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Let's get started. Un, deux trois!
The Amityville Horror![]()
No horror film is as creepy as The Amityville Horror. Just kidding, there are plenty of others that are, I just can't think of how to start. Technically speaking, this isn't really a book hoax as....well the entire story to begin with. Basically, The Amityville Horror is an account of the haunted goings on at a house, witnessed by the Lutz family. The house is actually where the infamous DeFeo murders happened, where an unhinged man murdered his entire family by shooting them with a rifle. Since that time, it has been alleged that the spirits of the murdered family haunt the house. Anyway, the Lutz family moves in, and
they basically start what would become The Conjuring series of films, except Patrick Wilson's ass George Lutz severly lacks. Kathy Lutz reported damaged locks, footprints in the snow, body pains and aches, odors of shit and perfume, and bite marks. But who the fuck cares? Anyway, they published a book about their experiences, and that very book launched a series of legal disputes, mostly focusing on Lutz's actual account, as well as changes made when the book was republished. Sadly the debate as to the accuracy of what happened in the house goes on to this day.
Misha: A Memoire of the Holocaust Years![]()
Holocaust memoirs....are very difficult things to talk about. Except the author of this book is an ingrate. Basically, Misha Defonseca (real name Monique de Wael) published a harrowing account of her time wandering Europe during the Holocaust, searching for her missing parents. While I certainly doubt anyone named Monique was ever imprisoned by the Nazi's and stuff, the factual accuracies were disproven. She wasn't actually Jewish, her parents were Roman-Catholic, and she didn't actually leave her home during the war. She later claimed the hoax was her way of coping with the war. Because nothing says PTSD from true hell in that time like lying about how
Heidi Monique,
Girl of the nonexistent German Alps, walks the earth trying to avoid capture. I suppose she at least had the decency to admit it was entirely fake.
Anthony Godby Johnson![]()
Once upon a time there was a young boy named Anthony Johnson. Johnson endured child sexual abuse and rape by his druggie parents hands. He got adopted by a family, only to find out he had AIDS. The truth? There is no Anthony Johnson. His "mother" Vicki Johnson perpetrated the hoax, creating this fictitious child. The clues? Well, many medical experts find it unlikely that Anthony, at 19 years old, could still be alive having AIDS for so long, and medications that slow the disease were not available around the time of his alleged diagnosis. The story was adapted for a Law and Order episode called 'Faith' in 2002. Vicki Johnson claims she handed Anthony to a foster care mother in 1997. She married a child psychologist who was later arrested for abusing child patients at a treatment center for troubled children in Indiana. He was acquitted of one felony count of practicing medicine without a license and three misdemeanor counts of battery for inappropriately touching boys. He died of a heart attack in 2009, because karma's a fucking bitch. Supposedly Vicki is also deceased, but not before her lawyers turned a 147-page response from her to ABC's 20/20, which did a segment on her and her fake shit. To this day, people still think he exists.
Cooks Source Controversy (BUT HONESTLY MONICA)![]()
Hoo boy, here we go! Cooks Source was an independently published food-based magazine in New England. In 2010, they took an online article called "A Tale of Two Tarts" written by Monica Gaudio, retitled "As American As Apple Pie — Isn't!" with a heavy revision. Gaudio, understandibly was pissed, and before you can say "here go hell come", she notified the magazine's founder, Judith A. Griggs, demanding that she retract the story and donate some money to the Columbia School of Journalism. Well, Ms Griggs, fake bitch that she is, was not having any of that humble pie. So she delivered a harsh response, which is quite possibly the greatest literary meme ever.
"But honestly Monica, the web is considered 'public domain' and you should be happy we just didn't 'lift' your whole article and put someone else's name on it! It happens a lot, clearly more than you are aware of, especially on college campuses, and the workplace. If you took offence and are unhappy, I am sorry, but you as a professional should know that the article we used written by you was in very bad need of editing, and is much better now than was originally. Now it will work well for your portfolio. For that reason, I have a bit of a difficult time with your requests for monetary gain, albeit for such a fine (and very wealthy!) institution. We put some time into rewrites, you should compensate me! I never charge young writers for advice or rewriting poorly written pieces, and have many who write for me... ALWAYS for free!"The response attracted national attention from people like Will Wheaton and Neil Gaiman. Gifted as she was, Ms Griggs didn't realize that the internet never forgives, never forgets. Monica became the whistleblower that would deal Cooks Source a serious blow. The day after, Cooks Source website stated it was changing its business practices. Griggs claimed she had to disconnect her phone because she got over 100 calls from angry foodies. She also blamed Monica, that she didn't give her a chance to address the issue. After Monica posted Griggs' email, online investigators created a Google Spreadsheet and compiled almost 170 instances where Cooks Source appeared to have lifted copyrighted material, including text and images, from other sources,
"including NPR, Hallmark and the website of Food Network personality Paula Deen." NPR sent a cease and desist, and eventually Cooks Source went down in flames.
Norma Khouri![]()
Norma Khouri....greatest fraudster ever? You decide. Khouri published Forbidden Love in 2004, a tale based on the honor killing of her friend in Jordan. The book became an instant bestseller, however, people began questioning the authenticity of her story. A Sydney Morning Herald reporter eventually revealed that Khouri was not living in Jordan during the time of the alleged murder (1993-1995), but was living in Chicago with her husband and children. Furthermore, she had left the US for some time after attempting to defraud her elderly neighbor. So she's not only the literal example of "fake bitch, can't write" but ALSO a con-artist! She was exposed as a fraud and now claims she didn't receive any royalties from the book. Aw poor dat.
Source 1,
Source 2,
Source 3Next Time: A Child Called "It", Opal Mehta, Janet Cooke, Helen Darville, Kitty Kelley, and Gay Girl in Damascus
