Image by Bilby [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], from Wikimedia Commons – This story was first published on July 19, 2013
Outline
Circulating image depicts a packet of Tim Tams chocolate biscuits featuring the allergy warning “MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF PEANUTS AND HUMAN FLESH”.
Brief Analysis
Of course, the image is not genuine. The image is obviously the work of some photoshopping prankster and is clearly intended as a joke. The meme caught the attention of the Internet community and has circulated continually since 2011. While most who come across the image will immediately recognize it as just a joke, a few wide-eyed recipients apparently believe it to be genuine.
Example
Detailed Analysis
This image, which circulates via social media posts, email and the blogosphere, shows a packet of Tim Tams chocolate biscuits with a quite unusual ingredients list. The allergy ingredients warning on the packet in the picture reads:
“MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF PEANUTS AND HUMAN FLESH”
But, of course, the image is not real. It is obviously just a pictorial gag created with some simple photoshopping. The image has become a quite popular Internet meme. Alas, while the obvious joke is obvious, a few more wide-eyed recipients apparently believe the image to be genuine.
So, purely in the interests of thorough debunking, we exited the Hoax-Slayer office to buy a packet of Tim Tams for photographing. (Claims that we bought the Tim Tams just to scoff at our desks during our 8th cup of coffee for the day are nothing more than heinous gossip).
And here is the result:
Note the complete absence of any human flesh references. Moreover, the ingredients list is actually printed on the other side of the packet and is worded thusly:
Rumour debunking website wafflesatnoon.com notes that entertainer Weird Al Yankovic tweeted the image back in March 2011. But, it is unclear if Weird Al actually created the image or simply grabbed it from somewhere else.
For the record, we ate a number of the biscuits during research, and the consensus in the office is that there was no human flesh taste at all. (We’ll keep trying, just to be thorough).
Editor’s Note: If something as innocuous as a chocolate bickie could be thought of as a cultural icon, then Tim Tams would fit the bill, at least in Australia. While the official name for the treat is “Tim Tam” they are almost universally called “Tim Tams”.
Importance Notice
After considerable thought and with an ache in my heart, I have decided that the time has come to close down the Hoax-Slayer website.These days, the site does not generate enough revenue to cover expenses, and I do not have the financial resources to sustain it going forward.
Moreover, I now work long hours in a full-time and physically taxing job, so maintaining and managing the website and publishing new material has become difficult for me.
And finally, after 18 years of writing about scams and hoaxes, I feel that it is time for me to take my fingers off the keyboard and focus on other projects and pastimes.
When I first started Hoax-Slayer, I never dreamed that I would still be working on the project all these years later or that it would become such an important part of my life. It's been a fantastic and engaging experience and one that I will always treasure.
I hope that my work over the years has helped to make the Internet a little safer and thwarted the activities of at least a few scammers and malicious pranksters.
A Big Thank You
I would also like to thank all of those wonderful people who have supported the project by sharing information from the site, contributing examples of scams and hoaxes, offering suggestions, donating funds, or helping behind the scenes.I would especially like to thank David White for his tireless contribution to the Hoax-Slayer Facebook Page over many years. David's support has been invaluable, and I can not thank him enough.
Closing Date
Hoax-Slayer will still be around for a few weeks while I wind things down. The site will go offline on May 31, 2021. While I will not be publishing any new posts, you can still access existing material on the site until the date of closure.Thank you, one and all!
Brett Christensen,
Hoax-Slayer
