Fade to Black Presents:

Some memorable Joey Skaggs Media Skams

Cathouse For Dogs

A modest advertisement in the Village Voice stating, "Cathouse for dogs . . . featuring a savory selection of hot bitches..." and inviting any proud dog owner to reward his 'best friend' by getting him laid for only $50, was all it took for Joey to pull off a memorable scam. Immediately after the paper hit the stands, the phone began ringing off the hook with callers whom not only wanted to get their dogs laid, but who also wanted to have sex with dogs or to simply watch dogs have sex. It was just a matter of time until the media hounds got wind of the story and came running. Getting together 25 actors and 15 dogs, Joey staged an elaborate performance in a small, SoHo loft. The airing of an WABC-TV story which painted Joey as a sleaze-bag dog pimp incited the ASPCA, the Bureau of Animal Affairs, the NYPD Vice Squad along with various other religious and human organizations. After finally being served with a subpoena by the Attorney General's office, Joey scheduled a press conference to reveal himself. After the truth was told, in fear of projecting a less than professional image, ABC refused to retract the story. Thus, millions of people continue to believe that there still operates a "Cathouse For Dogs" somewhere in New York City.

The Fat Squad

What does it take to get booked on Good Morning America? A plump and juicy story that anyone would love to sink their teeth into. What could be more appetizing than a fictional group of weight-watchers called the "Fat Squad" lead by Joe Bones (a.k.a. Joey Skaggs). For $300 a day, plus expenses,so this prank went, "Fat Squad Commandos" could be hired to follow you around 24 hours a day, making sure you stick to your diet (even if it means using force!) The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Washington Post were among the first media establishments to fall for this hoax. The story made it to a wire service and was sent around the world in a week eventually landing Joey an appearance on Good Morning America. After Joey exposed the hoax, GMA was forced to publicly apologize for not doing more homework before booking their guests.

Entertainment Tonight Hoax

In an effort to raise themselves above the other news programs and display their superiority, the producers of Entertainment Tonight planned a special program on famous media hoaxes and how mainstream media were duped by such pranks. For the 'inside scoop' on such hoaxes, E.T. contacted Joey and invited him to an exclusive interview. However, Entertainment Tonight's attempt in exposing these great hoaxes simply turned into yet another. How? Joey simply had his friend show up at the studio in his place. E.T. taped their 'exclusive' Joey Skaggs interview never catching on to the fact that the real Joey Skaggs was three thousand miles away in New York City. After the interview aired, Joey informed the producers of the truth. Entertainment Tonight, with their high journalistic standards, never aired a retraction.

Baba Wa Simba

Over sensationalized news reports are not just limited to United States. In another memorable scam, Joey made a trip to England as "Baba Wa Simba", a healer who traveled throughout the world teaching people a new form of therapy which heals the 'wounded animal inside us all'. The therapy was simple, it involved roaring and acting like a lion. Some of the most prestigious media outlets in the United Kingdom, including the BBC, Good Morning TV, London Tonight, Sky TV News and The East London Advertiser, fell for the story. In the endless effort to educate the masses and boost ratings, some of the most respected news commentators got down on all fours and roared like lions as cameras rolled. After the story was revealed, not one of the news outlets retracted the story. For your reference, "Baba Wa Simba" in Swahili mean 'The Lion King'.

Kea So Joo, a.k.a. Dog Meat Soup

Kim Yung Soo (a.k.a. Joey Skaggs), President of Kea So Joo, Inc.. sent 1,500 letters to dog shelters around America soliciting all their unwanted dogs for $.10 a pound. The letter, written in obvious broken English, stated, "Dog shelter kill million of dog, cost money...Dog shelter need money to operate. Where it get money? Hard to get money. Many people like to eat dog...Where do they get dog?...We buy all dog, regardless of size or color. We prefer big, young strong dog, but we take all dog from your dog shelter. Lot people eat dog...Dog is healthy for you...You make more money, more people happy. You get cleaner air. No burn up dog. No waste dog. People pet no disappear. Everybody happy...Dog no suffer. We have quick death for dog."

Kea So Joo's telephone rang off the hook. The outgoing message, in both Korean and English, was punctuated by yapping dogs in the background. Angry messages and faxes came from dog lovers and humanitarians across the country. The media picked up on the story and, even though none of the phone calls nor faxes were ever returned, many television and newspaper reporters stated that they had indeed spoken with representatives of the company and they were shocked at what they discovered.

Joey shared some of the hilarious messages and faxes he received during his Dog Meat Soup piece.

(It's letters like these that make you proud to be an American)