The widespread and rapid spread of information that Twitter affords its users makes the site perfect for sharing breaking news, organizing protests and other events, and generally making your ideas known. It’s also a beautiful virtual playground for digital pranksters. If you play it close to the chest and choose to disinform the public about an already hot topic, your erroneous report can go viral in a hearbeat. Just yesterday a fake Hamid Karzai account surfaced on the social networking site, and it took followers a while to spot the fake. But if there’s anything Twitter pranksters love, it’s killing off celebrities. Recent Twitter Trends included Bon Jovi, Soulja Boy, and Eddie Murphy among the digitally (but-not-really) dead.
Teen pop icon Justin Bieber was Twitter’s latest victim, not actually dying yesterday. When I heard the news, I was like “Baby, baby, baby! No!” I thought he’d always be mine.
Here’s evidence that some people will believe anything they read on the internet, some fans actually bought into the rumors:
RIP Justin Bieber has he acctually died? o.o”
Diehard Beliebers remind us that the risen Biebs is better looking and more inspiring than we mere mortals:
RIP Justin Bieber // RIP = Really Inspiring Person?, Thankyou Haters!
Trend “RIP Justin Bieber” all you want. Doesn’t change the fact that Justin will always be more talented, attractive & just better than you.
While others reminded us what we already knew in our hearts: this is funny.
To all you people who think it’s funny to trend RIP Justin Bieber: it is.
And of course, the obligatory “Justin Bieber is a girl” jokes surfaced as well.
RIP Justin Bieber is trending… Don’t worry everybody, it’s not true… she is completely fine!
I don’t find this “RIP Justin Bieber” trend funny at all. Nobody should wish death on a harmless teenage girl.
I’d like to give props to Dan for working in a Bohemian Rhapsody reference, and God for being the first reliable authority to dispel the rumor. Bonus points to Dan because Freddy Mercury could also sound like a woman.
¿”RIP Justin Bieber”? Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?
“RIP Justin Bieber” is trending? Outrage! My beloved Bieb shall not die until he is 33. And when he does, he shall rest only for three days.
Is the Biebsmeister dead? Nah, of course not. Here’s what he tweeted about 6 hours ago (impressive to see him up so early). He didn’t Tweet about his (lack of) death, tweet he nevertheless did.
always doubted….always the underdog. just the way i like it. #13DAYS
Yes, Justin. The world is against you. Stay strong and you’ll overcome your hardships. I belieb in you.
And now Bieber fans are countering the rumors, killing off Haters in the process.
“This is Bieber’s world and you are just living it it. Bieber or Die.” RIP Haters of Justin Bieber.
RIP Haters of Justin Bieber is trending? RT if your still alive.
But if you were thinking of adding your two cents to the discussion, you’re better advised to leave this topic alone. As one user points out, it’s mass carnage right now.
First it was RIP Beliebers.Then it was RIP Justin Bieber. Now it’s RIP Haters of Justin Bieber.
Congrats Twitter. You just killed everybody.
So what’s the moral of the story? The same one we generally try to impress upon you. Don’t belieb everything they tweet. Also, if you’re going to die, it’s better to do it on the internet. Apparently CTRL+Z can fix just about anything.
Photo Credit: justinbiebermusic.com. And if your fever hasn’t broken yet, here’s some more recent Bieber news.