You may have seen Amy Poehler trending on Twitter recently, have clicked on the trend, and wished you could have removed your own eyes.
Attached was a picture of a woman who looked astoundingly like Poehler and a shocking headline:
"Miami Stripper Arrested for Squirting Vaginal Fluids at Police Officers in Self Defense."
free her https://t.co/pLCbKHEiuS— skáld (@skáld)1617741399.0
As "wild and fun" as that idea would have been, closer examination of the photo and the headline brings us to a source that ultimately confirms it as fake.
The "article" was originally run by the World Daily News Report, a satire of news media with the tagline "where facts don't matter."
amy poehler warned us https://t.co/esBtXlOICZ— audrey🧋 (@audrey🧋)1617800347.0
amy poehler’s oscar winning performance https://t.co/Avy7fkx5p4— mr pretzels (@mr pretzels)1617767354.0
Amy Poehler logging on to Twitter this morning: https://t.co/c4zpT8gLSD— Lisa Puy (@Lisa Puy)1617801109.0
SNL sending a Covid test to Amy Poehler as we speak for this weeks show https://t.co/hSdPQlyM5W— Amanda Gorman invented poetry (@Amanda Gorman invented poetry)1617784031.0
me: oh god why is amy poehler trending? when i learn why: https://t.co/v4wWtQUbuJ— janie (@janie)1617777981.0
This false news story has circulated quite a bit over the last year, with the Amy Poehler look-alike woman at the forefont.
But apparently, that resemblance is also overstated.
The photo appeared in The Smoking Gun in 2008, and it appears to have been altered since its original iteration.
If you're wondering why Amy Poehler is trending...give this woman a goddamned Medal of Honor. #AllCopsAreBasted https://t.co/FIxalABV1E— Richard Rowe for Congress (@Richard Rowe for Congress)1617797924.0
Florida lady who looks like Amy Poehler fighting off those cop https://t.co/twldzy0C2o— President Kamala’s Hand (STILL) (@President Kamala’s Hand (STILL))1617805288.0
Ron Swanson after figuring out why Leslie Knope lookalike Amy Poehler is trending. https://t.co/LNqGEzSRTI— Richard Jeter (@Richard Jeter)1617802852.0
amy poehler after receiving another text about why she’s trending on twitter https://t.co/htfiq22Dtp— lauren (@lauren)1617809527.0
lorne michaels outside amy poehler's house rn: https://t.co/0EADTOsCIG— elle (@elle)1617808346.0
But just because the photo and headline are faked does not mean the concept is not amusing.
Plenty of folks are joking SNL will want to get Amy Poehler on as soon as possible to address the moment.
Amy Poehler when she sees why she’s trending on Twitter this morning https://t.co/kJS8QZEXZj— Amanda Godsey (@Amanda Godsey)1617804407.0
Amy Poehler when SNL asks her to come on the show this weekend https://t.co/h1E1m3RAhW— Shamar English (@Shamar English)1617806246.0
Dear SNL, please give me an Amy Poehler squirting stripper sketch, but do it like an old Cagney film... “YOU’LL NEV… https://t.co/UDqgFia21N— Santa Claus, CEO (@Santa Claus, CEO)1617809144.0
Amy Poehler was just minding her business and then out of no where she forced to unleash the super soaker 4000 https://t.co/GhcPSncUjK— GoodNightHarlem🎙 (@GoodNightHarlem🎙)1617799245.0
SNL staff on their way to the writers' room after seeing Amy Poehler trending https://t.co/sV9oWH7CHn— Jayson Slade (@Jayson Slade)1617813689.0
The story is still widely circulating on Twitter, still being shared as real.
Poehler has not yet commented.