Many thousands of you are saddened today by word that "Gilligan's Island" actor Bob Denver is dead. Really? Denver died in September 2005 at the age of 70 and you are just now posting it on Facebook?
Lead Stories' Trendolizer detected an Associated Press story on the CBS News website titled "Actor Bob Denver Dies" as trending on Twitter and Facebook on Saturday, January 16, 2016. The only explanation is that thousands of people have been stranded on an island without the Internet since for a decade. Or that they posted something from someone who has and just returned to find out Denver died.
To make it even worse -- or perhaps better -- this is not the first time the Internet has re-killed Denver. His death report also trended as if new in December 2013 with the same #RIP tweets and clever lines such as "My little buddy has finally made it off the island."
Post this clarification whenever you see a Facebook freind has fallen for the hoax. It will make you seem smarter.
Even smart people like comedian D.L. Hughley are failing to read the date and reposting the report.
Damn!!!!
Posted by D.L. Hughley on Saturday, January 16, 2016
2016 just began and we've already lost Bowie and Snape... now Gilligan!? #ineedsomequiettime
-- Toronto's Child (@SweetlySuccinct) January 16, 2016
Rest in peace, Bob Denver... #Gilligan
-- Dan McGinn (@DanMcGinn67) January 16, 2016
The goblin king, Snape, Grizzly Adams and now Gilligan? Dear 2016, seriously, stop. #RIPBobDenver
-- Vαηєѕѕα (@mzvanessa) January 16, 2016
Check out the chart below. It shows in real time the trajectory of the trending story as calculated by our Trendolizer.
