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Let’s face it—people lie. Sometimes, they’re able to get away with it quite easily, too. But when they start spreading exaggerated stories on social media, the truth eventually comes out. After all, there’s always someone ready to call them out on their BS.

Enter the Didn’t Happen to the Year Awards (DHOTYA), a Twitter account that exposes and shames the most conspicuous lies shared on the internet. Each year, the most unbelievable tall tales are picked out and pitted against each other, with their 339K followers voting for the biggest liars on social media.

From kids having intellectual moments on politics to people receiving a standing ovation after announcing their opinion, we have collected some of the best posts this account has to offer. Continue scrolling, upvote ​​the finest “didn’t happen” incidents, and share your thoughts in the comments below!

#2

Didn’t Happen Of The Year Awards

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WilvanderHeijden
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When you want everyone to know that you're an incel without saying that you're an incel.

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Bored Panda reached out to Andrew Selepak, Ph.D., a program coordinator of Master’s in Social Media and a lecturer at the University of Florida, to learn more about why people tell such far-fetched stories online. “Most individuals, brands, and influencers don’t really lie on social media, but they tend to exaggerate,” he told us.  

“Everyone engages in self-image manipulation on social media. We highlight and promote our best moments while leaving out the bad or mundane,” Selepak added. “But for the individual user, scrolling through their timeline, it appears that everyone is always doing something exciting whether it is [going] on vacation, getting engaged, or having a child.”

Selepak explained that social media allows more people to see the lies and exaggerations others post. “Before social media, a person could tell a lie to another and then the exact opposite lie to someone else, and it is possible no one would know. But you cannot do this on social media because everyone you know finds out at once.” 

“If anything, social media may actually limit the amount of outright lying people do anymore because anything they say or post can be refuted by any and all of their followers rather than by one person,” the lecturer said. “Instead, we may perceive people are lying more, not because more lying is occurring on social media, but because we can monitor potential lies from hundreds if not thousands of people at once.” 

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#3

Didn’t Happen Of The Year Awards

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Caro Caro
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I squeezed her hand and the heavens opened and a unicorn farted glitter and we held hands while walking to the rainbow on the horizon ...

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He noted that the great thing about having the internet in our hands is that collectively, we can expose lies and those who spread them more than ever before. When it comes to spotting these dishonest posts, Selepak mentioned there are two different types: lies and exaggerations. 

When it comes to the latter one, most of us tend to blow up the facts on social media: “We post about a meal at a restaurant to show people we are out and take pictures of the food framing it in such a way to make it look more appetizing, or a photo of the restaurant itself to make it look fancier than it is.”

“We could also post to social media about a job promotion and how excited we are while leaving out that we will be working longer hours and have to spend more time away from friends and family,” he continued. “Exaggerations on social media, for the most part, are harmless and act as life updates to our friends and followers.”

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#6

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MilaFi
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, that was the version that played in his head! You just don't get it! /s

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Lies on social media are different. Andrew Selepak noted that they can be intentional or unintentional. Like when we see a story criticizing a politician or sports team we don’t like, we will probably share it because we want it to be true: “We aren’t the originator of the lie, but we are spreading it because we didn’t do our due diligence to fact check it first.” 

Yet, this is not as bad as being the creator of a lie. “Politicians, internet trolls, and influencers spread lies about issues like COVID-19, their political party or the opposition, or and other major political issues, to manipulate the public.” These posts are dangerous because such people have a greater reach and thus their lies can be further spread by individuals who want to believe it’s true. 

“This is how fake news spreads,” Selepak explained. “But it can be difficult to combat fake news because as individuals we often don’t have reach as influencers. We can debunk and dispute lies, but not as many people will see it, and some might be more willing to believe the lie than the truth.” 

#8

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Xottel
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I recommend a sanitary/anti-bacterial plastic bag to cover your face, Desmond. 😉

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Disputing fabrications publicly also rarely works because “you could be attacked for being partisan” or doubting something others wants to believe to be true. “And no one likes to be called out publicly for lying. Instead, it is better to send a direct message or speak to someone offline about lies they are spreading, present accurate information, and hope they will take down their post or at least be less willing to share lies in the future.”  

We are all impacted by dishonesty on social media. “When people, and especially young girls, see the fake body images presented on social media as the norm and forget that what they see on social media is not real, it impacts how they see their body, the bodies of others, and what they idealize as the beauty standard,” the lecturer explained. “This is unhealthy and can lead to anxiety, depression, and eating disorders.”

While social media is full of dishonesty, “we cannot expect the platforms to remove all of this content, nor should we want them to. Social media should be a free speech space where ideas are debated and lies are publicly disputed,” Andrew Selepak said.

#9

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Yort
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These lucky bitches get to go on vacation to other countries and then cry about Netflix??

