A convincingly amateur video clip of a new extreme sport called "liquid mountaineering" quickly went viral last week — purporting to show how certain, gifted South Africans can run on water. Their "secret: They run "on a slight curve," so that their feet skim across the surface like a stone. The clip, a sly ad for Hi-Tec's new waterproof shoes, fooled at least one local news team and, no doubt, countless viewers. The problem with such "theoretically harmless" viral marketing campaigns, says Maureen O'Connor at Gawker, is that the discovery you've been fooled turns your initial intrigue into something "no more joyous than finding the perfect pair of 'broken in' jeans at Abercrombie." Tom Cullen at Asylum is less concerned: As manipulations go, this one delivers. Let "yourself suspend disbelief for a moment":
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Today's political cartoons - February 1, 2025Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - broken eggs, contagious lies, and more
-
5 humorously unhealthy cartoons about RFK Jr.Cartoons Artists take on medical innovation, disease spreading, and more
-
Brodet (fish stew) recipeThe Week Recommends This hearty dish is best accompanied by a bowl of polenta
