The Internet went nuts this past week when Deadspin reported that Notre Dame football star Manti Te’o’s dead girlfriend didn’t actually exist. But there’s so much more to the story: If Lennay Kekua, Te’o’s supposed girlfriend, doesn’t exist, who is the woman in the pictures? When did Te’o find out about the hoax? Who is behind the fake girlfriend?
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It’s hard to keep track of all the different characters and pieces of the story. But using animated leprechauns chugging beer bongs (Notre Dame’s team nickname is the wonderfully politically incorrect Fighting Irish), Sims-style picture dialogue bubbles and flippant violin music, this totally wacky video breaks the story down to a digestible two minutes.
(MORE: Timeline of a Hoax: Four Years in the Life of Manti Te’o’s ‘Fake’ Relationship)
Next Media Animation, the company that produced the video, makes a living on amusing, absurd retellings of international news, turning often serious stuff into comic gold . They helped explain the fiscal cliff earlier this month, and their retelling of the Lance Armstrong doping scandal is priceless. Between the subtitles (so cultured, it’s like you’re at a foreign film!) and all the crazy details in the videos, you might need to watch them a few times. But the five minutes you’ll spend is more than worth it. After all, they come from “your source for the best animated news, courtesy of your favorite Taiwanese animators.”
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