‘Wog’ witness Clare Werbeloff WAS a hoax

Clare Werbeloff, who became an Internet sensation after her wide-eyed description of “wog” on “wog” violence in Kings Cross was indeed hoaxing the media, it emerged today.  

As Mumbrella reported on Friday, Justin Polites of media agency Starcom MediaVest was first to smell a rat.

But today’s papers quote Sydney Police as saying that Werbeloff confessed to them that had not witnessed anything of the Kings Cross incident. According to both the Sunday Telegraph and the Sun Herald, Werbeloff, detectives had followed up with Werbeloff who said she had been playing a prank.

Her breathless interview has spawned a series of spoofs:

May 24th, 2009 at 11:22 am

  • Email This Post
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • MySpace
  • Digg
  • Yahoo Buzz
  • Sphinn
  • Technorati Favorites
  • Delicious

Comments


  1. Sheila (@stinginthetail)
    24 May 09
    11:34 am

    2. darn it, i got fooled again – my instincts said something wasn’t right, she looks like she’s lying in parts of the camera interview, but i didn’t think she was completely bullshitting – ah well, we live, learn, and become yet more cynical.

  2. Justin Polites
    24 May 09
    12:39 pm

    3. Here is a link to the Starcom blog:
    http://starcomdigitalsblog.blo.....bogan.html

    Some bookmarks here:
    http://delicious.com/Warringa/bogus.bogan.clare

    Just to reiterate I was deliberately ambiguous in my cynicism as I have no access to Clare, PR company involved or TED 6 beers.

    Tooheys Extra Dry 6 beers of separation on the other hand is a great campaign and I have been spruiking this for weeks. http://www.6beersofseparation.com.au

    I look forward to Media Watch (ABC) coverage as I doubt that Today Tonight will cover the issues around racism and ethical journalism which far outweigh the marketing discussion happening here.

  3. Mikey
    24 May 09
    1:09 pm

    4. Clarification folks: she never said that she had seen it happen. She just popped up with a story – which is what the media were after. Note the end when she says “that’s all I’ve got to say”. Not “that’s what happened”. People hear what they want to hear.
    So no hoax, no lie told. Just an impression and a story shared.

    And the humour isn’t from perceived “racism” – it’s from the explosive and predictable reaction such words get from boring old bourgeois-leftie finger-waggers. Baiting them is a form of entertainment in itself!

  4. Leon
    24 May 09
    3:00 pm

    5. Clare was the excuse the media and redneck Australia needed in order to re-introduce the derogatory use of the term ‘wog’ back into the vernacular. The fact that she was pretty too (much, much prettier than Pauline Hanson) made her the perfect spokeperson.

  5. Lynchy
    24 May 09
    3:29 pm

    6. Ha… I can’t understand why you guys keep falling for this stuff…

  6. Alex
    24 May 09
    6:30 pm

    7. Good work Channel 9.

    So much for the “doubt in authenticity” rumours “shot down” in their blog:

    http://news.ninemsn.com.au/Blo.....ments=true

  7. Jake
    25 May 09
    12:07 pm

    8. I preferred Mumbrella’s “subliminal marketing campaign” theory. I also liked the theory that she was a time-traveller sent back to 2009 from a devastated futuristic civilisation to warn us of the evils of Mediterranean food.

    Ah well … better luck next time, Mumbrella.

  8. fickle red riding hood
    25 May 09
    12:24 pm

    9. I think it’s all so hilarious. Can’t wait to see what she says on the Current Affair interview.

  9. John Grono
    25 May 09
    12:24 pm

    10. Mikey. That is just like when Bush, Howard and Blair all said “I believe that Iraq has WMDs”. They didn’t say they did have them. The impression left was clear enough, and terrfied enough people, that it became justification for war. Neither are acceptable.

  10. Ross
    25 May 09
    12:28 pm

    11. Funny, funny, funny entertainment. It made me laugh out loud. Especially the rap versions.

    Or watch Sunrise and Rove for the Reject the Recession dance campaign.
    That’s funny too.

    LOL Australia…..

