African site fooled by fake story on Mike Tyson getting sex change operation, story goes viral

I’m told that News Biscuit is the UK version of The Onion, but I don’t know for sure, because I can’t get onto the site. That’s due to all the traffic from Africa, no doubt.

On Sunday, Zimbabwean newspaper The Standard carried News Biscuit’s story about Mike Tyson undergoing a sex change. That story, of course, was a spoof, but The Standard treated it as real news. Soon other African news sites, including Spy Ghana, picked up the story.

News Biscuit story here (good luck).

Here’s a screen grab of The Standard’s article:

My favorite part:

Tyson said he hoped being female would finally convince the American people that his “bad-boy” days were over and he had turned over a new leaf.

Commenters at The Standard took the news hard:

sox December 9, 2012 at 7:54 pm #
I use to suport mike tyson for all my life.but this morning when I saw the news,I was totally desapointed.its a shame

sinini December 9, 2012 at 3:21 pm #
This is the end of the world strange things happening, how can you say you a happy?

machuwe ta December 10, 2012 at 10:52 am #
this is not the original plan of the Lord almighty and i guess he has applied for a sterner judgement against himslf by defying what the lord ohave given him

Good luck to Michelle Tyson. Now Spike Lee has to rewrite his Broadway show, however.