How would you explain this behavior? (1 Viewer)

[Winston T. Boogie]

So, I think this thread is alright to post here, if not go ahead and remove it moderators. Basically, this is about human behavior and some of the odd things I struggle a bit to understand and that you may also struggle to understand. In this video they send a guy out on the street to ask people their opinions on things that never actually happened. What is strange is the people respond as if they actually saw or heard about these things. I mean, I don't really understand this and it is not like the things described sound similar to something that actually took place.

Now of course this is an edited video so we are seeing probably the best funny responses where people go all in on claiming they saw or heard this stuff. I also consider that some people will play along and pretend they know about something because they think their response will get on TV. My guess is there must have been many people that we don't see in the video that responded as I would have which would have been to say "I've never heard anything about that."

What do you think about how these people respond? It almost seems to me that they are not pretending and that they are responding believing they have a memory of these strange events.

Do they believe what they are saying or are they intentionally attempting to provide an answer that gets them on TV?

 

[TravisR]

I think the internet has gotten people to feel that they need a strong opinion on everything and not knowing anything about a topic is no longer an obstacle to forming that strong opinion. You just say whatever you want loudly and it's true.

Personally, I love when Jimmy does these kinds of things because it shows what dummies people are. I'm a dummy too but at least, I know it.

 

[JohnRice]

I haven't watched the video yet, and will when I get home. This is actually a studied phenomena and can happen among large groups. It even has a name, "The Mandela Effect."

 

[David Norman]

Some Mandela, some playing to get on TV, some Q behaviour who will be an expert in all things -- I'm sure with a TV camera and a dozen people walking around with Jimmy Kimmel shirt/jackets/trucks it's not that hard to tell.

 

[Malcolm R]

Just further evidence that people love to shoot off their mouth on subjects they know nothing about (even if they know they know nothing).

 

[JohnRice]

Yeah, it's not just the Mandela effect. In fact, this video is really just an example of needing to fit in.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

I think the internet has gotten people to feel that they need a strong opinion on everything and not knowing anything about a topic is no longer an obstacle to forming that strong opinion. You just say whatever you want loudly and it's true.

Personally, I love when Jimmy does these kinds of things because it shows what dummies people are. I'm a dummy too but at least, I know it.

I can't decide whether I believe these people or not. They seem like they are honestly answering that they did read and see these stories. I do wonder with the barrage of information we are hit with daily via the internet and 24/7 TV does this make people more inclined to actually think they heard a story or read a story even if they have not. Have they absorbed so much that anything that is said to them sounds familiar or real?

I do think that social media does push people to have an opinion on everything. That's primarily how it works, people post a story and then other people almost feel obligated to respond.

It does make you wonder if this increases the possibility that people will buy into something that is not real.

I also wondered watching this if some people might see a bit of this and then fall into the trap of thinking that some bit they heard was true. Like they just hear that Timothy Chalamet ate a kangaroo at a petting zoo while making loud slurping sounds and they walk away thinking it happened because they did not see the entire segment.

I think these segments on Kimmel are funny too but this one struck me as really interesting due to the way these people all seem absolutely certain they have seen these stories. I mean, I know I would just be saying "I never heard that story." and I am certain some people must have responded that way.

I know the idea is it is Kimmel so they show the funny responses but I am having a hard time trying to tell if any of these people are faking their response just to be on TV or if they really think they saw these stories.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

I haven't watched the video yet, and will when I get home. This is actually a studied phenomena and can happen among large groups. It even has a name, "The Mandela Effect."

Yes, the two ways the Mandela Effect could be in play here:

Confabulation​

Some doctors believe the Mandela effect is a form of confabulation.

A common analogy for confabulation is “honest lying.” A person creates a false memory without intending to lie or deceive others. Instead, they’re attempting to fill in gaps in their own memory.

Many examples of the Mandela effect are close to the original or true memory. Some researchers believe that people — even a large group of people — use confabulation to “remember” what they feel is the most likely sequence of events.

False memories​

Other aspects of memory may lead to the Mandela effect. This includes false memories, where your recall of an event isn’t an accurate depiction.

This is often a struggle for eyewitnesses to a crime or important cultural event. Also, the abilities of people across the internet to alter images, logos, and sayings may affect your recall of the original item.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

I think when he asks the first guy about Oprah and the troops that sounds like a common story that people could have heard. That someone said something about the troops and so easy to think it was Oprah because the guy says it was Oprah.

