About

Fake Gnus is a pun on the catchphrase "fake news." Often used together with images of toy or otherwise nonreal wildebeest (also known as gnus), the pun has been used the same way as the original expression, typically being used to claim that a news report or a piece of information is factually incorrect.

Origin

On January 17th, 2017, Flickr^[1] user Chris Humphrey posted a photoshopped image of two wildebeest, also known as gnu, with two pairs of human legs coming from below each of their bodies, captioned "Fake gnus" (shown below). The caption is a pun on the expression "fake news" popularized by former United States President Donald Trump after he made the claim against CNN earlier that month.

Spread

In 2017 and 2018, various reaction images and memes based on the pun were created and shared online. On February 16th, 2017, X^[2] user @djsziff posted an image of three plush wildebeest with the caption, with the post (shown below, left) garnering over 1,400 reposts and 2,000 likes in seven years. On March 22nd, X^[3] user @vaughndavis posted another Photoshop edit based on the pun, with the image (shown below, right) gaining over 340 reposts and 510 likes in the same period.

The images, and the original edit in particular, saw use as reactions on social media in the following years, being used in the same manner as various "fake news" reaction images.

On July 16th, 2024, entrepreneur Elon Musk used the image to react to a news post by the Wall Street Journal about him allegedly spending over $45 million per month on a pro-Trump political action committee (PAC). Musk's reply (shown below) gained over 720 reposts and 4,100 likes on X^[4] in one day, drawing mainstream popularity towards the meme.

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References