Times Victimized By Internet Scamp

Oct. 27 2008, Published 7:07 a.m. ET

A recent New York Times piece on the "rickroll" phenomenon was itself the victim of a prank: The article cited a basketball game where "two men on the sidelines briefly hijacked the proceedings with a popular prank known as rickrolling. They surprised the crowd by blasting the British singer Rick Astley's 1987 hit song 'Never Gonna Give You Up' through the gym, while one, dressed as a look-alike in Mr. Astley's signature trench coat, lip-synched and mugged to the music." Turns out the entire thing was a fake: "The filmmaker, an Eastern Washington University student known only as 'Pawley P.,' composed the piece using footage from several games spliced together with some home footage." Guess that's what happens when you're busy swingin' on the flippity-flop. Fishbowl NY

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