So, that could easily be the Mandela Effect where the guy just inserts Oprah into a real story he heard about someone saying something about the troops.

The Chalamet story about eating a kangaroo in a petting zoo is pretty weird though. So, I can't say that's one that a person could confuse with another story.

 

[TravisR]

I can't decide whether I believe these people or not. They seem like they are honestly answering that they did read and see these stories.

I think they all absolutely believe what they're being told. However, they're all lying about when they first heard about it or are asked to describe it so they can stay on camera and espouse their opinions on how crazy it was that Wayne Brady chopped down a windmill or that it was messed up that Timothy Challamet ate a kangaroo at a petting zoo or Young Sheldon committed tax fraud. This is all just silly stuff on a late-night show but it is indicative of the frightening reality that there's a lot of people that will believe any lie that someone tells them without thinking about it and not believe any facts against that lie.

"The bigger the lie, the more they believe."

 

[David_B_K]

 

[DaveF]

Also know as the Sinbad-Shazaam Effect, for a home theater connection

Sinbad's Kids Shut Down Long-Lost Shazaam Genie Movie Theory

People still believe the Shazaam movie exists.

screenrant.com

Sinbad's 'Shazaam': The Strange Case of a Movie That Doesn't Exist

Many people remember a movie where Sinbad plays a genie and grants wishes to two children. However, there is no evidence that this movie ever existed.

ourcommunitynow.com

 

[DaveF]

I’m also completely skeptical of the reality of any person-on-the-street interview. 40 years ago when Letterman was doing it new, sure. 20 years ago, maybe? Today, who isn’t in in the gag and knows to play for the schtick?

 

[JohnRice]

At the same time, there are millions, and probably tens of millions of people in this country alone who believe even more outrageous stuff, and will engage in endless explanation of those beliefs, while belittling anyone who doubts them.

 

[TravisR]

I’m also completely skeptical of the reality of any person-on-the-street interview. 40 years ago when Letterman was doing it new, sure. 20 years ago, maybe? Today, who isn’t in in the gag and knows to play for the schtick?

Then all the people in this video are wasting their talents because they are naturalistic and completely believable actors. Like I said, I think they totally believe whatever silly story was told to them (probably because the people doing the interview are presenting themselves as being with the ABC affiliate in Los Angeles so people are looking at them as actual newsmen doing a simple man on the street interview) and then they just start saying anything because they want to be on camera.

 

[Sam Posten]

I’m pretty sure you guys mean the Mengele effect…

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

I think there are different degrees here of what each of these people are doing. I think more than one of them just wants to be on TV but a couple of them really believe they did see these stories they are asked about.

The first guy in the Cowboys shirt I think completely believes he saw things about Oprah dissing the troops. I don't think he has any fake in him at all. He probably is confusing the story with something else he saw or heard and just inserts Oprah into his memory because the guy asking the questions says Oprah did this.

The next girl that is asked about Wayne Brady and the windmill, I lean toward her saying things just because she wants to be on TV. She is somewhat convincing because she adds little bits about how she saw the story but they are pretty generic comments. She is a good actress though in that she plays off what the guy asks her quite well.

The girl with the pink hair in the dolphin punch segment I think is very obviously lying and playing along because she wants to be on TV. She seems pretty openly amused and on the verge of laughing the whole time. She seems to know this is nonsense but is enjoying her chance to do a TV interview.

The blonde asked about Clooney's Spaghetti-gate is definitely lying to get on TV. She seems pretty laid back about it, she actually does seem to believe the story about Clooney saying bad things about Italian food and seems to really feel he should be cancelled because of this so I think she means that but has no idea what the guy is talking about and just pretends she does.

The weirdest of all of these people is the Chalamet kangaroo eating guy. He seems like he is being totally honest. I feel like he literally creates a memory of seeing this on the spot. He does not seem to be lying and he seems to really be attempting to honestly say what he feels and express what the kangaroo video made him feel. He really seems disgusted by Chalamet making loud slurping sounds while eating kangaroo. This one leaves me the most stunned because I feel like you can literally see this guy creating this memory as he is told the story. He does not seem at all deceptive nor attempting to intentionally mislead.

The girl that responds to the child tax evasion story I also feel is just playing along to be on TV. She goes all in on fooling the guy asking her the questions. She claims she researched the story on Google and she was nosey about it. These are obvious lies I think because she is just attempting to con the crap out of the reporter to make him think she is a good interview.

