[lit-ideas] Re: Headlines
- From: carol kirschenbaum <carolkir@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2010 17:01:19 -0700
Formal? American newspapers? Us? Formal? You must be thinking of the New
York Times's stylistic affectation.The rest of us, out here in the hearty
land, figure Mr. Blair must be some kid's third-grade teacher.
Carol K.
On Mon, Sep 27, 2010 at 12:40 PM, Judith Evans <
judithevans001@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >Brill/
>
> and not too disgraceful... The previous German ambassador had to pop up to
> remonstrate about tabloid banner headlines, some, pretty gross
>
>
> Our newspaper doesn't do tease or wit; it goes for headlines with long
> explanatory elaboration,
>
> oh heavens. Yes. I have noticed your papers are more formal. "Mr Blair"
> and so on.
>
> Goodness that camel headline's dire.
>
> >Imagine if British headline writers got work moonlighting on academic
> titles, "Virgin on the >Ridiculous; Post-humorous Discourse on the Reign of
> Elizabeth 1."]
>
> >Perhaps others might like to give the task a try?
>
> I am no good at all at British headlines -- Virgin on the Ridiculous,
> incidentally, reminds me of one of our leading practicioners -- maybe
> someone else is
>
> Judy Evans, Cardiff
>
> --- On *Mon, 27/9/10, David Ritchie <ritchierd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>* wrote:
>
>
> From: David Ritchie <ritchierd@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Headlines
> To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Date: Monday, 27 September, 2010, 18:52
>
>
>
> On Sep 27, 2010, at 10:20 AM, Judith Evans wrote:
>
>
> Aren't headlines an odd form?
>
>
> I've heard it said the Sun pays its headline writers a fortune. It was
> though the News of the World that greeted an England 5-1 win over Germany
> with "Don't Mention the Score". (The Independent, which is supposed to be
> above that kind of thing, did it too.) The BBC, I sometimes think,is simply
> (on occasion) inept.
>
>
> Brill/
>
>
> British
>
> ones seem to assume more knowledge and agreement than our
>
> local counterparts do.
>
>
> I don't know what yours are like. But you know this place: small island,
> relatively massive national media, and so on.
>
>
> Our newspaper doesn't do tease or wit; it goes for headlines with long
> explanatory elaboration, in the manner of academic books and theses. "Use
> of illegal drugs up 9 percent, study finds," followed by the subhead,
> beginning with category of story, "Health/Ecstasy and meth use increased by
> double digits in 2009, while cocaine use fell." No caps after the first
> word; little risk of ambiguity.
>
> Occasionally, however, local headline writers try for something pithier,
> "Stuck in a sinkhole, Moses the camel rises from muck with luck." This was
> a story about a Bactrian camel that someone who either has a rather hazy
> understanding of geography or who just doesn't care about context, uses in
> Nativity scenes. Manger, baby Jesus, Asian camel. Of course!
>
> Moses got stuck in a hole; the fire brigade pulled him out.
>
> Imagine if British headline writers got work moonlighting on academic
> titles, "Virgin on the Ridiculous; Post-humorous Discourse on the Reign of
> Elizabeth 1."
>
> Perhaps others might like to give the task a try?
>
> David Ritchie,
> Portland, Oregon
>
>
>
Other related posts:
