Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Internet Bummed After NY Times Article About Watermelons On Mars Was Published In Error

Internet Bummed After NY Times Article About Watermelons On Mars Was Published In Error
Lew Robertson/Getty Images; SCIEPRO/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/Getty Images; @ParkerMolloy/Twitter

Digital publishing has its own potential pitfalls that aren't concerns in a print medium. For example, The New York Times recently published one of their internal CMS (content management system) test articles in error.

Given the subject matter, the internet had a field day with it.


You can see a screenshot of the test article as it appeared on The New York Times website here:

The New York Times/screenshot

The test article—titled "Fields Of Watermelons Found On Mars, Police Say"—had Twitter in an uproar.

After all, who doesn't love a little watermelon in the summertime?

Giphy

The article apparently contained some pretty great lines, such as:

"Authorities say rise of fruit aliens is to blame for glut of outer space watermelons."

Giphy

Even the feds were involved, apparently.

"The FBI declined to comment on reports of watermelons raining down but confirmed that kiwis have been intercepted."

No word on if it was Scully or Mulder.

Local law enforcement opinions weren't left out though.

"Watermelon taste good, police say."

Giphy

The writer—wisely identified as Joe Schmoe—also threw in some self-aware humor with the line:

"This story is terribly boring."

Giphy

After the article was taken down, a spokesperson for The New York Times told Futurism:

"Earlier today, a mock article intended for a testing system was published on our site in error."
"The article has since been removed."

Twitter users were anxious to read the full article, with many calling for it to be republished.


Some were simply confused.


Others speculated about what happened.




However some people poked holes in the CMS test story.

Is it all a Martian plot?

Giphy

Eventually, someone found an archived version of the article.

Sadly, the interplanetary scoop was only three sentences long.

The New York Times/screenshot

While there are no Martian watermelons taking over the global fruit market yet—much to the disappointment of many it seems—the accidental article certainly provided some entertainment.

For now folks will just have to continue eating the regular old Earth watermelons they're used to.

No complaints here.

Giphy

More from Trending

Tina Turner
Christian Charisius/picture alliance via Getty Images

A Massive Sculpture Of Tina Turner Was Just Unveiled—And It's Going Viral For All The Wrong Reasons

When it comes to entertainment legends, the late singer Tina Turner is right at the top of the pantheon.

And fittingly, the songstress' hometown of Brownsville, Tennessee, wanted to pay tribute to her legacy with giant statue of the icon.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ted Cruz; Marjorie Taylor Greene
(L-R) Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Ted Cruz Clashes With 'Crazy' MTG Over Her Cryptic Post Alluding That 'The Jews' Are Trying To Kill Her

Texas MAGA Republican Senator Rafael "Ted" Cruz raised eyebrows when he attacked Georgia QAnon/MAGA Republican Representative and conspiracy theorist Marjorie Taylor Greene (MTG) for being antisemitic.

MTG has promoted some antisemitic conspiracy theories in the past, like Jewish space lasers that control the weather or start wildfires, but this time people are calling Cruz out for reaching in an attempt to discredit the Georgia Republican and protect Trump from what's being concealed in FBI, Department of Justice, and court records relating to the indictment of Jeffrey Epstein on charges of sex trafficking of minors.

Keep ReadingShow less
​Screenshot of Zohran Mamdani; Donald Trump
CNN; Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Zohran Mamdani Claps Back After Trump Threatens To Withhold Federal Funding To NYC If He Becomes Mayor

Zohran Mamdani—the Democratic Socialist New York City mayoral candidate who stunned the establishment with a seismic win for progressives that has reverberated across the country—criticized President Donald Trump's threats to withhold federal funds if Mamdani wins November's election.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump called Mamdani a "New York City Communist" and said he "will prove to be one of the best things to ever happen to our great Republican Party."

Keep ReadingShow less
Gavin Newsom; Kid Rock
JP Yim/Getty Images for Clinton Global Initiative; Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Gavin Newsom Epically Shuts Down Suggestion That Kid Rock Should Be Doing Super Bowl Halftime Show

Earlier this week, the NFL announced that worldwide superstar Bad Bunny would be the headliner for the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show, causing right-wing heads to explode over the news.

After far-right provocateur Nick Adams suggested that the singer, a fierce critic of the Trump administration, should not have been chosen for the halftime gig, California Governor Gavin Newsom's press office took to X to mock him in the account's now familiar Trump-esque style.

Keep ReadingShow less
One hand pouring pills into another.
person holding white round ornament

Absurd 'Cures' People With Chronic Illnesses Were Told To Try

Those suffering from a chronic illness often find themselves in over their heads with medication prescribed by their doctors.

Even so, many people add some homeopathic medications that won't be found at a pharmacy, but help them through their day-to-day lives.

Keep ReadingShow less