November 20, 2001

2:38 PM

Wacky headline courtesy of Salon.Looks as though their copyeditors were hurried off to Salon Premium, as this is a 'free' story.
posted by KLAX (17 comments total)

Ship ahoy
Sailor boy
don't forget
your dinghy
posted by Postroad at 2:44 PM on November 20, 2001

hmmm. I think this was no accident. Better title? "Navy's supply of Seamen runs dry" or "Local families share turkey, Seamen"
posted by ColdChef at 2:46 PM on November 20, 2001

This was obviously done intentionally. I looked up the story on Lexis-Nexis (it's an AP wire story), and although the lede is the same, Salon changed the headline. The one that went out over the wire was "Adopt a Sailor Program Booming."
posted by emptyage at 3:09 PM on November 20, 2001

J. Christ, folks:

Salon provides breaking news articles from the Associated Press as a service to its readers, but does not edit the AP articles it publishes.

The criticism of all things Salon has become so rote here, it's just plain pathetic.
posted by donkeyschlong at 3:09 PM on November 20, 2001

Smithers: "I think women and seamen don't mix."
Burns: "Oh, we know what you think."

Ahh, the Simpsons.
posted by youthbc1 at 3:10 PM on November 20, 2001

but does not edit the AP articles it publishes

They may not edit the articles, donkeyschlong, but they certainly do edit the headlines, because that headline has been changed from the one that crossed the wire. And editing a headline doesn't neccesarily mean that the article has been edited. You can do one without doing the other. As I said, the lede is identical to the one in the AP feeds.

Look, I'm a big Salon fan, I really want them to make it (I even have a premium membebrship). But to claim that they didn't alter that headline (and it would not be the first time if they did) is just silly.

posted by emptyage at 4:02 PM on November 20, 2001

Well said, emptyage. If you're going to go changing headlines, at least do it properly:

"Adopt-A-Seamen program comes to a sticky end."
posted by dlewis at 4:05 PM on November 20, 2001

Traditionally, headlines are solely controlled by editors. This stems partly from technical needs that arose in the old layout methods, to allow the people doing the layout, the editors, the wiggle room needed to make the news fit. Despite the technical changes, I'd be surprised if editors (powerful) ceded that control back to reporters (not).
posted by NortonDC at 4:07 PM on November 20, 2001

emptyage gets propers from me for spelling "lede" wrong right.
posted by rodii at 4:53 PM on November 20, 2001

They're spent, as the saying goes... the editor of this story will end up with, er, egg on his face.
posted by clevershark at 4:59 PM on November 20, 2001

This reminds me of an apocryphal story that perhaps some of the MeFi Brits can verify or falsify: I heard there used to be a kid's TV show in England about a bunch of pirates, and the writers had snuck in names such as Seaman Stains, Screw, the Cabin Boy and Master Bates. Supposedly, the show ran for years before anybody caught on.

Any truth to this?
posted by muckster at 5:10 PM on November 20, 2001

Muckster:
Nope!
posted by Grum at 5:40 PM on November 20, 2001

Thanks, Grum. I guess I'm a little disappointed now.
posted by muckster at 7:35 PM on November 20, 2001

Well, to be honest, I think this was an intentional joke made by someone at salon. Given the breadth of their content, I doubt it would offend their readership*

They may not edit the articles, donkeyschlong, but...

That is an example what I love about metafilter. Only here would someone call another person "donkyshlong" and not mean it as an insult. This is the only place (I think) I've seen stuff like that or "I agree with SuperDumbass" (or whatever). Very incongruous.

*btw, that was the first time I had looked at that article on salon. I was a little surprised at the picture they chose to go with it...
posted by delmoi at 11:09 PM on November 20, 2001

delmoi--Much truth, and you made me laugh (even though I am old enough to remember other examples from the glory days of pre-NET Act BBS's).
posted by NortonDC at 5:22 AM on November 21, 2001

Only here would someone call another person "donkyshlong" and not mean it as an insult.

i'm a bit confused. why would "donkyshlong" be an insult?
posted by tolkhan at 6:42 AM on November 21, 2001

Well, if *YOUR* schlong was as small as a donk(e)y's....

Har.....
posted by dwivian at 8:24 AM on November 21, 2001