Have you heard the rumor that Brett Favre could be included on Dancing With The Stars? If you haven’t, it’s probably only a matter of time. After all, Favre would be a pretty perfect choice; the cross-section of America that still believes in the myth of Favre pretty closely mirrors the audience that drives Dancing With The Stars to the top of ratings charts every year.
No, Brett Favre Is Not Going On Dancing With The Stars
Alas, it’s not happening. And as much as sense as it makes, it never really was.
Dan Shanoff does the detective’s work at Quickish, and traces how a Kurt Warner quote became pop gossip, then sports blog fodder, and finally, a USA Today story about “the biggest rumor bubbling up.” I guess this is how news works today?
Head over to Quickish for the full rundown of how, exactly, this all got started, but Shanoff’s conclusion is this:
An actual piece of reporting gets cited, then twisted ever so slightly. Then twisted again. Then given the imprimateur of a news organization's high reputation. Then picked up by an amplifier. Then repeated often enough -- like a mobius strip -- that it becomes its own reality. Again, no judgments. This is simply how it works.
...And just wait until the baseless rumors catch the eye of some ABC exec who gets overly excited about all this, and then Favre really does join the cast for next season. That is how it works. And yep, it’s completely, totally insane. 2011!
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