RECENTLY A MTV SHOW PROFILED A STORY OF A MAN FROM TENNESSEE
WHO HAD BEEN CATFISHED FOR SIX YEARS BUT THIS STORY WAS UNIQUE
IN THAT SPENCER BURRELL THOUGHT HE WAS NOT JUST DATING AN
ATTRACTIVE WOMAN HE MET ONLINE, HE THOUGHT HE WAS DATING
KATY PERRY.
IT IS ACTUALLY A PRETTY TRAGIC STORY.
ACCORDING TO REPORTS, HE DESCRIBED TO PRESENTERS
YANIV SCHULMAN AND MAX JOSEPH HOW HE WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION
THAT HE HAD BEEN EXCHANGING EMAILS AND TEXTS WITH PERRY
OVER SIX YEARS GOING SO FAR AS TO MAKE AN ENGAGEMENT
RING FOR THE SINGER WHICH COST HIM 25% OF THE SAVINGS.
HE ACTUALLY TOOK AN EMERALD FROM HIS GRANDMOTHER'S RING IN
ORDER TO MAKE HIS ENGAGEMENT RING FOR KATY PERRY, BUT OF
COURSE, HE WAS CATFISHED.
IT TURNS OUT THE PERSON HE WAS COMMUNICATIVE WITH ONLINE
ENTER TEXT MESSAGING WAS A WOMAN NAME HARRIET FROM THE UK.
SHE IS ACTUALLY CANADIAN LIVING IN LONDON AND LOOK, I DON'T
KNOW IF IT IS BECAUSE SHE GOT CAUGHT, BUT SHE LATER ENDED
UP APOLOGIZING TO HIM AND SAID I'M SORRY, I'VE BEEN
THROUGH TOUGH TIMES, I'M SORRY I DID THIS TO YOU.
I DON'T KNOW HER STORY IS, BUT IT IS MESSED UP.
KATY PERRY RESPONDED TO THIS ACTUALLY.
SHE WAS ON THE MORNING MASHUP A SATELLITE RADIO SHOW IN THE
SHE'S HAD TO SAY ABOUT IT.
PEOPLE HAVE DREAMS AND PEOPLE LIVE IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE
WORLD WHERE NOT EVERYTHING IS ALWAYS SO WE LIVE ON THE COAST
AND WE GET STUFF IN A WAY THAT SOME OTHER PEOPLE DON'T
GET, AND I FEEL BAD FOR HIM.
I DIDN'T REALLY LIKE TO INDULGE IN THAT BECAUSE MY HEART THAT
US TO DIE WAS TERRIBLE.
THIS IS A VERY SMALL POINT BUT I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS
REALLY FUNNY, BECAUSE SHE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT HOW WE LIVE
ON THE COAST AND WE GET SOME THINGS THAT PEOPLE DON'T
GET AND I WAS LIKE DAMN, MIDDLE AMERICA.
DAMN.
SHE DID YOU DIRTY MAN.
I DIDN'T LOVE THAT RESPONSE.
IT IS NOT HER FAULT, SHE DIDN'T DO IT, BUT HER
SAYING I DIDN'T DEAL WITH IT BECAUSE IT MAKES MY HEART HURT.
I HEAR YOU ON THAT, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD'VE BEEN A GREAT
PR MOVE?
FLY INTO TENNESSEE AND JUST GIVE THE GUY A HUG.
AND JUST GET ENGAGED WITH HIM.
AND THEN IT WORKS.
OR MAYBE IT WAS KATY PERRY ALL ALONG AND NOW SHE IS
PRETENDING TO BE HARRIET?
THINK ABOUT IT.
NO HARRIET SENT THESE EMAILS AND TEXT AND OF COURSE, I AM AMAZED
EVERY TIME I HEAR STORIES LIKE THIS THE STORY WITH THE
GIRLFRIEND HE TURNED OUT TO BE A GUIDE, I THINK THAT'S WHAT
HAPPENED.
THE NIGERIAN PRINCE WITH THE THING IN THE OLD DAYS WITH
THE EMAILS.
YOU THINK THEY DID THAT BECAUSE PEOPLE DIDN'T FALL FOR IT?
THEY DID IT BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE FELL FOR IT.
THEY MADE A TON OF MONEY THAT WAY.
I KNOW WHAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SAY.
HE HAD IT COMING, DUMB ASS.
SOME PEOPLE WILL SAY THAT, BUT IT IS SUCH A CRUEL THING
TO SAY BECAUSE FIRST OF ALL, PUT YOURSELF IN OTHER PEOPLE SHOES.
YOU JUST LOST 25% OF THE AUDIENCE.
THEY ARE LIKE NO, I REFUSE.
I KNOW.
EMPATHY IS A DIFFICULT THING FOR SOME PEOPLE, BUT SOME
PEOPLE ARE LONELY BUT HOPEFUL OR THEY MIGHT BE SOCIALLY AWKWARD.
I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT, BUT SOME PEOPLE ARE MORE PRONE
TO BEING VICTIMIZED IN THIS WAY AND SO DON'T ADD INSULT TO
INJURY DIE FEEL TERRIBLE FOR HIM.
HE THOUGHT HE WAS IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE AND IT TURNS OUT HE
GOT FOR SIX YEARS.
