Death & Clickbait Should Not Mix

 I've talked before about stupid clickbait headlines.  The idea is these sites deliberately write a headline to entice you to read it.  This happens a lot with "articles" about TV, movies, comics, or sports.  Sometimes it's pretty funny like with sports where a clickbait headline proclaims, "Jets Sign Veteran Packers QB!"  And you're supposed to think they finally traded for Packers QB Aaron Rodgers.  But really it was just about them signing one of Rodgers's many backups Tim Boyle who hadn't been on the Packers for years, but at some point he was, so, hey, it's not lying!  I mean, from a certain point of view, right?

This one is pretty funny too.  "Essential Retailer Faces Key Chapter 11 Deadline."  What "essential retailer?"  To find out you have to not only click the article, but wallow through 7 paragraphs vamping with generic blather about what Chapter 11 bankruptcy is and scroll past at least one video box to find out it's Rite Aid.  I suppose in some places Rite Aid is "essential" though not so much where I live; I haven't used Rite Aid in many, many years because I didn't live that close to one and one drug I used a lot they'd never have in stock so I'd have to wait days longer.  Maybe that's part of why they went bankrupt?

Anyway, most of this is pretty benign, but what really annoyed me was when I saw them doing this with people who died.  One headline was, "‘Transformers’ Voice Actor Dies at 69 After Battling Pancreatic Cancer."  The way the headline is written is to make you think someone from the old TV show or the newer movies has died.  Oh no, was it Peter Cullen or Frank Welker?  (I didn't think so because they're older than that.)  Someone from Beast Wars maybe?  Someone from one of the more recent "live action" movies?

Of course not.  It was "only" a guy who voiced a character on the short-lived 2000 Robots in Disguise series, which I never watched.  No disrespect to him or his family, but it was annoying to open the article and then I'm like, "Oh, OK, that guy from that show I never saw.  That sucks."  I was worried it was someone I was familiar with but then it wasn't.  Then I feel shitty for thinking it's "only" that guy.  But I guess the site got a click so well done.

Another one I saw read something like, "Legendary Member of '84 Tigers Team Passes at 69."  I already knew it was Guillermo "Willie" Hernandez from more responsible sources--ie the Tigers Facebook account.  Otherwise I might have had to give them a click to find out.

I understand the need for clicks, but it's really disrespectful to treat someone's death like some stupid NFL transaction or movie casting rumor.  Most clickbait sites aren't "journalism" but they could have a little professionalism.  Someone's death shouldn't be treated so callously as a way to cash in with a few clicks for ad revenue.

I don't think that's asking for too much, do you?

(BTW, another annoying thing lately is these sites are now posting rumors and just wishes as facts.  Like one Tigers newsletter I get declares, "Tigers Poach Infielder From Division Rival."  Oh, so who'd they get?  No one!  It was just some asshole's imaginary trade for a guy, but the headline clearly makes it sound like something actually happened.  A similar one was, "Vikings trade for $19M QB!"  Well, no, they couldn't as the trade deadline was months ago.  This was again just some asshole's imaginary trade in the offseason, but again, presented like it already happened.  Like the old crying wolf, it makes it really hard to distinguish between actual news and fake news.)