Claim:
A photo authentically showed followers of Charles Manson wearing ear bandages in 1970.
Rating:
Labeled Satire ( About this rating? )
In July 2024, after former U.S. President Donald Trump appeared at the Republican National Convention with an ear bandage and his supporters copied the look to show him support, a photo surfaced online supposedly showing followers of Charles Manson — i.e. the "Manson family" — wearing similar bandages in 1970.
One X post with the photo amassed more than 3.5 million views. Citing that X post, a Facebook user also posted the photo with the caption: "Charles Manson's followers show reporter their ear bandages, 1970."
The photo had been digitally manipulated to add the bandages. While some commentators seemed to understand that fact, other viewers questioned the photo's legitimacy. A handful of Snopes readers messaged us with requests to fact-check the image.
We located the unedited image in The Associated Press' archives , which said it was taken in August 1970 by photographer George Brich. That real photo showed three of Manson's followers walking to court. The Associated Press captioned the photo:
In this Aug. 1970 file photo, Charles Manson followers, from left: Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkel and Leslie Van Houten walk to court to appear for their roles in the 1969 cult killings of seven people, including pregnant actress Sharon Tate, in Los Angeles, Calif.
The July 2024 posts used a version of the 1970 photo that appeared as part of a graphic in a 2023 People magazine article , based on the circular photo of Manson in the lefthand corner.
The image appeared to originate from the X account @TheRealThelmaJ1. We attempted to reach out to that account, but it appears to have direct messaging turned off.
The Phoenix New Times , an independent news outlet, has named @TheRealThelmaJ1 the "Best Political Parody Twitter." Many of the account's other posts appear to be satirical in nature, and the user's bio reads, "My son says I'm a parody." Because of this, we have rated this claim "Labeled Satire."
Additionally, a Reddit user shared side-by-side images of Manson followers and attendees of the Republican National Convention who wore ear bandages to show solidarity with Trump. The caption stated, "These people wearing ear bandages are giving Manson girls."
Sources:
AP . https://newsroom.ap.org/editorial-photos-videos/detail?itemid=d488e6b1686340f18d9621ea2199f6cf&mediatype=photo. Accessed 23 July 2024. CBC News.
Republicans Wear Ear Bandages in 'Solidarity' with Trump . 2024.
YouTube , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN7p--vHJFs. "Where Is the Manson Family Now? All About Charles Manson's Former Cult Members."
Peoplemag , https://people.com/crime/the-women-who-murdered-for-charles-manson-where-are-they-now/. Accessed 23 July 2024. "Best Political Twitter Parody - The Real Thelma Johnson."
Phoenix New Times , https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/best-of/2023/megalopolitan-life/best-political-twitter-parody-17211943. Accessed 23 July 2024.
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