I had a laugh this morning when some readers pointed out that this video I posted a few days ago of Rick Rubin and Paul McCartney listening to Smash Mouth’s All Star was, in fact, a parody. The pair were actually listening to The Beatles’ Come Together, and someone had edited All Star over the top of it.
Firstly, as someone who has edited a fair few videos, I must give the parody artist credit. I was convinced.
Secondly, it made me reflect on confirmation bias. I genuinely like All Star, but I’m aware it gets dunked on a fair bit. So when I saw something that looked like two musical titans admiring it, I ran with it. I didn’t do the due diligence because it validated a narrative in my head. This mistake was harmless, but confirmation bias can be dangerous in other situations.
Finally, I better read descriptions a little closer next time!