Abhay Singh
The rumor about Vance having sex with a couch started when a Twitter user claimed that Vance, in his memoir Hillbilly Elegy, admitted to a sexual act involving a latex glove and couch cushions. The tweet wrote “Can’t say for sure but he might be the first VP pick to have admitted in a NY Times bestseller to f—ing an inside-out latex glove shoved between two couch cushions (Vance, Hillbilly Elegy, pp. 179-181).”
Social media users eagerly circulated the claim, fuelling the debate.
Associated Press (AP) retracted their article ‘fact-checking’ the rumors
The Associated Press (AP) recently withdrew a story that fact-checked assertions that JD Vance wrote about “having sex with a couch” in his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy.”
The AP story, which first appeared on Wednesday, examined claims that Vance described sexual conduct in his 2016 book. The AP found that these assertions were untrue.
The story “No, JD Vance did not have sex with a couch” was taken down by Thursday, though, and the link was sent to a “page unavailable” notice. According to the AP, the article was removed because it did not adhere to its editorial guidelines.
“Streisand effect,” where attempts to suppress information only increase interest in it
The taking down of the story only gave more focus to it. This is called “Streisand Effect”.
Reactions on social media were not entirely unanimous. The AP came under fire from some users for allegedly spreading the rumor further before pulling the story. Others used jokes and memes to make light of the situation, frequently responding to humour with shock.People made fun of the circumstance and the claim’s ridiculousness on social media sites like Twitter.
The incident highlights the challenges media outlets face in addressing false information without unintentionally amplifying it. The AP’s efforts to factcheck and dispel rumors highlight the delicate balance between correcting misinformation and inadvertently increasing its visibility.
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