Come on guys, what is the first rule of the Internet? Okay it's probably 'Stay the hell away from /b/ on 4chan' but after that? The Internet Lies. Never believe your eyes. Never believe your ears. Never believe anything.
But sometimes we forget that rule, despite the pixels and having seen quite a few shops in our time. Sometimes we want something to be true so badly that we don't notice the telltale signs or look too closely for the original source. After all, we're only human.
Such was the case today when a photo surfaced of Peter Dinklage having an amazing Grump-Off selfie contest with Internet star Grumpy Cat.
Photo Credit: Anderz
If scientists in a lab wanted to engineer a photo to go viral, they couldn't have done it better. Its got 'Game of Thrones,' its got a selfie, its got a cat, it has a hilarious photobomber in the background. Statistically the probability of the Internet losing it's collective mind is off the viral analysis charts!
BUT IT. IS. A. LIE.
The original photo, taken by Redditor WeAllWantSomeone, looks like this. I'm sorry. I know it's painful but you have to look. It's for your own good.
The real photo was taken by Will Oliver at an X-Men: Days of Future Past fan event at New York City's Javits Center.
Once the illusion is shattered, it becomes so clear. In the traitorous lying photo, Grumpy Cat is sitting. But what could she possible be sitting on that high up? Unless she has super strong core muscles and the ability to levitate, she couldn't be in that position. The lighting around her fur, especially on the right where she is in front of the darkened background also gives away her post-production insertion.
Dammit Internet, this is why we can't have nice things.