Headlines that Irk Me

Headlines capture our attention and are used to entice us to read an article, a book, watch a show or find out why we should or should not go to a movie. Often headlines arouse my curiosity; more often they irk me. Here are some headlines that irk me and why.

Headlines that proclaim "America" or "Americans" believe or do thus and such. America is comprised of North, Central and South America. It is understood that these "America" headlines are referring to the citizens of United States of America. The citizens of the USA are a diverse group of individuals. There is no "America" or "Americans" so that the headline itself is a misrepresntation of facts. Before I read beyond the title, I assume the piece will be a biased account filled with half-truths and often, outright lies to further whatever claim the author is choosing to promote. Using the word "Some" with the word "Americans" would give the piece authenticity.

Other headlines that irk me are the ones that shout "A New Survey, Study or Poll Proves Thus and Such". A small sampling of people surveyed or polled proves that a small sampling of people think one way or another. They are also worded to give the results the pollster is hoping to obtain. A quick example: the poll asks "Would you vote for Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama?" but does not give an option of "neither". The resultant headline, depending upon answers, would say: "Poll Shows Clinton Favored Over Obama" when actually some that took the survey plan to vote for Ron Paul or John Edwards.

The same is true of studies, even the scientific ones. Surely rats in a controlled environment and injected with chemicals will show a result. To translate that result to actual living conditions among human beings is just darn silly. One such study was capturing air, to test quality. This proved the amounts of dangerous cancer producing tobacco related chemicals could cause lung cancer. The study ignores a simple common sense thing: air is not static. Those chemicals disappear rather quickly; most likely more quickly than the carbon monoxide fumes from a bus. Again, when I see "polls, survey and studies" headlines, I know the article will be a biased piece used to spread falsehoods and the author's point of view.

Ditto headlines that proclaim "Pundits or experts say" or offer the "best" or "worst" advice on any given topic. To which I often think: "You don't say, eh."

Headlines that irk me use words like "Suck". What kind of a word is that? When an author uses it, s/he means s/he does not approve or like something and is simply expressing their position. They can be fun articles to read if one agrees with the opinion of the author, but their main existence is to alienate people. When I see such headlines, I think the author is combative, wants to start wars and is not interested in creating harmony and peace on earth. They are usually petty annoyances, kind of like this article. Educated people usually have more tolerance of other human beings, knowing that most people are doing the best they can do considering the circumstances of their lives at any given time.

False and misleading headlines irk me. One Associated Content headline stated: "Britney Is Dead". The author meant her musical career was dead. It was an opinion piece and the kind of headline one expects to find on a tabloid magazine. Often something a public figure has said or done is sensationalized in a headline. The article will support whatever biased opinion the writer is trying to spread to readers, even though what was placed in the headline was taken out of context of whatever was said and done. Many people will simply believe what is written and form a false impression based on misleading content.

Cosmopolitan magazine was often guilty of other kinds of headlines that irk me. The story or article has absolutely nothing to do with the headline. When I choose to read something due to the headline, I am interested in the subject. I expect the related story to "answer the headline". It is a disappointment waste of time reading the whole article without finding any info relating to the headline.

Headlines that use the word "Liberal" irk me for the same reason headlines that use the word "Americans" irks me. The piece attached to the headline is usually another fine example of people bashing and bias with little to back up whatever claim the author is trying to make. The same can be true of headlines that shout: "Black America" or "White America" or "Muslim" anything which is usually accompanied by the word "Terrorist". Labels placed upon people are quite often fables. People are individuals. Strip away labels and we are all the same. We have hearts, livers, kidneys, a need for shelter, to be loved and to love in return. We think alike. We think differently.

The headlines that irk me the most are the ones that insist I feel, think or believe something that is absolutely not the truth. What are the headlines that irk you?