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Cutting through the myth and urban legends
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Location: Blogs Sly Comments |
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| Posted by: Emory Schley |
4/27/2007 5:56 AM |
In a print column I wrote yesterday, but which will appear on Saturday, I discuss Internet myths and rumors. There are a number of sites one can visit to check out stories that circulate through e-mail and are endlessly forwarded to everyone in the senders’ address books. The one particular myth I was discussing was the one about Bob Keeshan (Captain Kangaroo) and Lee Marvin, in which Marvin supposedly lauds the guy with the big pockets as “the bravest man I ever knew” for his alleged actions at Iwo Jima in World War II.
Only problem is Keeshan was never at Iwo Jima. Neither was Marvin, for that matter. Keeshan did serve in the Marine Corps, as did Marvin, and while Marvin was a bonafide Pacific Theater combat veteran wounded in battle (at Saipan), Keeshan joined the Marine Corps only in the closing days of WWII and never saw combat action, and that was from his own mouth. Another much ballyhooed “combat veteran” is John Wayne, and even sometimes Mister Rogers of PBS-TV fame. Trouble is neither Wayne nor Rogers ever served in the military. In addition, Wayne was classified as 4F by the Selective Service, the old draft board.
When you are confronted with any of these Internet myths, rumors, or as some call them, urban legends, you can use the Internet itself to check them out. Any number of sites can put the kibosh on many of these stories. You can check them out at urbanlegends.about.com, or at www.truthorfiction.com, but probably the best site to visit for clarification on these stories is www.snopes.com, where you can find an almost endless treatment of these rumors that flood our e-mail services.
Next time you receive one of these fraudulent postings, now you know where to go to check it out instead of just compliantly accepting it as fact and forwarding it to everyone in your address book! |
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Re: Cutting through the myth and urban legends |
By Tommy F Thompson on
4/26/2007 5:24 AM |
Thanks Sly,
Most of those forwarded myths always sounded more or less "Mickey Mouse" to me anyway. Thanks for the tips. |
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