The MGM Lion, the Fried Rice Wave, and 20 Other Viral Photos That Were Completely Fake

That viral photo in your feed? There’s a good chance it’s fake. From the unbelievable 'fried rice wave' to the supposedly behind-the-scenes shot of the roaring MGM lion, countless images we've accepted as real are clever digital manipulations. A list compiled by Bored Panda reveals the sometimes surprising truth behind these internet-famous photos, proving once again that you can't trust everything you see online.

The Truth Behind Nature and Animal Wonders

The internet loves unique animals, but sometimesthey're too good to be true. A photo of a cat with a perfect mustache and angry eyebrows went viral, but the eyebrows were simply photoshopped. Similarly, the majestic black lion that circulated online was just a digitally colored photo of a white lion. Perhaps most famously, the image of an MGM lion strapped to a rig for its iconic roar is also a misunderstanding. The photo actually shows a lion undergoing a CT scan at a veterinarian's office; it later made a full recovery. In fact, MGM has used seven different lions since its inception, with the current one, Leo, in use since 1957.

Stunning landscapes often get the same treatment. A magical-looking castle perched on a pillar of rock is a composite of a German castle and a rock formation in Thailand. The 'Frozen Venice' photo is another fabrication, blending an image of Russia's frozen Lake Baikal with the city's famous canals.

Fabricated Moments and Manipulated History

Some fakes become cultural touchstones. The recent 'fried rice wave' meme, which appeared to show a chef sculpting a massive wave of rice, was revealed to be a sculpture sold in a fake food shop in Tokyo. The 'first dab in history' photo wasn't from the last century; it was a behind-the-scenes shot from the 2017 film 'Dunkirk,' converted to black and white to look old.

The daring pilot selfie from high above the clouds? It was taken while the plane was safely on the ground. The terrifying image of a bear chasing a cyclist in a national park? That was a composite of two separate photos. These images demonstrate that the more dramatic a photo seems, the more likely it is to have been manipulated.