DECEMBER 2, 1978

Full News Archive

• Headline: The Case of Jessica Kats' Health. Impact: Jessica's miraculous recovery sparked a worldwide trend where people started faking illnesses for attention, leading to a bizarre new genre of reality TV—'Sick but Not'.. Fact: Turns out, pretending to be sick is the original influencer strategy. Who needs a health coach when you can just have a publicist?.
• Headline: Democrats Launch Visa Card Promotion Initiative. Impact: The Democratic Party’s foray into credit card promotion eventually led to the idea of political loyalty cards, where you could earn points for voting—because why not monetize democracy?. Fact: Next up: Collectible political action figures! Collect them all and maybe get a free vote!.
• Headline: Lawyer for 2 in Killings Asserts Guyana Survivors Are Held Illegally. Impact: The lawyer's assertion about the survivors being held illegally caused a lengthy debate on legal definitions, leading to a new legal loophole called 'The Guyana Gambit' which is now a favorite among shady lawyers.. Fact: In the legal world, 'held illegally' is just a fancy way of saying 'I forgot to read the fine print.'.
• Headline: Hometown of the Leader of People's Temple Is Troubled. Impact: The townspeople's discomfort with their connection to Rev Jones initiated the 'Let's Not Talk About It' movement, which has since become popular in various communities with controversial figures.. Fact: Richmond, IN, now has a tourist attraction: 'The Place We Pretend Didn't Happen.' It's a huge hit!.
• Headline: U.S. Accuses 6 Serbians Of Plotting to Slay Tito. Impact: Accusations against the Serbians triggered a new wave of conspiracy theories, including the infamous 'Tito's Ghost' theory, leading to increased ghost tourism in Eastern Europe.. Fact: Assassination plots: the original form of extreme fan fiction. Tito should have just changed his name to 'Tito the Unkillable.'.
• Headline: Ex‐Sheriff Is Sentenced to 2 Years. Impact: The ex-sheriff's prison sentence sparked a national movement advocating for 'Ex-Convict Day' to celebrate those who went to jail for questionable choices, leading to a reality show called 'What Were You Thinking?'. Fact: Two years for marijuana smuggling? Talk about a harsh sentence in a time when 'legalization' was just a wistful dream!.