Entertainment film funny media
This baffling New York Magazine entertainments update generates far more questions than it answers
Languages evolve, which is why we have the yearly update of the dictionaries giving us words like Swiftie (a devoted Taylor Swift fan), de-influencing (encouraging your social media followers not to use or buy something) and rizz (charm or attractiveness).
Bethy Squires, a writer at Vulture, the entertainment section of the New York Magazine, really leant into using less-mainstream words in an update about a Halle Berry film that had been intended for a Netflix release.
Here’s what she said.
Now, stick with us, we understood the first part. Halle Berry’s ‘The Mothership’ won’t be aired by Netflix. Filming was completed, but post-production wasn’t. So far so understandable, with the slaytography bit clearly borrowing from LGBTQ+ culture.
But what in the name of Susie Dent does ‘Netflix has decided to take the boots the house tax write-down’ mean? Is it reporting a tax write-off? Is it even a sentence? Either way, it’s an outrageous way to treat Halle Berry, The Mothership …and grammar.
1.
Did you have a stroke in the middle of writing this tweet?
— chris evans (@notcapnamerica) January 25, 2024
2.
https://t.co/xRtREp00to pic.twitter.com/IG0QAvXHjC
— Gwdihŵ (@youwouldknow) January 25, 2024
3.
@dank_ackroyd “As everybody talked about AI headlines I couldn’t help but wonder – did ‘land her mothership’ have something to do with my fanny?” https://t.co/SdLiuKuIHY pic.twitter.com/6Ee7wJJ7Lg
— Nick Pettigrew (@Nick_Pettigrew) January 25, 2024
4.
literally what https://t.co/6aS2ESc1fM
— Imani Gandy (Orca’s Version) ⚓️ (@AngryBlackLady) January 25, 2024
5.
This tweet momentarily made me think I needed to go to the hospital https://t.co/hyDmhusjX7
— amanda (@jailedamanda) January 25, 2024
6.
literally no one because literally no one understands any of that: https://t.co/XR6rGcxXy9 pic.twitter.com/zQCp2TLkeL
— Sorcha Ní Nia (@Luiseach) January 25, 2024
7.
What the fuck kind of headline is this. https://t.co/AVIEqHVzQ0
— Portia J. (@PortiaNoir) January 25, 2024
8.
The lucky ones stopped reading at “slaytography” and avoided the subsequent headache https://t.co/Fu22Ojvv3w
— Chris Scullion (@scully1888) January 25, 2024
9.
I think they’ve mixed up the headlines with the cryptic crossword clues again https://t.co/4yjuWaePOI
— Matt Oakley (@MattOakleyMojo) January 25, 2024
10.
“Yeah. Let’s try AI. Can’t hurt, can it? Can… it?” Or an editor didn’t check the intern’s work… https://t.co/hpAcQSuvoy
— Alex Goy (@A1GOY) January 25, 2024
11.
I don’t think I’ve experienced grammatical uncanny valley before https://t.co/QnYeb8QLeW
— ChristianV (@GenreFilmAddict) January 25, 2024
12.
Folks keep saying this is AI and I don’t even think AI can write a headline this bad. https://t.co/w7bVP5B0tp pic.twitter.com/eiPW5C1ESx
— Jason Weintraub (@JRtheWriter) January 25, 2024
13.
Are these words?!?!?! https://t.co/amkID6PSr3
— Caroline Renard (@carolinerenard_) January 25, 2024
14.
Wait this is a real headline lmao https://t.co/BmLYz5qHua
— Sarah ❤ (@ScaredBisexual) January 25, 2024
15.
https://t.co/a6njn4mDUf pic.twitter.com/LOxUGwC6oD
— John Squires (@FreddyInSpace) January 25, 2024
16.
Copy. Have passed on to Bletchley. https://t.co/LeooCLDNMU
— Alan White (@aljwhite) January 25, 2024
We’re reasonably convinced that it’s a generational issue rather than an A.I. one, but we heartily agree with this sentiment.
Why you still need writers. And editors. #AI https://t.co/1fQSpzkj81
— Justin Lewis (whenisbirths on rival platforms) (@WhenIsBirths) January 25, 2024
READ MORE
Stop the search – we’ve found the most baffling headline of the year
Source New York Magazine Image Screengrab