Hoax Tactics-Liliana Z.

Everyone is capable of falling into the hands of persuasion. Whether one is extremely gullible or particularly inquisitive, a persuasive hoax is capable of fooling even the most credible people. People commonly use publicity, phony evidence, and a believable tone in order to deceive an audience. The Feejee Mermaid that was claimed to have been have caught was given much public attention due to people’s unrealistic fantasies. Barnum took advantage of everyone’s curiosity and advertised the mermaid so much that people began to take great interest in it. The mermaid is perceived as a beautiful, elegant creature and brochures as well as posters portrayed this fantasy. The public were also subjected to phony evidence and, as a result, made false inferences. People believed that because there are sea dogs and sea wolves, the existence of mermaids is just as plausible. Because no one had been given any reason to doubt the existence of a mermaid, the first “real” evidence was accepted. Hundreds reported mermaid sightings, which only makes Barnum’s claim more believable. Finally, Barnum’s tone about the reality of the mermaid is very persuasive. He uses scientific language to wave away any doubtful thoughts. Many people assume that an idea or proposition is correct if they do not fully understand the actual meaning; Barnum took advantage of people’s ignorance and was ultimately given the attention he craves. Hoaxes can be very successful or unsuccessful depending on the subject and audience. The hoax must be believable and not completely impossible. Hoaxes also serve as a false hope to some unsuspecting people. Although most hoaxes are harmless, an unsuccessful hoax may pose a threat to people. A flawed hoax with exaggerated details may also be unsuccessful because uncertainty will overcome curiosity.