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Dr. Cortney Warren told Bored Panda that when it comes to social media, people usually “lie by presenting an image of themselves and their lives that reflects what they wish were true.” A board-certified clinical psychologist, a nationally recognized expert in self-deception, and author of Lies We Tell Ourselves: The Psychology of Self-Deception thinks that the anonymity and lack of direct face-to-face interaction make it easier for people to pretend.

“You can essentially say whatever you want online—whether it’s objectively true or not—and not really have very serious consequences for it.” The professor of Psychiatry at the UNLV School of Medicine explained that this way people are “able to project an image or a statement without many of the nuances of non-verbal and interpersonal cues that indicate lying in person.” 

#12

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Tobias Rieper
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

if you gonna lie about your kid make it believable like something a 10 year old might actually say

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She mentioned that in terms of spotting dishonesty, people should go into all online material with a critical thinking cap on. To evaluate whether a statement is true, people should ask questions. “First, consider the source—do they have a vested personal interest in presenting information a certain way? Then consider the perspective taken—are they able to articulate the other side of an argument? Also, look for self-deception. Are they in denial? Rationalizing? Projecting?” 

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“Although selective self-presentation and lying about ourselves on social media may not seem like a surprise (or even a big deal), it can affect us greatly,” Warren noted. “Humans are naturally social creatures—we crave relationships and social interaction. … We want to feel connected to people and “in the know” about our friends, family, and even celebrities. We crave connectedness. So, we want to interact with people and social media offers us one way to do that.”

#15

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Jo Choto
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But 24 hours later after the drugs wore off, we realized we didn't have a son. We don't even have a house.

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We also tend to trust that others are being honest with us: “A large body of research suggests that we are programmed to trust others. Although the reasons for [this] are complex, without interpersonal connectedness and a fundamental belief that those around will support you, protect you, and treat you respectfully, we feel unsafe.”

So when people are dishonest on social media, it causes problems because we internally presume that what is presented is true. “That people are naturally as good-looking as their photos appear. … That people around us are in a habitual state of going on vacation, eating out, and parenting blissfully. This is clearly not true,” the psychologist explained. 

#16

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Libstak
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I could see this happening actually, for all the wrong reasons but still.

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“And although we are less aware of the realities of other people’s lives, we are well aware of the ways in which our own lives are NOT ideal,” Dr. Cortney Warren told us. When we compare ourselves with “the idealized images and unreasonably positive life accounts that tend to permeate social media, we are likely to feel more poorly about ourselves and our lives.”

#18

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Sue Hazlewood
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a New Zealander I say, dream on lady. We don't give a damn about you so get your head out of your a**e.

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#19

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WilvanderHeijden
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So Brexit happened because 10 year olds really wanted it. Makes sense....

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#20

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MilaFi
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Children tell tales like this but adults doing it...you need professional help lady!

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We all lie—and on social media, this is rampant. “Often, people do it to try to project an image of what they wish were true. To make ourselves look more beautiful. Smarter. More successful. As though we have a more fun life!”

“Although lying to others is not something I would encourage you to do, the greater journey is to become fully honest with yourself,” Warren advised. “If you catch yourself in the act of lying, pause. Ask yourself why you are doing it. As you understand what’s motivating your lies, you can be more honest with yourself about who you want to be and how you want to act.”

#21

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Libstak
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's literally a potato which is in and of itself gender neutral. I can't recall ever seeing malwor female potatoes anywhere.

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Marcellus II
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This absolutely doesn't belong here --- Walsh is a conservative gnome that is opposed to any form of equality or rights, so he wrote this as a "imagine if the world were like this, how hateful"-story.

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Tyrone Biggers
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"...opposed to any form of equality or rights..." So your in favour of human equality from conception and a right to life from that point and he is not?

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Miguel Laric
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is a parody post. It's damming though that the tone and intent matches perfectly with some of the other posts in this sample.

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Daniel Marsh
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Actually knowing Matt Walsh (not in person), I suspect this was sarcastic.

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Katie Lutesinger
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Mr Potato Head is gender neutral now" isn't even particularly accurate. All they did was change the brand name to "Potato Head", with Mr and Mrs Potato Head remaining exactly as they are. https://corporate.hasbro.com/en-us/articles/create_your_potato_head_family_launching_this_fall

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Absolutely_Salad
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Exactly!! I hate it when people say stuff like this (although this one is a parody there are serious ones)

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Kate Jones
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Lol if this is the same Matt Walsh blog -he hates everything to do with anything gay, trans or rational. So this is him being facetious. If you check on his blog he's super anti-liberal. He's also one of the conspiracy people.

