In the days following the death of Michael Jackson, internet hoaxsters have tried their hand at convincing us that famous people are dropping like flies. First there were the Jeff Goldblum rumors, then they told us our beloved Harrison Ford and Britney Spears had gone the way of the dodo.
Being the astute followers of pop culture that we are - and being hip to the fact that celebrities die in threes and not 4’s,5’s, 6’s, or 7’s - we quickly saw these stories for what they were. Nonetheless, these pranksters will stop at nothing until they finally persuade us that another one of our beloved elite entertainers is now standing in that spotlight in the sky. Their latest attempt comes at the expense of an obviously immortal singer, one who continuously asserts that he is “NEVER gonna give you up” or “let you down.” We’re talking about 80’s Brit-soul superstar, Rick Astley.
Early this morning the Internets had an outpouring of stories on Mister Astley, who had begun trending oneriot, asserting that the singer had been found dead in his German hotel room at the age of forty-three. Our first reaction was, “Say it ain’t so.” Our second, however, was to quietly sing the lyrics, “Together forever and never to part. Together forever with you.” It was these lyrics that gave us the resolve and strength to realize this story was indeed a crock. For when Rick Astley croons, “Together FOREVER,” he means it. OneRiot 1, Internet Hoaxsters 0.
