Quiz: Are these Daily Mail headlines real or fake?
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- Kayleigh Dray
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We bet you can’t get 100% on this #sidebarofshame quiz…
On 4 May, the Daily Mail celebrated its 121st birthday. Which means that the publication has been carefully blending a dash of pseudo-science, a soupçon of sexism and a healthy pinch of knee-jerk reaction for over a century.
Of course, during that time, the brand has introduced a digital platform, the Mail Online – which brings with it the insipid #sidebarofshame. This section of the site churns out endless articles about celebrities (usually female celebrities), paying extreme attention to their bodies, skin, diets, personal hygiene and sex lives. They’re also intrigued by fashion – albeit only when women are using it to “flaunt” their bodies.
Naturally, this specific brand of intrusive and highly-assumptive journalism has made for some pretty unbelievable headlines over the years. So, with that thought in mind, we challenge you to figure out which of the following are real bona fide DM headlines, and which are not.
Good luck…
Yes, really. This headline appeared on the Mail Online on 14 January 2016.
Question 1/17
‘Six sassy black women in a mostly white enclave have a dust-up over proper etiquette on debut of The Real Housewives of Potomac’
Yeah, this article was published on 18 September 2014.
Question 2/17
‘What would Kate Moss say? Cara Delevingne tucks into a pizza before hitting the catwalk at Fendi SS15 show’
This 20 May 2014 headline may be utterly, utterly banal, but it's real AF.
Question 3/17
‘No star treatment here! LeAnn Rimes dutifully passes through airport security before catching a flight out of town’
This inane little headline graced the website on 23 June 2013.
Question 4/17
‘Jools Oliver is nearly overtaken in height by her eldest daughters as they step out for a stroll’
17 Dec 2012 marks the fateful day that a woman dared to grimace in the presence of a paparazzi photographer with a long-lens camera.
Question 5/17
‘That doesn’t taste too good! Rosanna Arquette makes a face after taking a sip of healthy juice drink’
An oldie, but a goodie: this ridiculous headline has gone down in history since its publication on 15 February 2014.
Question 6/17
‘Watch your step! Lauren Goodger narrowly avoids walking into a puddle during day out in Essex’
Back on 31 May 2014, a woman ate a pasty. She should have guessed that the moment would be emblazoned across the homepage of a national newspaper, eh?
Question 7/17
‘Michelle Keegan devours pasty during break in Marbella’
On the 17 Feb 2015, an award-winning actor yawned after exiting an airplane. And yes, this was deemed newsworthy by the Mail Online.
Question 8/17
‘Married life wearing you out already? Benedict Cumberbatch unleashes an enormous yawn as he jets into Los Angeles with pregnant Sophie Hunter’
Perhaps this 26 Jan 2015 headline was meant to make us relate to Robert Downey Jr a little, eh?
Question 9/17
‘Robert Downey Jr. holds receipt in mouth while carrying three bags’
In 2018, the Daily Mail decided to make women feel self-conscious about a new part of their bodies: their fingers.
Question 10/17
‘The Duchess' VERY unusual digits: Photo of Kate on her visit to Oxford primary school suggests her fingers are almost exactly the SAME length’
Yes, we know - but this mad, mad story absolutely did appear on the Daily Mail website back in June 2012.
Question 11/17
‘Woman, 63, ‘becomes PREGNANT in the mouth’ with baby squid after eating calamari’
Madonna saw her ears (HER EARS!) shamed on 24 October 2012
Question 12/17
‘Uh oh… You can spend a fortune trying to look young but those droopy ears will give you away (are you listening, Madonna?)’
None of those words make sense when put in the same sentence, sure, but this headline still ran in 2018. Presumably because bananas need recognition, too...
Question 13/17
'Psychic banana predicts Kate Middleton will have a boy’
Sensing a pattern? This sensationalist headline made waves on 20 May 2011.
Question 14/17
‘Posh behind bars... but don't worry it's just Victoria Beckham behind some railings’
Firstly, a nibble of frozen yogurt is hardly a crime. Secondly, were there really no other stories to write about on 9 Feb 2015?
Question 15/17
‘Cheating on her diet! Jennifer Garner, 42, takes a taste of daughter Violet's chocolate frozen yogurt after claiming she lives on salads’
Another day, another story about a woman putting clothes on her body. This little gem aired on 16 March 2012.
Question 16/17
‘Place your butts! Forget the horses … all eyes are on Carol Vorderman in a sexy figure-hugging dress at Cheltenham’
That’s right: they absolutely DID compare a politician to a piece of garden furniture. That did happen. Why did it happen? We have no idea.
Question 17/17