How did social media reposts contribute to the false narrative?

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Social Media Reposts Falsely Portrayed Comedy Stunt as Criminal Punishment

Social media reposts significantly contributed to the false narrative surrounding the duct-taped men by fabricating a backstory of criminal punishment, transforming a comedy stunt into a widely believed crime story. This fabricated tale spread rapidly, overshadowing the actual origin of the viral video.
Fabricated Backstory of Motorcycle Theft

One social media account reposted the video clip with a fabricated narrative, falsely claiming the two men had been caught stealing a motorcycle. This invented story alleged that residents punished the supposed thieves.
Rapid Spread of False Information

Within hours of being reposted with the fabricated backstory, the false narrative had spread widely across various social media platforms. This rapid dissemination of misinformation effectively turned the original comedy stunt into a completely different and untrue crime story.
Misidentification and Folklore Comparisons

The visual of the men completely cocooned in duct tape, with only their faces exposed, led to widespread speculation and comparison. Many viewers initially believed they were being punished by neighbours in Indonesia for trespassing, with some likening them to characters from Teletubbies, Upin & Ipin, or even the shrouded ghost figure known as pocong from Malay folklore.
Comedy Creators as Perpetrators of Hoax

In reality, the two men are comedy content creators from Malang, East Java, named Syahroni Muhammad and Feri Wedon, associated with the Batre TV YouTube channel. Their predicament stemmed from a TikTok livestream dare where viewers gifted them virtual items in exchange for them wrapping themselves in duct tape and subsequently eating shrimp paste, which contributed to their appearance of distress.

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How did social media reposts contribute to the false narrative?

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