Weekly World News

The "Weekly World News" ("WWN") (www.weeklyworldnews.com) is a news source that has inspired musicals ("Bat Boy: The Musical"), books ("Bat Boy Lives"), feature films ("Men In Black") and televisions shows.

History

The "WWN" was launched in 1979Lori Becker, [http://www.palmbeachpost.com/business/content/business/epaper/2007/07/24/0725WWN.html "Weekly World News tabloid to close up shop"] , "Palm Beach Post", July 24, 2007] by publisher Generoso Pope as a means to continue using the black and white press that the higher-profile tabloid, The National Enquirer, had been printed on, when the sister publication switched to color printing. Like many supermarket weeklies in the U.S., the "Weekly World News" was published in Lantana, Florida, until it moved to Boca Raton in the late 1990s. It was unique as a tabloid because it was printed entirely in black and white.

Its longtime editor, Eddie Clontz, a 10th-grade dropout from North Carolina and former copy editor at small newspapers , joined the paper in 1981. In 1999, David Pecker bought American Media Inc., which owned the Weekly World News. Within the next two years, a lot of WWN's longtime writers and editors, including Clontz, Sal Ivone, Joe Berger, Bob Lind, Dick Kulpa and Leskie Pinson, were gone, replaced by young comedy writers. Peter Carlson, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/06/AR2007080601293_pf.html "All the News That Seemed Unfit to Print"] , "Washington Post", August 6, 2007] Clontz left the paper in 2001, having been there 20 years, and died in 2004. [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20041209110954/http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/breaking_news/7826741.htm "Former Weekly World News editor Eddie Clontz dead at 56"] , "Associated Press", January 29, 2004]

In the 1980s, the circulation of WWN peaked at 1.2 million per issue. In a filing with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission in March 2007, American Media said that sales of WWN in 2006 were only 83,000 per issue. [Mark Miller, [http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/suncommentary/la-oe-miller8aug08,1,2585103.story?coll=la-headlines-suncomment&ctrack=4&cset=true "Weekly World News meets God!"] , "Los Angeles Times", August 8, 2007]

Along with a website that is updated daily, the Weekly World News is currently being published as an insert within Sun magazine, with new material being printed alongside articles and columns from older issues.

General approach to stories

The "WWN" traditionally claimed that it always printed the truth (typical slogan: "Nothing but the truth: The "Weekly World News"!"). Many stories, however, appeared to have comedic intent. Confirming this, in "Batboy Lives!" a semi-serious introduction admitted that while Reader A reads the tabloid for real news, Reader B will read it for laughs. While the tabloid's main rival, "Sun", carried a fine print disclaimer, the "WWN" never publicly questioned the accuracy of its own stories until 2004, when the paper began stating that "the reader should suspend disbelief for the sake of enjoyment". In recent years, "Sun" moved more toward articles on health, and miracle cures, mostly leaving "WWN" alone in its unique niche of basing a weekly publication almost entirely on "news" that the traditional media dared not report, such as sightings of Elvis Presley and the Loch Ness monster.

On occasion, it ran strange-but-true stories, such as "DEVOUT CHRISTIAN ATTACKED -- AND HE'S THE ONE FINED!" [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20050211205756/www.weeklyworldnews.com/features/religion/38719 DEVOUT CHRISTIAN ATTACKED -- AND HE'S THE ONE FINED!] ] referring to conservative English street preacher Harry Hammond being fined after he was threatened by "homosexual liberals." Other verifiable stories included, but were not limited to, those of a giant mutant hog monster attacking Georgia. [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20050406070659/www.weeklyworldnews.com/features/suspects/61293 HOG-ZILLA! MUTANT 12-FT. PIG KILLED IN GEORGIA] ] It reported on the discovery of an infant dragon preserved in formaldehyde proving the existence of dragons, [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20050209181140/www.weeklyworldnews.com/features/suspects/61244 BABY DRAGON IN JAR ROCKS SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY!] ] although this was later proven to be a hoax [ [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickled_dragon] ] . It also quoted Vatican exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth on Pope John Paul II's battles with Satan. [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20041215023332/www.weeklyworldnews.com/features/religion/29780 POPE BEATS THE DEVIL—THREE TIMES!] ]

