I think the point is that it seems highly unimaginative (or perhaps just highly unempathetic, if there's a difference in this situation) to not see how a casual

I think the point is that it seems highly unimaginative (or perhaps just highly unempathetic, if there's a difference in this situation) to not see how a casual reader could just take it at face value and go on with their day. This seems especially plausible to me if I think of someone who knows little of the natural world beyond the odd thing they've come across on the internet, doubly so if not from America. At face value it seems as plausible as anything else, with just a bit of scrutiny it clearly doesn't hold up. But I suppose you have your deficiencies too, same as those who thought it to be real (however briefly).