[bbeonx]

Pizza gate is an extreme. But also, yes, news has changed dramatucally over the last couple of decades and older generations maybe don't consume as defensively as younger generations. Over time this can make ridiculous things sound plausible.

I remember there was a trump meme going around where he supposedly said "if I ever ran for president it would be as a republican, they are all a bunch of morons". The first time I saw that it looked sketchy as hell, but both of my folks (intelligent people, mind you) bought it hook, line, and sinker. In general, it's younger people that I saw citing it as a fake while older people shared it. Totally anecdotal, I'll grant you, but I hardly think my experience is unique

[beat]

I don't think it's that ridiculous things can sound plausible. No, they sound ridiculous. I think it's when the fake news looks like something someone is inclined to believe anyway. In my little bubble, I'm always chiding young, progressive friends for uncritically sharing memes with fake quotes etc that happen to reinforce their political biases.