However, these stories were the exceptions. When most of the supermarket tabloids were acquired by Fleet Street publishers, they switched to celebrity gossip, but the "Weekly World News" remained devoted to weirdness. In the introduction to "Batboy Lives!" Sal Ivone, former managing editor, said, "If someone calls me up and says their toaster is talking to them, I don't refer them to professional help, I say, 'Put the toaster on the phone'." Derrik Lang, a former stringer for the paper, said, "That fat guy with the sunburned belly and that kid abused by his own shadow were living, breathing people with wilder-than-wild stories to tell — in my head. I can't attest to the entire publication, but everything in my stories was fake — you know, depending on how you define fake." [cite news | url = http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ/MGArticle/WSJ RelishArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1128769074592&path=!entertainment!general!&s=1037645508970| title = Writing for tabloids was out of this world | last = Lang | first = Derrik J. | publisher = Winston-Salem Journal |date= January 5, 2006]

WWN was a journalistic leader in following the progress of Bat Boy, the half-bat, half-boy superhero; and P'lod, an extraterrestrial who became involved in Earth politics and had an affair with Hillary Clinton. Other important issues regularly reported on included the oncoming great depression/apocalypse, and newly found lost prophecies.

"WWN" was also in the forefront of informing the public about alien abductions, the Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, and time travel. WWN once carried a story about inhabitants of the planet Mercury who had proposed to establish a colony in San Francisco — presumably they sought a more temperate climate, where lead was generally a solid. (In one of the latest, Iraq was revealed to possess a "time tunnel" capable of facilitating time travel.)

Occasionally, stories published in the "Weekly World News" sent shock waves through the legal and law enforcement communities. For example, in early 1989, "WWN" published startling photographs on the front page of executed serial killer Ted Bundy on the autopsy table. Electrode burns on Bundy's shaved head with his fixed and dilated pupils staring into space could clearly be seen in the photographs. Angry and surprised officials in Florida vowed to catch the person responsible. Eventually, a low-level employee of the Alachua County, Florida Medical Examiners office was arrested and charged with taking and selling the photographs.

Columns and features

).

Beginning on May 9, 2005, the "Weekly World News" went "All New", along with other tabloid papers, such as the National Enquirer which had become "Bigger•Bolder•Better". In the new "Weekly World News", Serena and Sonya Sabak's psychic column was replaced by the horoscopes of Madame Malisa and Dotti Primrose's "Dear Dotti" was supplanted by an advice column called "Hi Dolly" written by a middle-aged, blonde woman reared somewhere south of the Mason-Dixon Line. The new "WWN" included a weekly "Weird Picture Search" by famed Mad cartoonist Sergio Aragones. Other features included Trivia, Test Yourself, Jokes and "Miss Adventure", "The Gayest American Hero", who has penetrated the mob, gone to Hollywood, and fought DRAG-U-LA traveling from the depths of the Earth's center to Outer Space.

Two pages of comic strips became a popular feature, many spun off from feature stories. "SpyCat", created by Dick Siegel, was drawn by Ernie Colon. SpyCat spoke nine different languages ranging from Persian to "dog" and was armed with "Adamwestium" claws and deadly cat-of-nine-tails. He wrote free-form poetry when not waging war on America's enemies -- at home and abroad. "Matthew Daemon", also created by Dick Siegel, was written and illustrated by Mike Collins and was a spin off from the "SOS Matthew Daemon (Seeker of Obscure Supernaturals)" feature. Daemon's lair was located beneath Grant's Tomb. Daemon specialized in B-List Monster hunting. "Alien Baby" by Craig Boldman chronicles the adventures of Moogera the dead beat alien dad, alien baby Ethan, and Stacy, his Earth-born mother. "Bat Boy" is written and drawn by Danielle Corsetto and is a fictional creature that made several appearances in the tabloid.

Recurring subjects

Bat Boy

Possibly the best known of all the stories to come out of "WWN", Bat Boy was first featured in a 1992 issue after being found in a cave in West Virginia (Lost World Caverns). He has since led police on a high speed chase, fought in the war on terror, led the troops to capture Saddam Hussein, bitten Santa Claus, and traveled into Outer Space. In 2000, he gave his endorsement to Al Gore. It was foretold that Bat Boy would become president in 2028. The story of Bat Boy was the basis for an acclaimed off-Broadway musical, , though the play ended tragically and ignores the continuity of the original stories. In addition to articles, Bat Boy has been featured in a comic strip since 2004, though it's said that only the articles are the "true" story of Bat Boy.

