Changes

As an April Fools joke in 2009, [[Trent Reznor]] announced an album called ''Strobe Light'', which was replete with humorous song titles and guest collaborators. Ten years later, as a new April Fools Joke, a fan-made mashup album was released by mash-up artist extraordinaire, ToToM, under the same title. It was posted to Bandcamp and archive.org.

Ten years later=="Down In It" music video incident==To film the shots of lifeless Reznor in the "[[Down In It (song)|Down In It]]" music video, as a new April Fools Jokehe was covered with cornstarch to create the illusion of decay, a fanand cameras were tied to heavy-made mashup album was released under duty balloons that were anchored. During the filming of these scenes, one of the balloons broke free and took the same titlecamera with it, drifting some 200 miles before being found by a farmer in Michigan. It The camera was posted turned over to Bandcamp local police who, upon seeing the raw video footage, assumed it was a snuff film, and archivethe FBI was called in to investigate. The incident was even reported on ''Hard Copy'' [https://vimeo.orgcom/17037838] and recalled in an interview for ''SPIN'' magazine.

=="Down In It" music videoTrent Reznor's Personal Homepage==To film the shots of lifeless In 1995, a fan named Eric Seven created a parody site called Reznor's Edge, which claimed to be Trent Reznor in the "'s personal homepage. [https://web.archive.org/web/19990508050226/http://www.23x.com/treznor/oldreznorpages/indexs.html] [Down In It (song)|Down In Ithttps://web.archive.org/web/19990125102742/http://www.reznorsedge.com/]]" music video, he The site was covered with cornstarch used to prank newbies on #nin on IRC (where Seven would claim to create be Reznor, using the illusion of decay nick "blackrose"), and cameras were tied also made its way to heavy-duty balloons that were tied downdiscussions on alt.music.nin. During It even fooled some mainstream music news publications, including ''Kerrang!'' and ''Melody Maker'', which reported information from the filming of these scenessite uncritically. The site made increasingly absurdist claims about upcoming NIN projects, collaborators, one of the balloons broke free and took the camera with itReznor's fictional brother, drifting some 200 miles before being found by a farmer in MichiganBob Reznor. The camera site was turned over to local police who, upon seeing the raw video footage, assumed it was a snuff film and source of the fake rumor from 1996 that the FBI was called in follow-up to investigate. ''[[The Downward Spiral (halo)|The incident Downward Spiral]]'' was even reported on already completed and would be titled ''Hard CopyImpossible Pain'' and recalled in , with an interview for accompanying remix album titled ''SPINImprobable Pain'' magazine.[https://nothing.nin.net/edge.html]Seven wrote a complete account of the saga [https://web.archive.org/web/20090308161538/http://www.ericseven.com/saga.html] when the prank had run its course.

==Trent Reznor's homepage"Dive And Slam"==In 19952016, a fan created a parody site claiming prior to be Reznor's homepage. It was called "Reznor's Edge" and was also the source release of the fake rumor from 1997 that the follow-up to ''[[Not The Downward Spiral (halo)|The Downward SpiralActual Events]]'' , a new NIN single was already completed and would be titled ''Impossible Pain''rumored, with the title "Dive And Slam". The information was sourced from someone claiming to have seen it on a Kobalt Music Group internal database, even posting a screen shot as proof. The single was debunked by Reznor on Twitter.[https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/nine-inch-nails-dive-slam-trent-reznor-not-true-kobalt-7461016/]

==Dive And Slam''With Teeth'' "Tentative Sequence" CD upload==In 2016January 2020, prior to the release of a five-track [[With Teeth (halo)#Possible_pre-release_CDs|''[[Not The Actual Events]]With Teeth'', a new NIN single was rumored, with the title "Dive And SlamTentative Sequence"CD]] (marked as being from late 2004) was sold on eBay by Amoeba Records. The information was sourced Tracks claiming to be from someone claiming the CD were posted to have seen it on a Kobalt Music Group internal databasearchive.org the same month, even posting and while the existence of such a screen shot as proof. The single CD was debunked verified by Reznor on Twitter[[Rob Sheridan]], the posted tracks were found to be elaborate fakes. [https://www.echoingthesound.org/community/threads/5831-With-Teeth-Tentative-Sequence]

