Web headlines beginning with "Why" and "No, ..."

The BBQ Pit
1

I’m looking at you, Slate, but you’re not the only offender.

Seems like 90% of the time, that “Why” can be removed, yielding a better headline that just as accurately sums up the article’s content. Most of these pieces are just asserting a point of view, not explaining why anything is so.

The “No, …” construction is more annoying. It sounds needlessly, unaccountably snotty and insulting. They might as well include a rolleyes smiley. I don’t need your attitude, Web editors.

Both of these headline habits may have seemed like a fresh, clever stylistic choice back in 2012 or whenever, but they’re now just irritating textual tics that need to be suppressed.

2

Does this kind of thing upset me?

Why, no.

3

WF Tomba said WHAT?

Linking to examples: you’re doing it wrong

4

Stop clicking on them. Every click you make just encourages them to do more, see Buzzfeed, Cracked, et al.

5

Such articles are almost always clickbait… and they’re bring more prevalent, even on what were once quality sites.

6

:smiley:

You asshole.

7

My favorite are the type that give no hint to what it’s even about.

You’ll be grossed out by how turned you are by this picture.

You won’t believe what can kill your children.

8

Please tell me those weren’t headlines for the same story.

9

#7 will shock you!

10

It’s OK, though. The article contains one weird tip from a mom in [YOUR_HOMETOWN] that can help.

11

My pet peeve: headlines that start “How …”, yet do not in fact go on to say HOW anything happened, just WHAT happened.