Red herring
Changing the subject to distract from the question.
In our replies we call it: Changes the subject
What it means
A red herring drops in something attention-grabbing but irrelevant (a scandal, a joke, an emotional story) so the original question quietly disappears.
How to spot it in a Reel
- A sudden switch to an unrelated topic
- An emotional story that doesn't answer the question
- "But the real issue is..." followed by a different issue
Examples
- Asked about hospital shortages, a Reel pivots to a celebrity's comment.
- Asked about a leak in an exam, a Reel pivots to the protesters' clothes.
Why it doesn't hold up
The original question still needs an answer. Interesting distractions don't answer it.
What to say back
"Interesting, but what about the original question?"
Questions
Where does the name come from?
From the old idea of dragging a smelly fish across a trail to throw hunting dogs off the scent.
Check a Reel for this trick
Send any Reel to @checkthis.chat on Instagram. If it uses this trick, the reply names it and shows where it happens.
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