“Trans Sheldon” dupes the Internet with fake spinoff

A parody account set off a big bang online with a viral tweet claiming that CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory was introducing a spinoff titled “Trans Sheldon.” While the joke was lost on no small amount of outraged transphobes, many viewers shared unironic disappointment that the news wasn’t true.

Related

Trans folks are asking: Can the trans flag double as the American flag?

Suddenly feeling quite patriotic

The post comes from Poo Crave, a parody version of the pop culture news account Pop Crave. To most queer people, the post was an obvious fake. Besides the fact that most legitimate news sites don’t have “poo” in their name, the post featured an obvious photoshop of actor Jim Parsons with long hair and makeup.

Culture, unfiltered

Twice a week, our newsletter will bring you the pulse of queer culture, from the tastemakers to the groundbreakers.

Some transphobic users took the opportunity to showcase how uncritically they review news on the internet. “Cancel it,” one especially bright user replied. Others claimed they were not surprised by the news, given how absolutely scarce cis characters are on TV these days.

Queer users, meanwhile, joked that this news would give people a reason to actually watch The Big Bang Theory.

This is far from the first time that Poo Crave has sown the seeds of queer chaos online. In June, the account broke into mainstream discourse over its infamous Justin Timberlake post.

After the former NSYNC star was arrested in New York on DWI charges, Poo Crave claimed that he “had traces of molly, poppers, Truvada and coke in his bloodstream.” This bit of fake news earned the account a temporary suspension, but not until the post had duped over 13 million viewers into believing Timberlake was rolling on Prep and poppers.

Since then, the account has spread “news” about everything from Troye Sivan’s wedding night to Elton John’s bussy. In a recent memorable instance, the account claimed that presidential nominee Kamala Harris had chosen Ariana Grande’s out gay brother Frankie as her running mate.

“I humbly accept,” Frankie Grande replied. “I will be reclaiming MAGA as my slogan – we shall Make America Gay Again. Thank you.”