# Web headlines beginning with "Why" and "No, ..." **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 7, 2015, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/web-headlines-beginning-with-why-and-no/736875 "2015-11-07T04:25:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![WF\_Tomba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d9b06d/32.png) [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/web-headlines-beginning-with-why-and-no/736875/1 "2015-11-07T04:25:53Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/web-headlines-beginning-with-why-and-no/736875/2 "2015-11-07T09:57:51Z")
Does this kind of thing upset me? Why, no. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/web-headlines-beginning-with-why-and-no/736875/3 "2015-11-07T12:43:13Z")
**WF Tomba said WHAT?** **Linking to examples: you’re doing it wrong** ---
**Author:** ![ElderSign](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eldersign/32/8263_2.png) [@ElderSign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElderSign)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/web-headlines-beginning-with-why-and-no/736875/4 "2015-11-07T13:31:09Z")
Stop clicking on them. Every click you make just encourages them to do more, see Buzzfeed, Cracked, et al. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/web-headlines-beginning-with-why-and-no/736875/5 "2015-11-07T13:45:23Z")
Such articles are almost always clickbait… and they’re bring more prevalent, even on what were once quality sites. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/web-headlines-beginning-with-why-and-no/736875/6 "2015-11-07T16:12:31Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > **WF Tomba said WHAT?** > > **Linking to examples: you’re doing it wrong** 😃 You asshole. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/web-headlines-beginning-with-why-and-no/736875/7 "2015-11-07T18:58:52Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/web-headlines-beginning-with-why-and-no/736875/8 "2015-11-07T19:13:19Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > You’ll be grossed out by how turned you are by this picture. > > You won’t believe what can kill your children. Please tell me those weren’t headlines for the same story. ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/web-headlines-beginning-with-why-and-no/736875/9 "2015-11-07T20:24:40Z")
#7 will shock you! ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2015, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/web-headlines-beginning-with-why-and-no/736875/10 "2015-11-07T20:53:19Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > Please tell me those weren’t headlines for the same story. It’s OK, though. The article contains one weird tip from a mom in [YOUR\_HOMETOWN] that can help. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/web-headlines-beginning-with-why-and-no/736875/11 "2015-11-09T00:14:51Z")
My pet peeve: headlines that start “How …”, yet do not in fact go on to say HOW anything happened, just WHAT happened.