a GIF accompaniment and went viral on Buzzfeed. The video is real, but the quote is fake. If you're looking for feminist Tom Hiddleston quotes, though, there are plenty of real ones!
"When I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can't help but cry. I mean, I'd love to be skinny like that, but not with all those flies and death and stuff."
This fake Mariah Carey quote started circulating in the '90s, but it's still fooling people today. It's an invented quote from a satirical "interview" with a blog called Cupcake that several real magazines then quoted without fact checking. Carey even had to hold a press conference to clear the rumor up. It's a pretty negative quote to have attributed to her, so I hope everyone stops believing it eventually.
“When I was five years old, my mother told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I wrote down 'happy.' They told me I didn't understand the assignment and I told them they didn't understand life.”
This is a great sentiment, but it wasn't said by John Lennon. The former Beatle didn't even have much contact with his mother when he was five; instead he was living with his aunt. As it turns out, Lennon is one of the top ten most misquoted celebrities.
"Well-behaved women rarely make history."
Although often attributed to Marilyn Monroe, this is actually a quote from author Laurel Thatcher Ulrich.
"I hate the word homophobia. It is not a fear. You are not scared. You are an a**hole."
A Morgan Freeman parody Twitter account posted this in 2012, and the Internet went wild with it. A note about all Twitter accounts: check the spelling of the name to prove accuracy. The actor doesn't spell his name Morgon Freeman.
"Don't knock teenage pregnancy. I was a product of teenage pregnancy, and where would the world be without me?"
It's tempting to believe that Justin Bieber really is that self-centered, but he never said it. He's just the victim of a photoshopped tweet.
"I love my dad. He’s always been there for me and my sisters. He’s a wonderful man. And just because he’s changing shoes now, so to speak, doesn’t make him less wonderful. I will always love my dad, whether he’s a man or a woman.”
This fake Kendall Jenner quote about Bruce Jenner's transition fooled a lot of people because it came from Us Weekly. But later, Jenner tweeted that the magazine never even interviewed her about her father.
"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best."
Another fake Marilyn Monroe quote. There is no evidence anywhere that she ever said this, although I can appreciate the sentiment.
"I wish I could give each fan a hug because they are my inspiration. I just, um, I love them."
As much as I wish Hiddleston did actually say this, it's a GIF manipulation by a Tumblr blogger known for creating fake quotes. But the good news is that Hiddles does love to hug his fans, even if he never outright said it, and I'm sure he loves his Hiddlestoners too.
No go forth and stop quoting these fake phrases!
Images: yaytomhiddlestonyay, fuckyeahsterekfeels (2)/Tumblr; rebloggy