 

[TravisR]

I think there are different degrees here of what each of these people are doing. I think more than one of them just wants to be on TV but a couple of them really believe they did see these stories they are asked about.

The first guy in the Cowboys shirt I think completely believes he saw things about Oprah dissing the troops. I don't think he has any fake in him at all. He probably is confusing the story with something else he saw or heard and just inserts Oprah into his memory because the guy asking the questions says Oprah did this.

The next girl that is asked about Wayne Brady and the windmill, I lean toward her saying things just because she wants to be on TV. She is somewhat convincing because she adds little bits about how she saw the story but they are pretty generic comments. She is a good actress though in that she plays off what the guy asks her quite well.

The girl with the pink hair in the dolphin punch segment I think is very obviously lying and playing along because she wants to be on TV. She seems pretty openly amused and on the verge of laughing the whole time. She seems to know this is nonsense but is enjoying her chance to do a TV interview.

The blonde asked about Clooney's Spaghetti-gate is definitely lying to get on TV. She seems pretty laid back about it, she actually does seem to believe the story about Clooney saying bad things about Italian food and seems to really feel he should be cancelled because of this so I think she means that but has no idea what the guy is talking about and just pretends she does.

The weirdest of all of these people is the Chalamet kangaroo eating guy. He seems like he is being totally honest. I feel like he literally creates a memory of seeing this on the spot. He does not seem to be lying and he seems to really be attempting to honestly say what he feels and express what the kangaroo video made him feel. He really seems disgusted by Chalamet making loud slurping sounds while eating kangaroo. This one leaves me the most stunned because I feel like you can literally see this guy creating this memory as he is told the story. He does not seem at all deceptive nor attempting to intentionally mislead.

The girl that responds to the child tax evasion story I also feel is just playing along to be on TV. She goes all in on fooling the guy asking her the questions. She claims she researched the story on Google and she was nosey about it. These are obvious lies I think because she is just attempting to con the crap out of the reporter to make him think she is a good interview.

It's worth noting that these people look stupid but they're almost definitely being told something by people (mis)representing themselves as a news organization. If someone from my local news affiliate came up and told me that Wayne Brady destroyed a wind mill, I'd believe it too by virtue of their legitimacy. I'd also probably ask to see the video, see the quote, etc. because some of this stuff would be pretty funny. What I wouldn't do because I'm not a total dope is make up how I saw a video or quote that doesn't exist.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

It's worth noting that these people look stupid but they're almost definitely being told something by people (mis)representing themselves as a news organization. If someone from my local news affiliate came up and told me that Wayne Brady destroyed a wind mill, I'd believe it too by virtue of their legitimacy. I'd also probably ask to see the video, see the quote, etc. because some of this stuff would be pretty funny. What I wouldn't do because I'm not a total dope is make up how I saw a video or quote that doesn't exist.

Well, the Kimmel intro sets them up to look stupid because he tells us at the start they are being asked about things that never happened. So, we are in on the joke. Oddly, whomever came up with this segment labelled it as being about cancel culture but I really don't think that aspect is what is interesting here nor a big part of what we are seeing. Jimmy says these people are "upset" and want to cancel these celebrities but I don't think any of them look upset nor do any seem to really want to cancel anybody. They do seem to enjoy giving their opinion though.

I think most of the stories told to these people seem possible but obviously Windmill Rampage, Dolphin Punch, and Kangaroo Eating in a Petting Zoo are meant to really make us crack up due to how off they sound. Tax evasion, an opinion about Italian food, and dissing the troops are not all that strange and happen daily.

If you watch the video more than once I am not sure the people look stupid and more what struck me was the question of if these people believe the story and what they tell the interviewer. It seems very much to me about deception, how people do have the urge to give an opinion on everything whether they know anything about it or not, and how people's memory and mind works.

As a weird bit of self analysis I feel sort of strange about the fact that I feel like all of the women in the video are being different degrees of deceptive and the two guys are not and really believe what they are saying. I mean I don't have an issue with trusting women so perhaps just the luck of the draw as the two guys just happened to be the ones that seem most convinced they actually saw the stories they were asked about. Although I would be curious how others saw each of them.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

It's worth noting that these people look stupid but they're almost definitely being told something by people (mis)representing themselves as a news organization.

It is interesting that all of the people do seem to trust the interviewer and seem to accept these stories are real. I think you are correct that none of them seem to question if these things happened.