Leisure icon Oprah Winfrey is attempting to purchase up tens of hundreds of broken properties in hurricane-affected areas.
A rumor that leisure icon Oprah Winfrey is attempting to purchase up tens of hundreds of broken properties in hurricane-affected areas is circulating on-line. Customers shared this declare in October 2024, within the weeks following the devastation left behind by Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.
For instance, at the very least tons of of Fb customers shared a post from the America’s Final Line of Protection Fb web page, studying, “Oprah Winfrey is attempting to purchase up tens of hundreds of broken properties in hurricane-affected areas. ‘She’s providing us subsequent to nothing to promote.'”
A number of of the Fb customers who shared the put up added their very own remarks about Winfrey’s purported plans, together with, “CRIMINAL,” “She is the face of evil,” “Yea wonder why” and “Higher DEW what they say or else!”
Nevertheless, the rumor about Winfrey seizing land in hurricane-affected areas originated with America’s Final Line of Protection — a community of Fb pages and web sites that describe their output as being humorous or satirical in nature. The Fb web page that shared the rumor has a “Satire/Parody” label and a bio that claims, “Nothing on this web page is actual.”
One person’s share of the satirical put up referenced a false declare positing that the U.S. authorities sought to seize land in Chimney Rock, North Carolina, all to permit lithium mining. The person remarked, “They usually known as that storm and the lithium a conspiracy concept… I stated if the checks come then its not a concept and now I’ve been confirmed proper once more! I am getting exhausted by the profitable!”
Different customers commenting underneath America’s Final Line of Protection’s put up additionally appeared to interpret the rumor as reality. One individual stated, “I used to like Oprah however bought a nasty intestine feeling a few years in the past and I do not need something to do together with her due to it!” One other person posted a baseless declare in regards to the 2023 Maui wildfires with out offering any proof by any means, writing, “I feel she did that in Maui once they had the hearth there.”
‘Taters’ and Trolling
The America’s Final Line of Protection Fb web page has traditionally aimed to troll conservative customers they name “taters” — a time period referencing individuals who supposedly consider their unfaithful tales. For instance, The Dunning-Kruger Occasions’ web site – a web site related to the community of satire and parody – describes “taters” as follows:
“Taters” are the conservative followers of America’s Final Line of Protection. They’re fragile, frightened, largely older caucasian Individuals. They consider almost something. Whereas we exit of our option to educate them that not every thing they agree with is true, they’re nonetheless previous, sometimes ignorant, and once more — very afraid of every thing.
Our mission is to do our greatest to point out them the sunshine, by means of disgrace if obligatory, and to have a very good time doing it, as a result of…previous and afraid or not, these individuals are chargeable for the patriarchy we’re railing so arduous towards. They do not perceive logic and so they could not care much less about cause. Info are irrelevant. BUT…they do perceive disgrace.
Snopes has addressed related satirical claims about Winfrey previously, together with the assertion that one in every of her charity runs named “Coats for Children” took in over $140 million however only produced 310 jackets with the cash.
For background, right here is why we alert readers to rumors created by sources that decision their output humorous or satirical.
