Headlines Against Humanity
January 8, 2014 10:36 AM   Subscribe

Which is the real link-baity headline? (real being a relative term these days...)
posted by oneswellfoop (23 comments total) 6 users marked this as a favorite
 
This pairs quite well with the Pointless Diagrams from earlier.
posted by Ratio at 10:40 AM on January 8, 2014


I would probably click on "This is the toilet paper/Norse mythology mashup you didn't know you needed"
posted by GenjiandProust at 10:40 AM on January 8, 2014 [2 favorites]


So, about five plays in I got an option where both headlines were fake (that is, I had option A vs B and clicked A and was told it was fake, and then got option C vs B, clicked B and was told it was fake). Perhaps it's just underlining the point that with headlines like these you just can't win?
posted by yoink at 10:44 AM on January 8, 2014 [5 favorites]


I'm certain that at one point or another they will all be real.
posted by OHenryPacey at 10:47 AM on January 8, 2014 [1 favorite]


Every time I hit a fake one I start on the article and submit it to about four websites. Clearly these are topics that someone is interested in reading about. ?!?!?! Profit!
posted by Nanukthedog at 10:47 AM on January 8, 2014 [5 favorites]


Viking Toilet Paper: It was briefly real.
posted by Nanukthedog at 10:52 AM on January 8, 2014 [1 favorite]


Which forehead lines are fake? Not mine.
posted by hat_eater at 10:53 AM on January 8, 2014 [1 favorite]


One of the real headlines is from "viralnova" which is like some unholy spawn of Buzzfeed and Upworthy. I mean, it's bad enough that it's got "viral" right in the name of the site. They had an article earlier where they actually hid the last picture unless you "liked" them on Facebook.
posted by kmz at 11:06 AM on January 8, 2014


Clicked for about 3 minutes, never got a "fake" one.
posted by dnash at 11:06 AM on January 8, 2014


If You Haven’t Seen Gordon Ramsay Edited To Sound Like He’s Giving Sex Advice You’re Missing Out

I'm thrilled that this is one of the real ones. I'm disappointed that it's not as hilarious as I'd hoped.
posted by Metroid Baby at 11:11 AM on January 8, 2014 [3 favorites]


That's it. I'm done. FUCK. THIS. SHIT.

This year, we take back the internet.
posted by schmod at 11:12 AM on January 8, 2014 [7 favorites]


So, one of the headlines I got was "I Have a Dream: That People Will View a Picture Like This and Not Think It’s a Big Deal" which, given the article's subject and observations, was pretty much right on target and to the point.

If someone tries to re-frame Martin Luther King's dream speech as an introduction for their recipe for low gluten pancakes, yeah, that's the evil of click baity banality. A thoughtful article on the state of racism and sexism in the US? Not so much.
posted by Kid Charlemagne at 11:17 AM on January 8, 2014 [2 favorites]


That is sort of meta, in a "OMG these are so ridiculous but here is the story and please tweet about it"

Imagine one of those graphs that show the benefits vs drawbacks to something. Getting close to parity here.

posted by edgeways at 11:22 AM on January 8, 2014 [1 favorite]


I'm disappointed that it's not as hilarious as I'd hoped.

It did turn me on to his British "cookery course" show (and the other one that's pretty much the same but has a different name). Because of my mom, I have watched a ton of cooking programs, and this is one of the most genuinely informative ones.
posted by tofu_crouton at 11:25 AM on January 8, 2014 [1 favorite]


UpWorthIt
posted by mkb at 11:35 AM on January 8, 2014 [1 favorite]


YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT GORDON RAMSAY TOLD US ABOUT VIKING TOILET PAPER!
posted by blue_beetle at 11:40 AM on January 8, 2014 [3 favorites]


I am terrified that I am performing better than coinflip here.
posted by Hollywood Upstairs Medical College at 12:05 PM on January 8, 2014


I'm 10 for 10. Up worthy what has thou wrought
posted by ook at 12:29 PM on January 8, 2014


Incidentally Facebook recently rolled out a new feature where you can block posts from individual websites just like you can block individual games or FB users. It's a little flaky -- if something's a reshare you're given the option to block the person who first posted it instead of the actual source, and a few items inexplicably don't have the option at all -- but omg "Hide all posts from Upworthy" is perhaps the most satisfying mouseclick I have ever clicked
posted by ook at 12:33 PM on January 8, 2014 [6 favorites]


This year, we take back the internet.

What They Claimed They'd Do Wasn't Anything Out Of The Ordinary. But You Have To See What They Did Next To Believe It.
posted by Rory Marinich at 1:21 PM on January 8, 2014


(that is, I had option A vs B and clicked A and was told it was fake, and then got option C vs B, clicked B and was told it was fake).

I've gotten some real/real pairs, identified in a similar way.

Or, One weird trick that will bring droves of people to your "which is real" website!
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 1:29 PM on January 8, 2014 [2 favorites]


BUTTLOADS OF PAIN
ILLEGAL ASS ENHANCEMENTS MAY BE AMERICA’S NEXT HEALTH EPIDEMIC


Totally fooled me
posted by TedW at 2:32 PM on January 8, 2014


If tofu_crouton has used bloody Gordon Ramsey's goddamn name I could post:
"Gordon Ramsey ... turned me on".
But I can't. So, no favourite baiting for me.

But I can offer Food Safari.
A cooking show so good you won't believe that I actually own all the books and DVDs.
posted by Mezentian at 11:56 PM on January 8, 2014


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