Jojo Siwa Controversy, Madame Marie Curie's Death & More
JoJo Siwa faces backlash, Controversies pile up following Madame Marie Curie's Death, misinformation about the covid vaccine and other topics continues to spread.
1. Jojo Siwa Controversy
2. Madame Marie Curie’s Death
3. Top 5 Fake News of the Week
Summary
JoJo Siwa, a singer, dancer, and actress, has faced criticism for her music video and personal issues, including her desire to start a new genre called "gay pop." Her past relationships, particularly with Avery Cyrus, have been questioned, and her LGBTQ+ representation in the music industry has been questioned, causing backlash and divisive stories.
Marie Curie's death was tragic due to her discovery of radium and polonium, leading to a rare blood disorder called aplastic pernicious anemia. Misinformation and lack of proper safety procedures led to false perceptions and increased radiation usage.
Misinformation, including false claims about COVID-19 vaccines, high-profile deaths, and Snoop Dogg's endorsement of gummies for quitting smoking, has been spread online, with no evidence supporting these claims.
Jojo Siwa Controversy
Twenty-year-old JoJo Siwa, best known for her role in "Dance Moms," is a singer, dancer, and actress. She has recently made some creative endeavors and personal discoveries, which have brought her under intense scrutiny and criticism. Siwa came under heavy fire after releasing her new song "Karma" and accompanying music video, which featured a group of female dancers on a yacht. Several things drew the public's criticism, including her attire, her ostentatious dance routines, and her vocal performance in the music video.
Siwa has faced criticism not only for her music video but also for personal issues, mainly related to her declarations that she wants to start a new genre called "gay pop" and that she wants to have an ex-girlfriend on her podcast, "JoJo Siwa Now." These remarks have ignited discussions and poured more gasoline on the fire of public outrage.
Siwa's past relationships, particularly her turbulent current relationship with Avery Cyrus, have also been questioned, which has further tarnished her public persona. Through TikTok, Avery has openly disclosed information about their relationship, including feelings of abandonment and emotional upheaval both during and after their relationship. According to Avery's accounts, there were occasions when Siwa interacted with an ex-girlfriend at a concert, which left her feeling betrayed and abandoned. After a series of incidents that led to their final breakup, a brief reconciliation, and final separation, Avery felt used and controlled by Siwa for her public persona.
In addition to facing personal and professional difficulties, Siwa is now the target of false information and fake news. The controversies surrounding her song "Karma," allegedly written originally for Miley Cyrus, exemplify how untrue and unverified information can spread. This false information has distorted Siwa's intentions and contributions to her music and personal brand, resulting in increased public backlash against her.
Siwa received a great deal of backlash and discussion after rebranding herself as a gay pop artist. Her attempts to step out into new musical territory and take on a more mature persona should have been commended, but there was always the risk of misleading information. Sincere discussions about LGBTQ+ representation in the music industry were obfuscated by false information and divisive stories that Siwa's comments about establishing a new musical genre known as "gay pop" generated.
The dissemination of false pregnancy rumors marked the story's climax and served as a sobering reminder of the risks fake news poses to public opinion. Rumors on social media and misinterpretations of Siwa's posts contributed to the unfounded rumors that propagated negative stereotypes and judgments about her, in addition to causing distress. Amidst the intricate controversy surrounding JoJo Siwa, one thing is for sure: the spread of false narratives and the poisonous influence of fake news pose a serious threat to people's well-being and reputations. When traversing the digital world, we must exercise discernment, verify our sources, and stand up for the truth when misled by false information.
JoJo Siwa's story is a sobering reminder of the detrimental effects of fake news, cautioning us to be cautious when participating in dubious online discourse and to take preventative measures to ensure that the truth is not compromised in the name of sensationalism.
Controversies Following Madame Marie Curie’s Death
Marie Curie’s death was considered a great loss to the scientific community. It is even more tragic when one realizes that her very work was the cause of her death. She paid for her discoveries with her life. She developed a rare blood disorder called “aplastic pernicious anemia” that was later understood to be caused by radiation. The cause of her death led to many outcroppings of false perspectives on her end and discoveries.
Marie Curie is the first woman to win the Nobel Prize. She is the only scientist to have won the Nobel Prize in two different fields. Her remarkable work in discovering radium and polonium has helped propel scientific discoveries forward. Her works are still treasured and her scientific journals are still accessed: However, there was a time when her works were not accessible. Not because of privacy or security, but because of the potentially dangerous radioactivity they contained that could harm the user.
Marie Curie and her husband did not realize that their discovery of radiation would inevitably weaken them. They had neither a laboratory nor proper equipment. They simply viewed radium as a new scientific discovery that they could own and be deeply proud of. They spent long hours working with radium. It is even reported that Curie carried around tubes of radium as she was “fascinated” by it. It is therefore no surprise that Curie suffered from terrible health issues.
