OC Fair Carving Ice Sculpture and Fake News Reporter Video a Lie

by hearit

People don't like being fooled or lied to--or being made "the fool" through an unethical video hoax like that of the "Carving Ice", the company that staged a fake tv news interview complete with "reporter" and a smashed "angel" ice sculpture at the Orange County Fair.

The video lie went viral--the hoax, and truth, finally revealed--but CEO Roland Hernandez isn't offering up any apologies.

Don't think that the California-based, Carving Ice Productions sculpture company had planned to let anyone in on its dirty little "secret": from the mouth of the CEO himself, Roland Hernandez, the company is sure it will "see something" in terms of related business and cash profit from the staged "news" hoax. The ice sculptor finally admitted the viral "Ice Carving" video and "news report" wasn't real--but that was only after pressure from true media sources, including the OC Register who questioned the video's authenticity, forced the company to reveal that it was all staged. The CEO and sculptor also isn't offering up any apologies: no "sorry" here, just the lame offering that the fake news reporting and fake "catastrophic accident" were supposedly all in fun. It's unclear as to how the hoax was supposed to be construed as "fun", since no one was let in on the "joke".

Maybe Hernandez needs to work on his "humor" a bit--either that, or perhaps ethics.

The backdrop for the staged video lie was the 2010 Orange County Fair, the annual Orange County event frequently covered by news reporters. In what is now known to be a fake video hoax, exhibitor and ice sculpture company "Carving Ice Productions" is shown supposedly be interviewed by a clumsy, male tv news reporter who attempts to take a "closer look" at a sculpture described as Hernandez's "prize piece". In the staged video , the "news reporter" stupidly places his hand on top of the "Ice Carving" company's angel sculpture, accidentally knocking the angel to the pavement, where the ice smashes to piecess.

At the time the news reporter supposedly destroyed the ice sculpture, artist Roland Hernandez had just specified--in the fake video interview--that the sculpture was his "prize piece" and that he'd additionally invested eight hours worth of work into creating the OC Fair ice sculpture that was subsequently "destroyed".

The video clip moments were enough to tug on any artist's heartstrings: viewing the sudden and unalterable destruction of many hours' work and creativity, dumbly destroyed in seconds, by a seemingly oblivious reporter. But as it turns out, it was all a lie--and, apparently a well-planned one: no one caught on right away, until the media itself exposed the staged YouTube hit that went viral.

Since the public is trained to believe that the media, like television news, is supposed to be unbiased, no one automatically spotted the video lie associated with the fake OC Fair interview. When the "Ice Carving Productions" company presented a fake "news reporter" as a real member of the "media", people didn't catch on that Hernandez was pulling a publicity stunt. Now that the lie has been exposed, CEO Hernandez certainly doesn't seem apologetic in the least. In fact, it seems he was still holding out for increased business following the publicity stunt.

The short video hoax went like this:

Reporter: "Can I take a closer look at this, because why is this your prize piece...oh, my god" (as the ice sculpture is smashed to pieces on the fair pavement)

Hernandez (sculptor, Carving Ice Productions): "Dude, are you serious?"

Reporter: "I am so sorry...we'll talk to management [of the Orange County Fair]."

Hernandez (sculptor, Carving Ice Productions): "I'm tired of guys like this. I'm out of here."

Reporter: "We'll, we'll get this taken care of.."

Carving Ice Productions is a Southern California ice sculpting company devoted to creating ice sculpture for events like weddings, parties, and corporate events. The "Carving Ice" company was founded in 1992 by Roland Hernandez (the guy in the video)--the CEO claiming that he started the sculpture company from the back of his Honda Accord after realizing the need for ice sculptures following his previous employment in the hotel industry. The price for a Carving Ice sculpture ranges from $85 to $5,000, per its CEO.

The ice sculpture specialist claims past work and ice creations for special events, with clients like Coca-Cola, Anheuser-Busch, Sony, Paramount, Universal Studios and Warner Brothers. According to Carving Ice Productions: "our skilled artisans have been creating beautiful ice sculptures for ten years for clients throughout southern California. From ice bars and company logos to custom ice sculptures, Carving Ice is the absolute best you’ll find."

The "best you'll find" becomes a little bit hard to believe, after a company proves itself so desperate that it's willing to pull an unbelievably stupid stunt--like staging a fake media interview, complete with (fake) clumsy "tv news reporter" who smashes a "prize piece" to bits--all to gain some exposure.

Apparently times must be tough for Hernandez and his "Carving Ice" sculpture company--it's hard to come up with any other logical reason that the sculptor would possibly believe it a good move to stage a fake reporter interview in some effort for advertising. It seems the CEO believes that deliberately making the public into "the fool" through deception is a bright idea. And Hernandez is waiting on results, a "something" that he's sure will roll in, through being deceptive.

While the public may now be more aware of the "Carving Ice" company, that doesn't mean its view toward the company is a good one--but somehow that thought seems to have skipped synapses with the company's CEO.

After legitimacy of the staged news interview came under fire, with the OC Register among the first to question truth, the "Carving Ice" CEO finally responded. Yes, CEO Roland Hernandez admits the truth: the OC Fair "news interview" and "reporter" were fake. It was all a hoax, a lie involving use of fake "media"--a factor that helped the video go viral on YouTube. But don't expect the "Carving Ice" company's CEO to say much more, or to apologize. There doesn't seem to be an ounce of regret there and the few words out of Hernandez's mouth include: "We [Carving Ice Productions] were just having some fun."

Actually, Mr. Hernandez, that falls more into the realm of Deceptive Advertising, not "fun"--and it should make prospective customers wary to lay down eighty-five bucks with your company, let alone five grand. If they're smart, the intentional deceit should also make any big-name company or organization think twice before any future affiliation with your sculpting company: brands like Coca-Cola, Anheuser-Busch, Sony, Paramount, Universal Studios, Warner Brothers--or venues like the Orange County Fair--don't typically strive to have connection with companies known for deliberately lying to the public in efforts to make a buck.

So, did making the public feel like idiots, with a rigged "news interview" work wonders in terms of profit and increased business for the "Carving Ice" company? Says Hernandez: "No business yet from it [the fake media interview] but I’m sure we will see something."

The public may well be hoping that "something" is a sharp decline in business for Carving Ice Productions. No one likes a liar.

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