Archive for the ‘newspapers’ Tag
I just love reading and listening to news and current events, not for their overwhelming truthfulness but for their misleading and sometimes stupid inaccuracies. Once upon a time the news was reported by actual journalists who dug up the information and submitted it to highly capable editors to keep things as accurate as possible. Unfortunately, these days we have a huge selection of news readers and talking heads with nice hair, big boobs, all handsome and beautiful, who all get their stories as reported to them by the general use wire services. They’re lucky if they can pronounce some of the words properly. Here are a few of my favorite headlines that are both ridiculous and ludicrous.
LARGER KANGAROOS LEAP FURTHER, RESEARCHERS FIND
ALCOHOL ADS PROMOTE DRINKING
CHILDS DEATH RUINS COUPLE’S HOLIDAY
QUEEN MARY HAVING BOTTOM SCRAPED
ILLITERATE? WRITE TODAY FOR FREE HELP
SURVEY FINDS DIRTIER SUBWAYS FTER CLEANING JOBS WERE CUT
SCIENTISTS SEE QUAKES IN L. A. FUTURE
MAN SHOOTS NEIGHBOR WITH MACHETE
I think these headlines have helped make my point. Pay close attention to all of those alleged reporters as you watch their multitude of news programs and opinion pieces!
To quote my ever so critical late father:
YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS S*** UP
Like this:
Like Loading...
Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
Like this:
Like Loading...
London Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide
Like this:
Like Loading...
Deaf Mute Gets New Hearing in Killing
Like this:
Like Loading...
Male Infertility Can Be Passed on to Children
Like this:
Like Loading...
“Two Convicts Evade Noose, Jury Hung”
Like this:
Like Loading...
“Police Suspicious After Body Found in Graveyard”
Like this:
Like Loading...
“Panda Mating Fails, Veterinarian Takes Over”
Like this:
Like Loading...
I remember growing up in a time when newspapers ruled the world. Nothing was true unless it was in the paper and each morning people scrambled for the morning news. It was a time when two deliveries of a newspaper was the norm, the morning edition at 6am and another delivered in the early evening. I had an up close and personal relationship with our daily paper, The Valley Daily News, because I was one of it’s part-time carriers. I always felt so damn important as I made my rounds delivering the latest news to all of my friends and neighbors. For me it was a big deal.
I can still remember rushing to the pile of papers as they were tossed off the delivery truck to catch a quick peek at the day’s headlines. It was exciting for a dumb kid like me to be the first to get the scoop of the day.
The quality of the writing seemed much more professional then than some of the stuff I’m reading these days. In my humble opinion our improved technologies and the birth of the Internet have brought the quality of articles and headlines to a very low level. The daily barrage of news these days wears on a person. It’s a constant drumbeat 24 hours a day and it’s annoying as well as redundant.
Back in the day writing was a serious profession and the writing of headlines was almost as important as the articles themselves. I offer for your amusement the following collection of headlines from recent years and various newspapers. Not only do the headlines suck but the editor’s who allowed them to be sent to print should be ashamed. Here we go.
IRAQI HEAD SEEKS ARMS
QUEEN MARY HAVING BOTTOM SCRAPED
IS THERE A RING OF DEBRIS AROUND URANUS?
PROSTITUTES APPEAL TO POPE
PANDA MATING FAILS – VETERINARIAN TAKES OVER
NJ JUDGE TO RULE ON NUDE BEACH
CHILD’S STOOL GREAT FOR USE IN GARDEN
DR. RUTH TO TALK ABOUT SEX WITH NEWSPAPER EDITORS
SOVIET VIRGIN LANDS SHORT OF GOAL AGAIN
ORGAN FESTIVAL ENDS IN SMASHING CLIMAX
EYE DROPS OFF SHELF
SQUAD HELPS DOG BITE VICTIM
DEALERS WILL HEAR CAR TALK AT NOON
ENRAGED COW INJURES FARMER WITH AX
LAWMEN FROM MEXICO BARBECUE GUESTS
You just can’t make this stuff up. For as long as the Net prospers so will my coffers of stupid remain full. Long live the Internet.
Like this:
Like Loading...
I thought a little humor might be nice with Hump Day approaching. I just heard on the news that yesterday Amazon purchased the Washington Post newspaper for two hundred million dollars. I thought Amazon as a company was a lot smarter than that. Newspapers are failing all over the country with their readership moving steadily to on-line sources but maybe they know something I don’t (which is likely) and I wish them a lot of luck.
That newspaper story got me thinking about how inept many newspapers have become since their hay-day. Stories faked, pictures Photo Shopped, and numerous grammatical and spelling errors becoming a regular feature. With that in mind here are a few headlines from actual newspapers that couldn’t be more ridiculous or funny. I hope none of the newspaper associates responsible for these headlines end up working for Amazon.
-
Two Convicts Evade Noose, Jury Hung
-
Queen Mary Having Bottom Scraped
-
NJ judge to Rule on Nude Beach
-
Smokers are Productive, But Death Cuts Efficiency
-
Nicaragua Sets Goal to Wipe Out Literacy
-
Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
-
Grandmother of Eight Makes Hole in One
-
William Kelly was Fed Secretary
-
Farmer Bill Dies in House
-
Iraqi Head Seeks Arms
How ‘s that for ten samples of really terrible professional editing. I can’t believe these headlines actually made the published newspapers but they did. Here are a few more:
-
Miners Refuse to Work After Death
-
War Dims Hope for Peace
-
Blind Woman Gets New Kidney From Dad She Hasn’t Seen in Years
-
Man is Fatally Slain
-
Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Experts Say
-
Eye Drops Off Shelf
-
Enraged Cow Injures Farmer With Ax
-
Child’s Stool Great for Use in Garden
-
Prostitutes Appeal to Pope
-
Panda Mating Fails – Veterinarian Takes Over
The hits just keep on coming and there seems to be an almost endless supply of these carelessly thought out headlines. All of the available journalism training these days seems to be more concerned with creating another Watergate than spelling properly or just making good old common sense.
- Autos Killing 110 a Day, Let’s Resolve to Do Better
- Stiff Opposition Expected to Graveyard Plan
- Lack Of Brains Hinders Research
- Policeman Help Dog Bite Victim
- Man Denies He Committed Suicide
- Four Battered In Fish And Chip Shop
- Goldfish Is Saved From Drowning
- Prisoners Escape After Execution
- No Cause Of Death Determined For Beheading Victim
- Jury Suspects Foul Play In Death Of Man Shot, Burned & Buried In Shallow Grave
I can’t continue with this any longer. The more I read the crazier it makes me. If I had submitted things like this to my high school English teacher, Ms. Walters, she would have rolled it up and smacked me across the head with it. Maybe that’s the kind of thing missing from our current journalism schools.
Like this:
Like Loading...
everyuselessthing.com 