The mainstream media took a farcical turn for the worse yesterday.

This after Channel News Asia and The Straits Times latched onto a story that the Little India "hero" has been found.

Some guy in a checked shirt showed up and claimed to be the mystery man caught on video stopping rioters. And by 6 p.m. on a Friday evening, became the poster boy of Singapore's social media scene.

The CNA post went Ebola-viral with thousands of Facebook users leaving comments to thank and praise this guy in the checked shirt.

However, there was a slight problem. He is not exactly the "hero".

By 7 p.m., Today newspaper put out a Facebook post saying there was a bit of a misunderstanding.

This checked shirt guy happened to own a checked shirt and he happened to be a foreign worker who happened to be passing by the riot scene.

Major boo-boo by the mainstream media aside, you all need to really check out the comments "praising" the Little India "hero".

People on the Internet -- or Singaporeans in particular -- have mastered the art of dishing out unintentionally condescending and backhanded compliments without even realising it.

All of these comments are just painful to read, let alone register in your brain.

Here are 12 of them:

1. Let's praise one fellow. By putting every one of his brethren down.

2. Let's assume he doesn't do anything meaningful.

3. Hey! It is necessary to point out that every other foreigner in Singapore is here to rape and pillage.

4. Yes, Singapore is so attractive that leaving his family behind isn't hard.

5. Yes! Every non-Singaporean in the world wants to become a Singaporean.

6. Yes, because citizenship is only for people born and bred here.

7. If you happen to be born with a bitchy resting face, I'm sorry, you can't be Singaporean.

8. Well, I guess we do need more foreigners caught up in riots to prove their worth.

9. Look how magmanimous I am for I am a fair-minded Singaporean!

10. Yes, this is the sound of my brain farting.

11. If a brain fart is verbalised, here's what it looks like written down.

12. I have no idea what self-control means, so I say whatever comes to mind.

Other related articles:

7 things you can partake of in Little India this weekend to prove you’re a rebel

Everything you need to know about the Committee of Inquiry on Little India riot in 60 seconds

Dramatic footage shows foreign workers helping first responders get away from Little India riot

5 things you might have missed in the aftermath of Little India riot

30 reasons why getting under-40s to show their IC at 7-Eleven is good policy

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