Bunk: The Rise of Hoaxes, Humbug, Plagiarists, Phonies, Post-Facts, and Fake News

In the swirling mists of 19th-century America, a new kind of spectacle was born — one where truth and falsehood danced so closely they became indistinguishable. This was the age of humbug, a uniquely American phenomenon where deception was not merely a crime but a form of art, a performance that invited audiences to willingly suspend disbelief. Imagine crowds gathering eagerly around the American Museum, the air thick with anticipation and curiosity, ready to be both fooled and entertained. The Feejee Mermaid, a grotesque chimera sewn together from a monkey's torso and a fish's tail, was the star attraction. Visitors felt the thrill of being duped but also the quiet humility of their own eagerness to believe. Here, the deception was a shared secret between showman and spectator, a social contract of entertainment rather than exploitation.

The newspapers of the day, especially the penny press, thrived in this atmosphere. The New York Sun’s Moon Hoax of 1835 is a shining example — a series of articles describing fantastic discoveries on the lunar surface, including bat-winged humanoids and unicorn-like creatures. The hoax was crafted with a deft hand, using the language of science to lend credibility to the unbelievable. The circulation of the Sun soared, proving that the public craved wonder, even if it came wrapped in fiction. Yet, this was not mere gullibility; it was a cultural moment where skepticism and belief coexisted, and the pleasure lay in the tension between them.

Such humbug was distinguished from outright swindling by its intent and reception. A swindler cheats and leaves the audience empty-handed, while a humbug delivers a spectacle worth the price of admission, even if the truth is elusive. This distinction is crucial to understanding the cultural fabric of the time, where shows and stories were as much about the experience as about facts. In this way, 19th-century America found a voice and identity through its love of imposture, reveling in the contradictions of a young nation still defining itself.

As we move forward, we will see how these early spectacles of humbug laid the groundwork for deeper cultural narratives — where race, identity, and belief intertwined in complex ways, and where the hoax became a mirror reflecting society’s deepest anxieties and desires. Let us now step into the world of freak shows and the racialized spectacles that followed, where the human body itself became a stage for deception and meaning.