October 1, 2002

11:15 PM

Hoaxed!In a follow-up to this thread where various news agencies were claiming the imminent demise of our blond brethren, based on "German experts" and WTO research, it turns out that the whole story was a hoax. It's either a case of serious journalistic inability to check sources...or the RTMark guys are at it again.
posted by dejah420 (9 comments total)

As if this bit of "news" wasn't enough of a joke to begin with?

Forget source-checking, how about news editors with a modicum sense of relevance.
posted by Spiny Delicacy at 12:43 AM on October 2, 2002

So, The Onion has a counter-satire satire rag to compete with that the credulous story-makers must mimic eh?
posted by crasspastor at 12:50 AM on October 2, 2002

So the "by 2202" date didn't raise any suspicions? "Yes, the last one will die at a minute to midnight on New Year's eve, 2201. The genome never lies."
posted by rory at 4:00 AM on October 2, 2002

*sigh*

"We put out a press statement on the health situation in Palestine on the same day. And comparatively we had very few calls on that, which was quite pathetic, really," she added.
posted by fore at 6:08 AM on October 2, 2002

No harm, no foul....this time.
posted by Secret Life of Gravy at 7:01 AM on October 2, 2002

Well how Ironic. Every media outlet there was making fun of Barbra Striesend (is that how it is spelled ?) for quoting shakespear when it was just a fake shakespear quote. This is pie in the face of the "ever-vigilent" media. hahaha
posted by adnanbwp at 7:13 AM on October 2, 2002

Soon no one will know what is real, much less what is true....
posted by rushmc at 9:17 AM on October 2, 2002

Amazing! Even this article, which is supposed to be a correction, has factually wrong information.


For the record, some scientists have postulated that the gene responsible for blond hair may eventually die out.

Several years ago, a book called The Vogue Book of Blonds cited the work of geneticist Steve Jones of University College, London, to make that argument.

Jones said blondness is the result of a recessive gene. He predicted that changing migration patterns would eventually create a majority of brown-haired people even among the now blond populations of Scandinavia.


Jones is saying that blonds will eventually become a minority in Scandinavia, not that they will die out completel
posted by electro at 11:09 AM on October 2, 2002

"WTO" - or "WHO" ?

If you're going to report someone else's incompetence, it might be sensible to have someone check your own writing.

Asshat.
posted by godidog at 8:01 PM on October 2, 2002