Cambodian Midget Fighting League
Encyclopedia
The Cambodian Midget Fighting League (or CMFL) is the premise of an Internet hoax
that was widely circulated around the Internet beginning in May, 2005.
The hoax was particularly significant as the article was taken on face value by a good deal of British newspapers and magazines. Some newspapers referred to the incident as a tragedy, but some magazines, notably 'lad's mag' FHM
, reported it as news, but did so from a humorous angle. Whether wittingly or not, the hoaxers had drawn attention to the callous nature of the British press.
The article was also commented on in episode two, season one of The Ricky Gervais Show
, where the discussion also regarded the incident as a real event.
Other notable appearances of the article include:
. A fan of the Cambodian Midget Fighting League challenged the league's president in response to a recent league advertising campaign that the midgets will "take on anything; man, beast, or machine". The fan claimed that one lion
could defeat the entire league of forty-two midget fighters. Accepting the challenge, an African lion was flown to Kampong Chhnang especially for the event.
Hoax
A hoax is a deliberately fabricated falsehood made to masquerade as truth. It is distinguishable from errors in observation or judgment, or rumors, urban legends, pseudosciences or April Fools' Day events that are passed along in good faith by believers or as jokes.-Definition:The British...
that was widely circulated around the Internet beginning in May, 2005.
The hoax was particularly significant as the article was taken on face value by a good deal of British newspapers and magazines. Some newspapers referred to the incident as a tragedy, but some magazines, notably 'lad's mag' FHM
FHM
FHM, originally published as For Him Magazine, is an international monthly men's lifestyle magazine.- History :The magazine began publication in 1985 in the United Kingdom under the name For Him and changed its title to FHM in 1994 when Emap Consumer Media bought the magazine, although the full For...
, reported it as news, but did so from a humorous angle. Whether wittingly or not, the hoaxers had drawn attention to the callous nature of the British press.
The article was also commented on in episode two, season one of The Ricky Gervais Show
The Ricky Gervais Show
The Ricky Gervais Show is a comedy audio show in the UK starring Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, and Karl Pilkington, later adapted into an animated televised version debuting for HBO and Channel 4 in 2010. The show started in November 2001 on Xfm, and aired in weekly periods for months at a time...
, where the discussion also regarded the incident as a real event.
Other notable appearances of the article include:
- The May 20, 2005 episode of The Howard Stern Show
- The May 20, 2005 issue of the New York PostNew York PostThe New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
- The November 2005 issue of Maxim Magazine
- On the 29 January 2011 edition of BBC Radio 5 Live's Fighting TalkFighting TalkFighting Talk is a topical sports show broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live during the English football season. Its first series aired in October 2003, and was presented by Johnny Vaughan. The second series featured Christian O'Connell. It is currently hosted by Colin Murray and is aired on Saturday...
, Gail EmmsGail EmmsGail Elizabeth Emms MBE is a retired English badminton player who has achieved international success in doubles tournaments....
fell foul of the hoax when giving it as an answer - as a background article in the Hitman: Blood MoneyHitman: Blood MoneyHitman: Blood Money is a stealth game developed by IO Interactive and published by Eidos Interactive. It is the fourth entry in the Hitman game series....
video game after the 'A House of Cards' Las Vegas Casino level - many other US radio stations
Premise
The article was reported as a tragedy at a midget-versus-lion fight in CambodiaCambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
. A fan of the Cambodian Midget Fighting League challenged the league's president in response to a recent league advertising campaign that the midgets will "take on anything; man, beast, or machine". The fan claimed that one lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
could defeat the entire league of forty-two midget fighters. Accepting the challenge, an African lion was flown to Kampong Chhnang especially for the event.
- "The fight was called off after only 12 minutes and 28 of the fighters were declared dead, while the other 14 suffered severe injuries including broken bones and lost limbs, rendering them unable to fight back."
External links
- Lion Mutilates 42 Midgets in Cambodian Ring-Fight Read a copy of the article.
- Story Behind the Article The disclaimer the author made once he learned his site had 'gone public' to explain why the article was created.