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Missy
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2 years ago

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Yeah, he's positively irrational, especially when he questions children on Tiktok who claim that they identify as mushrooms, or when a 49 year old man announces he wants to live as a 5 year old girl. Darn that Matt Walsh! What a narrow minded bigot!

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Leeta
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This was a joke, he was making fun of the ridiculous and outlandish Twitter posts that others post like this.

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Maggie Fanelli
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This was actually a joke. I can’t believe they didn’t catch that.

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CRR
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Um this one is a joke. If you don't know who Matt Walsh is, he's with the Daily Wire. It is satirical and this post is making fun of the very people who write s**t like this for attention. Hope no one thought this was real lmao.

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Luther von Wolfen
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And then she died, happily, and a gender-neutral potato angel took her up to Heaven.

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Mim Sörensson
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Do I detect another blatant attempt to make tolerant people seem militant and ridiculous? I think I do, by Jove!

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Viney24
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

wow.such a beautiful moment. sobbing and hugging over a plastic potato with facial features.

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Katelynn hileman
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Mr. Potato Head was fine before. Why are people getting mad of a freaking potato being gender neutral??? A potato was already gender neutral before. And my mom wonders why I hate people 🙄

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Nathaniel Nganga
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And then you woke up in a strange room and then you asked someone walking by and they said you were in jail for mentally poisoning a young child.

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KL Wilfrey
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Mike Walsh is the kind of bigot who would have his seven-year-old trained to squash gender-neutral potatoes beneath the heels of her little (pink) boots. This isn't a joke. This is hateful parody of the stupidest people on the left who make up unrealistic junk and put it out there. This is a guy who trolls for stupid liberal outbursts for the sake of weaponizing them back against liberal causes.

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Salty Wild Hair
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I know of this person and can say with some assurance that it was indeed a sarcastic retort to the making of a toy that was gendered by the inventor, ungendered. Probably not an award winner. Not even in the top 20.

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Bonny Saxon
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To me this just reads are sarcasm. Which then makes it rather funny.

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Riley Quinn
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There are a slew of grown-ass adults who are confused by all the new terminology, but this 7yo understands. Okie-dokie.

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Dave Jamison
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I just have to say.. Matt Walsh is a man who feels certain ways about the LGBT community and this post was satire... atleast know who you're trying to shame..

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Veronica Connelly
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And the whole neighborhood appeared in their front yard to cry and slow clap in unison

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ohjojo
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And then we opened up the flap in their ass and put their purse and their mustache away.

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Crystil Murch
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is so obviously satire and an attack on people who support trans folks.

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AngelWingsYT
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love the ppl that get upset over it being gender neutral xD

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LynzCatastrophe
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What part of you thought this was a good tweet to put out there? I'm actually cringing.

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Mayrene Chester
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Can't help but feel it's satire. "I started sobbing" because of Potato Head?

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Rocky Gupta
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If it was worth $10,000, instead of wasting it you could have cashed it and delighted 100 old ladies with $100 each....but no, you decided to deprive 99 of them of joy....is that why you found it memorable?

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ADDee
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And a tear was shed from Mr. Potato's ear, I mean nose, I mean mustache, I mean whatever was placed in place of his eye.

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EEF🤓
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People are insane. I hope it's a joke. If so it's amusing.

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Sunny Jozani
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why do all these stories end with the "probably high on crack" parents sobbing?

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Kishibe Angelo
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

im pretty sure its called mr. potato head to you instead of them potato head

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SCamp
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yep, world peace hinges on gender neutrality of toy vegetables

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Jo Choto
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As long as Mx Potato Head is good. Never mind all the thousands of human beings who might be struggling.

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Tobias Rieper
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

so its gender neutral yet you said Mr Potato head that by itself indicates it has a gender or that he identifies as a gender not neutral at all

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#22

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Marcellus II
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The point is that there's 146 of those two-tone eggs (all sold in alu wrapper so indistinguishable), and if you find BUT NOT EAT them you can enter in a competition for £10K (so arguably, one is worth £68.5 if uneaten). They are sold only between Christmas and Easter.

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#23

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WilvanderHeijden
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The few corrupt and useless doctors are the ones that are saying that Covid is just a hoax.

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#24

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J Garza
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Those actors really do commit. They are willing to get cremated and buried by the millions.

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#26

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Scagsy
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

From what I can tell, the young lady on the left has claimed to have completed a 5km run in just over 12 minutes. The world record is on the right. She is silly.

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#27

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Jo Choto
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Pharmacist: Ah, okay, then I won't give you the wrong prescription and kill you...

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#29

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Artemisa
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sorry, but kids understand that even better that parents. Maybe have not the definition of what pansexual means, but the do understand the value of a person

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#30

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Rhea.S🤍
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Though i agree with the statement he shouldn't have exaggerated it so people will believe him

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Note: this post originally had 97 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.