# Is there an "effect" that describes an initial infuriating statement that later turns out to be logical? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 23, 2024, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-effect-that-describes-an-initial-infuriating-statement-that-later-turns-out-to-be-logical/1009118 "2024-10-23T21:24:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2024, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-effect-that-describes-an-initial-infuriating-statement-that-later-turns-out-to-be-logical/1009118/1 "2024-10-23T21:24:22Z")
Something like the “Mandela Effect” or the “Streisand Effect”. I’m referring to headlines or initial statements that are designed to stoke outrage and are ‘one sided.’ but that when you delve into the details you find out the facts are logical and not at all rage inducing. Like this story of the aunt who sued her nephew because her wrist was broken when he hugged her: [https://www.robertreeveslaw.com/blog/aunt-sued-nephew-hug/](https://www.robertreeveslaw.com/blog/aunt-sued-nephew-hug/) ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2024, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-effect-that-describes-an-initial-infuriating-statement-that-later-turns-out-to-be-logical/1009118/2 "2024-10-24T01:14:55Z")
I suggest we call this the **Brown M&M Effect** ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2024, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-effect-that-describes-an-initial-infuriating-statement-that-later-turns-out-to-be-logical/1009118/3 "2024-10-24T02:28:48Z")
The “[McDonald’s Coffee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liebeck_v._McDonald%27s_Restaurants) effect”? I often see that case used as an example of that fort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2024, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-effect-that-describes-an-initial-infuriating-statement-that-later-turns-out-to-be-logical/1009118/4 "2024-10-24T04:54:14Z")
I don’t know about the effect but the practice is called, “Debunking”. ---
**Author:** ![Jebbilene](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jebbilene/32/3414_2.png) [@Jebbilene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jebbilene)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2024, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-effect-that-describes-an-initial-infuriating-statement-that-later-turns-out-to-be-logical/1009118/5 "2024-10-24T07:42:14Z")
Seems like a kind of clickbait. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2024, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-effect-that-describes-an-initial-infuriating-statement-that-later-turns-out-to-be-logical/1009118/6 "2024-10-24T08:03:32Z")
The OP is describing the opposite of clickbait - it’s something that looks like clickbait, but is in fact properly and truthfully represented by the headline. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2024, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-effect-that-describes-an-initial-infuriating-statement-that-later-turns-out-to-be-logical/1009118/7 "2024-10-24T11:09:57Z")
Well MAGAs are infuriated when the left calls Trump a facist. But then he keeps saying facist things and references Hitler. 🤔 ---
**Author:** ![Jebbilene](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jebbilene/32/3414_2.png) [@Jebbilene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jebbilene)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2024, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-effect-that-describes-an-initial-infuriating-statement-that-later-turns-out-to-be-logical/1009118/8 "2024-10-24T11:26:01Z")
I don’t think clickbait always has to be false. Just sensationalised. Something that sounds outrageous but turns out to be reasonable fits that for me. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2024, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-effect-that-describes-an-initial-infuriating-statement-that-later-turns-out-to-be-logical/1009118/9 "2024-10-24T12:57:52Z")
> [@Jebbilene](#): > > I don’t think clickbait always has to be false. Just sensationalised. Yup, it’s clickbait. The headline could have been written to be clear and non-inflammatory. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2024, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-effect-that-describes-an-initial-infuriating-statement-that-later-turns-out-to-be-logical/1009118/10 "2024-10-24T14:00:00Z")
I suppose there could be cases, though, where the true story is itself actually sensational, and trying to write a toned-down headline would also be toned-down in terms of truth. Like, suppose NASA finds actual living microbes on Mars and they have microscopic footage of them moving about etc, I want the headline on the article to be ‘Conclusive Evidence of Life Found on Mars’, not ‘NASA Discovers an Interesting Thing’ ---
**Author:** ![ASL\_v2.0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asl_v2.0/32/3525_2.png) [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2024, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-an-effect-that-describes-an-initial-infuriating-statement-that-later-turns-out-to-be-logical/1009118/11 "2024-10-24T14:08:48Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > > [@Jebbilene](#): > > > > I don’t think clickbait always has to be false. Just sensationalised. > > Yup, it’s clickbait. The headline could have been written to be clear and non-inflammatory. Agreed. Instead of “Woman sues McDonalds because she spilled coffee on herself” or even “Woman sues McDonalds for serving hot coffee” it could be the equally true but less outrage-inducing “McDonalds sued for serving dangerously hot coffee”. Clickbait covers the effect well enough. Sensational (but not sensationalized) seems a fine way of describing a headline that is attention grabbing but not clickbait because the content really is sensational (eg: they really did find conclusive proof of life on Mars).