ray363•9d ago

Why does nobody talk about how fake those "viral" Walmart parking lot videos are?

I saw this clip last week of a guy dancing on top of a car in a Walmart lot and it had like 2 million views. People in the comments were going nuts calling it the funniest thing ever. But I got suspicious cause the camera work was too smooth and the guy never broke character. Turns out it was a staged bit from a local improv group in Austin who film stuff for TikTok. I only found out cause someone in the replies dug up the group's page. It's wild how many people just take these things as real life. Has anyone else spotted a viral video that turned out to be fake?

3 comments

3 Comments

chen.casey9d ago

Is it just me or do people not check the account that posted it? I always look at who filmed it before I share anything. Half the time you click through and it's a comedy group or a brand doing a bit. It saves you from looking silly when you send it to your group chat all excited.

the_laura8d ago

@chen.casey nailed it, honestly. The second I see smooth camera work and no one reacting in the background I'm already checking the account it came from. Saved myself from looking dumb in the group chat more than once doing that.

the_hayden5d ago

Haven't you noticed that sometimes the smooth camera work is actually just someone using a phone mount or a cheap gimbal? I mean, not everyone's out here filming with a tripod and a whole production crew. My friend got one for like thirty bucks and suddenly his videos look way too clean for someone just standing in their kitchen. Idk, I think it's worth looking at the actual content first before writing it off based on production quality. A lot of regular people are getting better at filming stuff now because the gear is so cheap. Maybe it's just me but I've definitely shared a few videos that looked suspiciously professional but turned out to be real.