  11. Julian Peterson
    25 May 09
    12:41 pm

    12. This is exactly like the US DJ Howard Stern’s “BaBa Booey” trick 10 years ago – he used to get his listeners to call news stations to give fake eye witness accounts and then say “BaBa Booey” near the end to confirm they were lying.

    What happened then? Chk Chk Boom!

  12. Graham
    25 May 09
    12:55 pm

    13. Let’s hope ACA gives the story the axe. Time to move on.

  13. Anonymous
    25 May 09
    7:08 pm

    14. How comes people believe any crazy white woman when they come up with lies about dark skinned people committing crimes… you know they always lie??? I’m not supprised!!!!

  14. Nelly Nachos
    25 May 09
    7:46 pm

    15. Hopefully not too many people think Clare represents Osrtralians….She is dumber than dumb..lets not equate being opportunistic with brains. She is also caught out…too dumb to realise ..media equals internet..equals police want a statement if you are an eye witness.

  15. Anon
    25 May 09
    8:45 pm

    16. Goes to show what you should and should not believe when the media reports stories. Makes you wonder what’s true anymore. She exposes the media and gets dumped on. Who really stuffed up here? If she made a buck no harm done. The media is keeping it going at the moment. All this hype does is open it up to more Peters crying wolf.

  16. Conz Guzman
    26 May 09
    11:05 pm

    17. What the hell is going on with you ppl (NOT TO MENTION THE MEDIA)??? There are so many things going on in this world esp THIS COUNTRY not to mention the problem financially…crime rate increasing etc, etc, etc..and all you ppl can talk about is some dumb bimbo (rat face) who is looking for fame “WHO LIED” and took advantage of such unfortunate event?? Geeezzz WAKE UP!!! I am disgusted from all this.

  17. 3rdEAR
    27 May 09
    10:11 am

    18. Waiting for Guzman!

    Dear Conz,
    Every day we open or search all of the world newspapers and we dissect GFC, world hunger, wars, genocide and and the problems of the world.

    Sometimes you just need a little ratface in your life to take the edge off so we will be here until she strips bare, pursues a hollywood acting career, gets a boob job or gets a live action role on the wombles.

    From time to time we will pass you on other media outlets and you getting worked up not only of the important things in the world but the not so important (clare)

  18. Betsy
    27 May 09
    3:37 pm

    19. I find it fascinating that this sort of media manipulation polarises so many people.
    At the end of the day is what she did really that bad?
    I guess that depends on your own moral viewpoint, it certainly was funny.
    We get too caught up with political correctness – personally I agree with 3rd ear – we all need a little ratface in our lives to take the edge off

  19. Joe
    27 May 09
    3:39 pm

    20. What is it with this country. Why has almost no-one complained about the “wog” reference? Yeah, so she lied to a reporter, like that’s never happened. Nine’s the real idiot here, not Claire, for not corroborating her story. Is that what journalism is in Aus? Oh, I forgot, you have ACA to show the world what real “quality” journalism is about.

    Big surprise, another racist bogan on Australian TV.

  20. Sinead O'Connor
    7 Jun 09
    10:33 pm

    21. I think this is awful, and coourful all at once. I think that racism is a blight on our society, but I think it would be truly horrific to witness such a random and unexplained act of murder right there in the street. People that saw it would be permanently traumatised.

  21. Steviebb
    8 Jun 09
    10:45 pm

    22. You are all a bit emo about this. We have a lying airhead who ran for the cameras to get a bit of fame. Who cares.

    Anyone seen Corey lately?

  22. Joe
    9 Jun 09
    7:16 am

    23. Sinead

    She lied about seeing the shooting. (not murder, shooting). It was a bit of fun, she said. So no trauma, other than being asked to go on the radio and TV (wouldn’t have happened if she wasn’t anorexially pretty) to talk about her good improv skills

    Pay attention…..

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. “Rosencrantz, Guildernstern and Justin Kallu are dead” « Listening to stories
  2. Week in review #1 | yesterdayshero
  3. Clare and another social media disaster «
  4. Step 1: Join a gang… « Sting in the Tail
  5. Clare Werbeloff: the last word «