Video | China’s Sohu falls for ‘Back to the Future’ hover board video hoax
Sohu.com, one of China’s top internet news portals, has fallen victim to a viral video hoax that features the flying skateboard in the famed science fiction comedy series Back to the Future.
Watch the viral video:
The company in the video clip claimed the demonstrations were “completely real”.
Sohu posted the video on its blog account on Wednesday, saying: “With the help of electromagnetic suspension, HUVr hover board can lift a 90-kilogram person above the ground for several feet.”
It also touted the video as a hi-tech and said “seems it’s time to embrace a new world”.
The clip was quick to attract Chinese internet users. Many bloggers reposted and commented on the video on the Twitter-like Sina Weibo microblog service.
A number of other websites reposted the video clip but remained sceptical of its authenticity. Igeek, a technology video sharing site, asked “Is it real or not?” when it posted the video.
But some online users uncovered clues in the video that suggested it was a hoax. It seemed clear to them that the celebrities were wearing a harness attached with wires, explaining why they were able to be in the air.
A blogger with the handle “Camel617” who said he was a designer for the brand Infinite Fantasy, pointed out the harness and wires. “I hope hoax can be more realistic next time,” he wrote.
Hu Ge, a viral video producer in China, suggested the hoax was a PR stunt. “I have a feeling: the production of Back to the Future 4 will soon start,” he said.
