Michael Jackson Is Really Dead, Britney Spears Is Only Twitter Dead

July 2, 2009
Bookmark and Share
PoliticsDaily

PoliticsDaily

 These celebrities are definitely Really Dead: Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, Ed McMahon. (Please folks, no more mention of the tired theory that celebrity deaths always happen in threes.)

These celebrities are alive but TwitterDead: George Clooney, Jeff Goldblum, Harrison Ford, Natalie Portman, Randy Jackson and Britney Spears.

TwitterDead is defined as someone who is said to have died in a tweet, which is retweeted so often that it trends in Twitter so others believe the celebrity is Really Dead. (If you can’t follow the previous sentence, you need to get a lesson on Twitter because many people believe it is the future of the web.)

OK, I just made up the term TwitterDead. But I needed a word to describe the phenomenon of social media moving so fast that a rumor of a celebrity death is picked up by other media, but ends up being a fire drill.

TwitterDead is the modern version of the great Mark Twain quote: “The rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.”

The first TwitterDead on the day Michael died was Randy Jackson of American Idol, which I noticed in trending topics. Bless his still-beating heart, Randy was TwitterDead because of his last name.

Next came the trending of actor Jeff Goldblum who was so TwitterDead that he had to dispel the rumors by going on camera to deny to TMZ and then to appear on the “The Colbert Report.”

Other celebrities who got killed off Twitter-style at the end of last week were Harrison Ford, Natalie Portman and Miley Cyrus. Britney Spears was TwitterDead by the weekend.

All’s fair in the twitterverse since it’s just basically an enormous high school rumor mill. But, my Twitter friends, you have gone too far when you TwitterKill George Clooney. NOT CLOONEY. ANYONE but Clooney!

Stan Rosenfield, Clooney’s publicist, contacted TMZ — which apparently is running the world now — to dispel the death rumors because he was inundated with calls from mainstream media outlets.

If you filter through rumor and TwitterDead, Twitter is still the fastest way to get real news, whether about political protests in Iran or the celebrity deaths last week. I found out about Michael Jackson being Really Dead from Twitter, too.

The first tweet from TMZ Harvey Levin: Michael Jackson taken to hospital for cardiac arrest!!!! http://bit.ly/15PFWv4:47 PM Jun 25th .

Minutes later, a confirmation tweet from TV reality show M.D. Dr. Drew: retweet RT @daxholt: HOLY S—!!CRAZY S— GOING ON W/ MICHAEL JACKSON!! RUSHED TO HOSPITAL http://bit.ly/15PFWv4:54 PM Jun 25th.

So it’s time to update the quote attributed to W.C. Fields when asked about how his tombstone should read: “On the whole, I’d rather be in Philadelphia.” The 2009 version is: “On the whole, I’d rather be TwitterDead.”

Of course you can follow me on Twitter: EmilyMiller_DC. Just please don’t make me TwitterDead.

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

1,221 Responses to Michael Jackson Is Really Dead, Britney Spears Is Only Twitter Dead

← Older Comments
  1. belly fat tips on April 12, 2011 at 9:51 pm

    hi!,I like your writing very much! share we communicate more about your post on AOL? I need a specialist on this area to solve my problem. Maybe that’s you! Looking forward to see you.

  2. Outdoor Garage Lights on April 12, 2011 at 10:05 pm

    Hello there, I found your blog via Google while looking for a related topic, your site came up, it looks great. I’ve bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.

  3. Juliana Friedrichs on April 13, 2011 at 12:41 am

    Hello, I first would like to congratulate you on making such a great site, I definitely found your information very interesting and entertaining. Celebrities seem to be one of the best entertainment industries of the world today. If you want to view celebrity photos and interested in the latest celebrity gossip online, getting hollywood gossip on famous people, finding hollywood celebrity pictures and info on famous actors & actresses watch movies and tv shows online and get the hottest breaking news, celebrity photos, fashion, videos and games, Watch movies and tv shows online, check hottest celeb photos and everything. I would suggest you visit http://accesshollyhood.com

  4. Hellen on April 13, 2011 at 2:26 am

    Thanks a ton for being my personal lecturer on this niche. We enjoyed your current article very much and most of all enjoyed reading how you really handled the aspect I regarded as being controversial. You are always quite kind towards readers like me and help me in my life. Thank you.

  5. download iphone movies on April 13, 2011 at 3:03 am

    I love the look of your website. I recently built mine and I was looking for some design ideas and you gave me a few. Can I ask you whether you developed the website by youself?

  6. coloured contact lenses on April 13, 2011 at 9:26 am

    Thanks a lot for giving everyone an exceptionally marvellous chance to read critical reviews from here.

  7. topcarexhaustvalve on April 13, 2011 at 10:17 am

    Thank you for another magnificent post. Where else could anyone get that kind of info in such a perfect way of writing? I’ve a presentation next week, and I’m on the look for such information.

  8. Ruslan Fedotenko Jerseys on April 13, 2011 at 11:33 am

    hey, this muscle be scant offtopic, but i am hosting my site on hostgator and they determination keep in my hosting in 4days, so i would like to beseech you which hosting do you purpose or recommend?

  9. Morton Flemmons on April 13, 2011 at 1:36 pm

    some truly interesting info , well written and broadly user genial .

  10. Chick Downtown on April 13, 2011 at 6:28 pm

    Helpful post, saved the blog with hopes to see more!

  11. levaquin on April 13, 2011 at 7:45 pm

    You have some honest ideas here. I done a research on the issue and discovered most peoples will agree with your blog. After that early period, the Beatles evolved considerably over the years.

  12. Ana Obermeier on April 13, 2011 at 11:58 pm

    This was a really nice portal. I will visit again soon!

  13. digital hearing aids on April 14, 2011 at 3:54 am

    As a Newbie, I am continuously searching online for articles that can help me. Thank you

  14. Antti Niemi Jersey on April 14, 2011 at 9:25 am

    Reading by means of means of your enjoyable despatch, inclination assist me to do so sometimes.

  15. Latonia Schiappa on April 14, 2011 at 1:03 pm

    prolonged tally you bear

  16. Lieselotte Liscio on April 14, 2011 at 2:52 pm

    Thank you for sharing brilliant data. Your webpage is so interesting. I’m amazed by the information that you’ve on this website. It reveals how nicely you perceive this subject. Bookmarked as their favorite this internet page, will come back for more articles. You, my friend, ROCK! I discovered just the info I actually searched all over the place and just couldn’t come across. What a good webpage.

  17. Next Generation Portable on April 14, 2011 at 4:31 pm

    I’ll right away clutch your rss as I can’t in finding your e-mail subscription hyperlink or e-newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Please permit me know in order that I could subscribe. Thanks.

  18. wholesale Redskins jerseys on April 14, 2011 at 5:36 pm

    There is some validity but I desire take hold sentiment until I look into it further. Righteousness article , thanks and we hunger more! Added to FeedBurner also.

  19. Deutsch Englisch Übersetzung on April 14, 2011 at 6:17 pm

    I was recommended this web site by my cousin. I’m not sure whether this post is written by him as no one else know such detailed about my trouble. You’re incredible! Thanks!

  20. Rob Rasner Comedy on April 15, 2011 at 9:10 am