About the Museum
The Museum of Hoaxes is dedicated to promoting knowledge about hoaxes. (Click here for opening hours, etc.) On our blog we post about dubious- sounding claims, and whatever else strikes our fancy. The site is also home to the Hoaxipedia (the museum's online encyclopedia of hoaxes), the Hoax Forum, and the Top 100 April Fools' Day Hoaxes.

The museum was created in 1997 by Alex Boese. He's assisted by a staff of deputy curators and docents. Alex is the author of three books, most recently Elephants on Acid: And Other Bizarre Experiments (which has nothing to do with hoaxes). Check out the list of the Top 20 Most Bizarre Experiments of All Time for a preview.

Web Hoax Museum

I don't have a romantic partner or kids,but would probably do this for money as I am cheap.I am superstitious,though!

I don't think you have to be superstitious to find it repugnant, or at least distasteful, to scratch out the eyes of a loved one's picture. Actually, someone (I don't know who) did do this to a photo of me that was on the bulletin board of my workplace, and I found it pretty insulting and perhaps vaguely threatening. That doesn't mean anything bad of a supernatural nature is more likely to happen because of it, though.

In any case, I wouldn't do the deed for a measly ten bucks. That's hardly even enough to replace the picture. For a million dollars, though, I certainly would. But I wouldn't stick an icepick in a real live person's eye for any amount of money.

I would never do this on a normal basis, but for a superstition test... no problem. Besides, $10 is $10!

I don't think this is superstition. This is just showing respect to your loved one, and not wanting to deface his/her picture. Also, there could be some fear of retribution involved, too... imagine what they'll do to you when they find out that you poked the eyes out of their picture. It's a symbol of disrespect, and maybe even hatred.

Interesting results though.

Geez, it's bad luck to be superstitious!

depends on whether or not I have another picture handy, and if the one I'm defacing costs less than a sawbuck.

Hey, if I'm going to make a profit and still have a pic of my sweetie then I'm in.

Email me and let me know where you want the eyeless picture to be sent. I'll take a money order. (No personal checks.)

James

I'd pretend to act reluctant as long as the price rises. Then - profit.

that's the craziest thing I've ever heard! A picture has no connection with the real person whatsoever.

I can't believe there's an "Association for Rational Thought". Some people really need to get their own lives.

There's a difference between being superstitious and not wanting to be disrespectful. Even if you don't expect a symbolic assault to cause real harm you might not be comfortable with the symbolism.

I don't own enough pictures to want to waste them by poking holes in them!

...As long as I had a double of the pic, I'd poke out the eyes... Hello, $10 is $10!

This isn't a very good test. I agree with those that the test doesn't account for the fact that such an act would be clash with our sense of respect.If your mate came home and saw his or her eyes poked out of a picture they would be upset and not because they were afraid they would go blind. Here's another test. Would you dig up a loved ones corpse and pick out it's eyes for $10,000. Why not the person is long gone? You know why not and it has nothing to do with superstition.

I'm very supersticious. How I never let a black cat cross my path.... provided of course the black cat in question is a panther