THAT IS A LONG TIME.
I KNOW, IT IS A TARGET RICH ENVIRONMENT, BUT AT THE
SAME TIME, I WANT TO GIVE THE GUY A HUG.
IT IS GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT, BROTHER.
HE LIVED THAT DREAM AT LEAST HIS OWN MIND FOR SIX YEARS.
WE ALL BUY LOTTERY TICKETS, RIGHT?
WE LIVE THAT DREAM.
LIKE WE COULD WIN, RIGHT?
THERE'S SOMETHING A LITTLE FISHY ABOUT THE STORY THOUGH.
A LITTLE FISHY?
YEAH BECAUSE SHE WAS MARRIED TO RUSSELL BRAND.
WASN'T THE SUPER PUBLIC?
I KNOW,
DID HE THINK SHE WAS HAVING AN AFFAIR WITH HIM?
TWO SETS OF THIS.
THE PEOPLE THAT DO THE CATFISHING USUALLY ARE
AMAZING SO THEY WILL SPIN TALES, I'M WITH
RUSSELL BUT I WANT TO BE WITH YOU, ETC.
SECONDLY, AND THIS IS THE HEART, PEOPLE BELIEVE WHAT
THEY WANT TO BELIEVE.
HE DESPERATELY WANTED TO BELIEVE IT, THAT'S WHAT HE BELIEVED IT.
EVEN IF YOU THINK I WOULDN'T DO THAT, YOU MY IN A
COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CONTEXT IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
OH, THINGS WILL GET BETTER, MY BOSS ISN'T REALLY THAT BAD
OR MY BOYFRIEND OR GIRLFRIEND REALLY ISN'T THAT BAD.
YOU BELIEVE WHAT YOU WANT TO BELIEVE.
CATFISH IS JUST THAT ON A NUCLEAR SCALE, ESPECIALLY
THIS ONE.
LASTLY, I WAS GOING TO BE MORE MAD AT THE PERSON TO DO THE CAT
FISHING, BUT HARRIET'S APOLOGY WAS A PRETTY GOOD ONE AND SHE
BASICALLY SAID -
LET ME JUST READ IT.
I JUST GOT TO A POINT WHERE I COULDN'T IMAGINE NOT
TALKING TO YOU ANYMORE, TALKING TO THE PERSON SHE VICTIMIZED.
I HAVE BEEN THROUGH SOME TOUGH TIMES THROUGHOUT THE TIME WE'VE
BEEN TALKING THE PAST SIX YEARS, LIKE MY DAD DIED TWO YEARS AGO.
I AM GENUINELY SORRY, I CAN'T CHANGE WHAT I DID BUT I
UNDERSTAND THAT IT WAS REALLY WRONG.
YOU MAKE A GOOD POINT BECAUSE I DON'T THINK SHE NECESSARILY
DID THIS TO BE PINNED ACTIVE.
SHE MIGHT BE DOING THIS BECAUSE SHE FEELS LONELY HERSELF
AND THIS IS HOW SHE SEEKS COMPANIONSHIP.
I DON'T KNOW.
THAT IS EXACTLY RIGHT AND I THINK IT DOES MAKE A WORLD
OF DIFFERENCE.
IT'S STILL HUNDRED PERCENT WRONG BUT IF SOMEBODY DID IT AND
THEN AFTERWARD WAS LIKE HAHA, THAT TO ME IS SO MUCH
WORSE THAN A PERSON WHO IS LIKE I LONELY TOO.
I SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE IT THIS WAY AND I'M SO SORRY BUT IT
CAME OUT OF A NEED THAT I HAD TOO.
COULD YOU IMAGINE THIS STORY ENDS WITH THEM ACTUALLY
GETTING TOGETHER?
THAT WOULD BE PRETTY AMAZING.
I JUST THOUGHT ABOUT HOW LUCKY PEOPLE ARE WHEN THEY DO
HAVE COMPANIONSHIP AND LOVE IN THEIR LIVES.
I KNOW THAT IS NOT BREAKING NEWS, EVERYONE KNOWS THAT,
BUT THEN WHEN YOU REALLY PUT IN THE CONTEXT OF YOUR OWN
LIFE, THIS YEAR HAS BEEN SUPER DIFFICULT AND HAVING
SOMEONE THAT YOU REALLY LOVE THAT YOU CAN TRUST THAT
REALLY COMFORTS YOU, SOMEONE TO GO HOME TO LIKE THAT WHO
HELPS YOU COPE WITH PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING.
THAT NEED FOR COMPANIONSHIP IS SO REAL THAT I CAN TOTALLY
SEE SOMEONE AVOIDING OR NEGLECTING THE RED FLAGS
JUST TO KEEP BELIEVING WHAT THEY BELIEVE.
YOU WOULD BE SURPRISED HOW MUCH PEOPLE WILL BELIEVE
YOU IF YOU JUST SAY PLEASE BELIEVE ME.
WE HAVE A WHOLE COUNTRY, AT LEAST 40%
OF A COUNTRY BELIEVING A GUY WHO SAYS ONE LIE AFTER ANOTHER
AFTER ANOTHER BECAUSE HE SAYS AT THE END BELIEVE ME.
BELIEVE ME.