2 Girls 1 Podcast FAKE REVIEWS

The Daily Dot

How one guy tricked the internet into thinking his shed was London’s best restaurant

'Maybe we trust what we read online more than what we put in our mouths.'

 

Matt Silverman

 

chris boylan

Internet Culture

Posted on Nov 26, 2018   Updated on May 21, 2021, 12:50 am CDT

When Oobah Butler was hard up for cash, he found a gig writing fake reviews for London restaurants he’d never been to. He fell into an abyss of forgeries on TripAdvisor that gave him an idea.

What if he invented a fake restaurant, powered by more fake reviews, to fool everyone? The performance art stunt took on a life of its own, compelling him to have a fake grand opening of The Shed, London’s No. 1 restaurant on the Internet—which served microwave meals in Butler’s backyard.

The ultimate “Emperor’s New Clothes” story propelled Butler to worldwide fame, where he continued to trick the media by hiring actors to portray him in interviews.

This week on 2 Girls 1 Podcast, Alli and Jen (actors who perform weird internet stuff on stage) have a long talk with Butler about why the anonymity of the internet makes people so gullible.

Listen to the show:

This week’s episode is supported by Penguin Random House Audio, which publishes thousands of award-winning audiobooks every year, including some great holiday suggestions like Harry Potter, Crazy Rich Asians, and fun listens by your favorite comedians. Download Penguin Random House Audiobooks wherever you listen to your favorite audiobooks (Audible, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.) or check out this page to browse the latest selections.

2 Girls 1 Podcast is also supported by listeners. A lot of time and resources go into research, booking, editing, and publishing this show. If you love internet culture as much as we love ’casting about it, consider a contribution of $1 or $2 per month to help offset our production costs. Become a patron of #2G1P and earn some cool perks while you’re at it:

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Subscribe to 2 Girls 1 Podcast wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts and get new episodes one week early on the free TuneIn app!

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If you enjoy this podcast, consider sharing it with a friend or two, and use the hashtag #2G1P. We’ll be watching!

2 Girls 1 Podcast is hosted by Allison Goldberg and Jennifer Jamula, and is produced and edited by Matt Silverman in New York City. Production assistance is provided by The Podglomerate.

Want to hear more from the Daily Dot? Check out the Upstream Podcast, tackling the week in streaming entertainment, and We’re All Gonna Die, our weekly politics roundtable.

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*First Published: Nov 26, 2018, 10:32 am CST