I am no stranger to falling on my face, and sometimes falling on my…ahem…derriere. Last week, I did it again. In case you missed it, I wrote about my obsession with Star Wars (or Han Solo, in particular) as an intro to my newest Star-Wars inspired sales presentation.
Despite checking my work and having at least four other people in the office proofread it, I managed to misspell Chewbacca. As Bob (my boss) pointed out, I referred to his distant cousin, Chewbecca, instead. Not once, but twice. When I realized my error, I let out a cry that sounded exactly like the Wookiee I once wanted to be. What can I say, except: “That’s what happens when you try to be brilliant on a Monday”?
At least I’m not alone. Some of the best writers in the world are journalists. They submit their work to professional editors before it is printed, and yet, they still make silly mistakes too. Reading these headline hiccups helped me remember that we’re all human. Unless, of course, we are Chewbacca.
Here are some of my favorite headlining blunders:
- Missippi’s Literacy Program Shows Improvement
- Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife and Daughter
- Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
- Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
- Panda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over
- Miners Refuse to Work after Death
- If Strike Isn’t Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile
- Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges
- Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors
- Utah Poison Control Center Reminds Everyone Not to Take Poison
- Bugs Flying Around with Wings are Flying Bugs
- 17 Remain Dead in Morgue Shooting Spree
- One-Armed Man Applauds the Kindness of Strangers
May The Force be with you this week, and may you watch my presentation, if you haven’t already.
Happy Monday,
Mary
Photo credit: Je hyung Lee