One of the most major issues in the field of science was the lack of knowledge of safety procedures. As mentioned, Curie and her husband did not even have a lab. They conducted most of their experiments in an old shed near their house. This meant they had little to no protective equipment, It is also reported that Marie used the blue dress she wore on her wedding as her lab coat. This shows that there was not a trend in using proper scientific equipment for such experiments. Furthermore, many other scientists have worked in places without proper lab equipment which cost them their health.
The issue does not just lie in the misinformation in the field itself, but also in the public eye. It is no secret that the papers were not kind to women in the field of academics. Curie had already been subject to false accusations of being Jewish, taking advantage of her husband’s successes, and being a homewrecker after her relationship with another scientist. After she died, there was no information regarding how exactly she came to her end. It was mostly concluded it was due to health problems. Only years later was it realized the true reason.
Another false fact came into view: that radiation from chemical compounds like radium is highly contagious and will contaminate almost anything. It must be kept in mind that Marie Curie spent decades working with radium which led to her developing health issues. Her works, coffin, and other belongings were locked up and could not be touched as it was believed that instant contact would lead to contamination. It was later understood they can be handled with care and safety measures. Her body is also believed to have been “unapproachable” and would only lose radioactivity in a millennia or so, hence her coffin was covered with lead. This led to a high belief that Curie died from radium exposure and any contact with radiation can lead someone to be equally exposed and endangered. This inevitably impacted future scientific research as after her death, there was a spike in the usage of radiation, then a decline after the true cause of her death was revealed (then gradual acceptance as better scientific safety measures came to be).
Scientific practices inevitably see a trial-and-error period. Procedures evolve with time and the availability of resources. For example, the blood-leaching method was a medical practice for centuries before it was discovered it did more harm than good (i.e. it weakened the body). It is still important that information is conveyed to the audience that is not based on perception and more on evidence. The lack of awareness of Curie’s death, then the exaggerated dangers of radioactivity, all contributed to the public’s perspective on matters. Information must be interpreted in a manner that can prevent falsifications. This is just one of the many examples of how often wrong information is spread.
Top 5 Fake News of the Week
1. The Video of Jews protesting in New York City is actually a decade old (Source: Soch Fact Check)
On March 10, 2024, a user from X named @VudiXhymshiti shared a video claiming it showed a recent protest in New York City against Israel's military actions in Gaza. However, it was later revealed that the video was from 2013 and was a protest against a draft bill requiring Orthodox Jews to serve in the Israeli military. Reputable news outlets covered the 2013 protest, which focused on religious freedom and opposition to mandatory military service. The misleading claim about the protest was widely shared online, with inaccurate captions linking it to current events in Gaza. Soch Fact Check concluded that the viral video did not depict a recent protest against the IDF or Israel's actions in Gaza, but rather an older demonstration against the Israeli draft bill.
2. A Notice from a New Jersey doctor’s office proves that COVID-19 vaccines are dangerous for athletes (Source: Poynter)
A New Jersey Doctor’s office notice was shared on Facebook. The post suggested that COVID-19 vaccines could be dangerous for student-athletes. However, studies have found no evidence linking COVID-19 vaccines to sudden cardiac deaths in youth athletes. The post was flagged as misinformation because it lacked evidence to support its claim. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have acknowledged that mRNA COVID-19 vaccines can cause rare cases of myocarditis and pericarditis, particularly in young males. Despite this, recent studies from the CDC have shown no association between cardiac deaths in previously healthy young people and the COVID-19 vaccines.
3. You Can Have Your Funeral at Disney World for $15,000? (Source: Snopes)
Mouse Trap News published an article and posted it on their TikTok on April 9th, 2023 claiming that funerals can be held at Disney land for $15,000. However, the article did not recount any factual real-life events. This was because the News outlet was humorous or satirical. Other sites did spread this rumor believing it to be accurate.
4. O.J. Simpson Died from Cancer, Not COVID-19 Vaccine (Source: FactCheck.org)
Misinformation online falsely linked O.J. Simpson's death to his COVID-19 vaccination, despite his passing being due to cancer and no evidence supporting a connection between the vaccine and cancer. This false narrative is part of a concerning trend where high-profile deaths are inaccurately associated with COVID-19 vaccination, often perpetuated by anti-vaccination groups.
Similar false claims have been made regarding other notable figures' deaths, including Hank Aaron, Betty White, Doug Brignole, Jake Flint, and Grant Wahl, where there is no factual basis linking their deaths to the COVID-19 vaccine.
5. The video shows Snoop Dogg recommending “gummies for quitting smoking.” (Source: PolitiFact)
A false Facebook post suggested that Snoop Dogg was endorsing gummies as a means to quit smoking, but further investigation revealed that the audio in the video had been manipulated. The original clip from Snoop Dogg's appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in January showed no indication of him advocating for using gummies to quit smoking. This false claim is part of a larger trend where scams utilize manipulated audio or video to falsely portray celebrities endorsing certain products. Fact-checking efforts confirmed that there were no credible news reports or evidence supporting the claim that Snoop Dogg endorsed gummies for quitting smoking.