The top internet memes of 2009Balloon Boy, David after the dentist, the Three Wolf Moon tshirt, Susan Boyle, Kanye West at the VMAs… so many memories. Mashable looks back at 2009 through internet memes.
Balloon boy
Hoaxes: sometimes we lie in wait for them
Chastising the media for reporting the balloon boy story in the US or attacking the guerrilla tourism marketing campaign involving a fake Danish single mother won’t prevent hoaxes such as these from occurring, writes Simon Caterson.
The Media Monitors' Top 20: Rudd back on top
Kevin Rudd is back on top of the Media Monitors Top 20 list, with double his coverage from the last few weeks, while Balloon Boy flies into the Aussie press for some reason.
How much did Gawker pay for its Balloon Boy exclusive?
Media gossip site and unapologetic fans of chequebook journalism Gawker beat the mainstream media to the weekend’s big scoop with its exclusive “I Helped Richard Heene Plan a Balloon Hoax” — but how much did they pay for the privilege?
Newsweek‘s cut-out-and-keep Halloween masks
Stuck for a Halloween costume this year? Newsweek makes some news-worthy suggestions and even provides masks you can print out and wear, including Balloon Boy, Bernie Madoff, Lady Gaga or, for a team effort, Kanye West and Taylor Swift.
Why we’re all to blame for Balloon Boy
It’s now well-established that the whole “Balloon Boy” saga was a big con by father Richard Heene. But we’re all to blame for giving this story, and stories like this, oxygen, says Foster Kamer.
Balloon Boy: everything that’s wrong with news
The relentless, farcical coverage of the “Balloon Boy” non-story by the likes of CNN and Sky shows everything that’s wrong with 24-hour news networks: too much airtime and nothing to fill it.