==nin.com Memorial Day sale==[[Image:Reptilecassette.jpg|thumb|"Reptile" cassette]][[Image:Closurelaserdisc.jpg|thumb|''With TeethClosure'' Tentative Sequence==LaserDisc]]In January 2020May 2021, two separate CDs (marked as being from late 2004) surfaced that purported to contain songs from ''With Teeth'' a Memorial Day weekend sale was advertised in various states of completionthe nin.com store, as well as outtakes with a note that some new old stock media items had not previously been mentionedlocated and placed up for sale. There While there were legitimate media items, two different CDsjoke items were added and shown as being "sold out": one with five tracks that were all released on the final albuma LaserDisc of ''[[Closure#LaserDisc|Closure]]'', and a double CD cassette single of "[[Reptile]]". The cassette was even touted as containing all of the album tracks (some finishedlong-fabled unreleased song "[[Just Do It]]". The LaserDisc was, some in demo form) and several demoed outtakes on disc two. A few months laterreality, an upload of the 5available for pre-track Tentative Sequence CD was put on archive.orgorder in 1997 through Trimark, but was debunked as being fakecanceled.[https://store.nin.com/collections/music][https://www.theninhotline.com/features/news.nin.net/monthly_041998.html]

After the release of the vinyl versions of ''[[Watchmen (Music From The HBO Series)]]''vinyls, an [[ETS ]] user katara released a series of elaborately created remixes which were posted to Bandcamp and Soundcloud under the name "thninchnails". This was a shortened and stylized version of The Nine Inch Nails, the "alternate universe" moniker of NIN that was used in the faux packaging presentation on Volume 03 (''The Manhattan Project'') of the aforementioned vinyls. The remixes were done in the style of mid-90s NIN remixes and were released as faux singles for "[[Hurt]]" and "[[Heresy]]", with the "Heresy" artwork being borrowed from the liner notes of ''The Manhattan Project''. A third installment was to come, but never got released.[https://www.echoingthesound.org/community/threads/5917-thninchnails-hurt-(stained)-and-heresy-ep-(fan-made-remixes)]

*My Me And My Fucking Gun

Another ''Watchmen'' score universe joke came in the form of a fake recording of a 1995 "The Nine Inch Nails" show in Saigon, which was "surfaced" and posted to ninlive.comthe [[NIN Live Archive]]. This was a reference to the storyline of "The Nine Inch Nails" as told in the liner notes of ''The Manhattan Project'' vinyl, with the Saigon show being the last show ever performed. The recording was a file of pure noise, but also contained a folder with a real soundboard recording of the [[2005/12/10_Los_Angeles,_CA|Almost Acoustic Christmas 2005show]] show as a consolation.[https://www.reddit.com/r/nin/comments/ei6bsd/the_nine_inch_nails_live_archive_tnin_april_28/]

A ''Watchmen'' joke merchandise item was added to the [[nin.com]] store just before the release of Volume 03, which was dirt from the crater mentioned in the series. The item was called "Blue Sunday" and it was priced at $195. When attempting to add the item to the shopping cart, a popup stated "Due to FDTA regulations this item is not available for transport to your region." Some people were able to actually place an order for the item and by exploiting the store's wishlist functionality. The orders were refunded, but also they subsequently received a fake letter in the mail and/or a fake voicemail message that led some to believe that an ARG was underway. ==nin.com Memorial Day sale==[[Imagehttps:Reptilecassette//soundcloud.jpg|thumb|com/user-967627360/blue-sunday automated phone call] from the FDTA informing them that they were in violation of "Reptileattempted transport of M-class materials" cassette]][and would be receiving a notification in the mail. A [Imagehttps:Closurelaserdisc//imgur.jpg|thumb|''Closure'' laserdisccom/gallery/we1eHMV Fedex envelope]]In May 2021, arrived the next day which contained a Memorial Day weekend sale was advertised in notification letter from the FDTA regarding the confiscation of the nin.com storematerial, with a note that some new old stock media items had been located and placed up for sale. While there were legitimate media items, two joke items were added and shown as being "sold out"the remnants of the original shipment: a laserdisc Certificate of "[[Closure]]", Authenticity for the Blue Sunday material and a cassette single of "[[Reptile]]"bag from which the Blue Sunday was confiscated. The cassette was even touted as containing the long-fabled unreleased song "[[Just Do It]]"https://watchmen. The laserdisc was, in reality, available for pre-order in 1997 through Trimark, but was canceledfandom.com/wiki/Blue_Sunday]