A Scientist

"A Scientist", is typically shown and quoted. He was known as "A Scientist", to distinguish him from A Baffled Scientist. His findings are as close as "WWN" gets to having a reliable source.

Page 5 Honey

Each week a different model was featured on page 5 and on the back page. She was usually wearing a bikini and a description of her was printed. This article has been absent from WWN since the Halloween issue of 2006. :"See also: Page 3 girl at The Sun."

"ALIVE!", starring (often) Elvis Presley

One of the other many recurring subjects was the occasional "ALIVE!" cover story. Most often the story pertained to some sort of human or creature, such as a mummy, prehistoric creature and occasionally a human who had been frozen in a block of ice (ex. Santa Claus.)

Another subject often tackled by "WWN" is the reemergence of many prominent figures believed by most to be deceased, including Hank Williams, Marilyn Monroe, John F. Kennedy, and Adolf Hitler. Among the most frequently printed reports were those asserting that "Elvis is alive."

The "WWN" frequently reported Elvis sightings with a series of articles claiming that Elvis Presley had faked his death and had recently emerged from years of seclusion to prepare for a comeback. Obviously altered photos purported to show a gray-haired balding Elvis sneaking into a movie theater and coming out of a Burger King restaurant. When the US Postal Service conducted a poll to determine the design of the Elvis commemorative postage stamp, the "WWN" conducted its "own" poll pitting the USPS' 1950s Elvis and 1970s Elvis versus their own 1990s Elvis. The "WWN's" Elvis won.

In 1994, the newspaper broke the news about the death of a popular rock musician long presumed deceased, running a front cover that said "Elvis Presley Dead!", revealing that he had been living a secret life since 1977, but was now "really dead" from heart failure after slipping into a diabetic coma. In a 2004 "Washington Post" article on Clontz's death, humorist Gene Weingarten claimed that he and Dave Barry were the sources of the story. [Gene Weingarten, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A58609-2004Jan28&notFound=true "Aliens Beam Editor To Tabloid Heaven"] , "Washington Post", January 24, 2004] According to Weingarten, the "WWN" later reported that claims of Elvis' death had been a hoax. In an earlier telling of his story, Weingarten varied some details. [Gene Weingarten (host), [http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/zforum/02/r_style_weingarten091002.htm "Funny? You Should Ask"] , "Washington Post", September 10, 2002]

The World's Fattest...

Numerous stories regarding shockingly obese people and animals made the pages of "WWN", the most popular of which being Tonya, the world's fattest cat. After first being discovered, "WWN" encouraged readers to send in their guesses as to exactly how much they believed Tonya weighed. Weighing in at over 80 lbs, Tonya has been featured being adopted, and possibly sat on by the world's fattest woman. Later stories involved Tonya's attempts to lose weight through the "Catkins" diet, her struggle with anorexia, and claims that she had been eaten by the world's thinnest woman. Other stories have featured the exploits of the world's fattest couple at the gym, the world's fattest baby, and even a similar weight guessing contest featuring the world's fattest dog. One continuing story featured a morbidly obese man named Buster Simcus who had lost so much weight, it left 80 pounds of loose skin hanging off his body that he was planning to have surgically removed. By the next story, he blew up again, severely damaging his scars.

Upcoming economic depressions

"WWN" covered stories that featured analysis of a coming Great Depression in the immediate future, in which many prominent celebrities, politicians, and icons of business would become penniless. The cover story of the June 6, 2005 issue warned that the second Great Depression was "just weeks away." Because of this, Texas Oil Tycoons were planning to flee to Luxembourg, the only country to survive this economic crash. The consequences of this depression would include:
*An 80% unemployment rate
*A collapse of all the nation's banks, causing them to call in all loans and mortgages, leaving a vast majority of Americans homeless
*An inability to afford any military program at all, forcing America to put an end to the War on terror
*A Somalia-like famine
*Hyperinflation, leaving all paper money worthless
*Enormous mobs of looters, ravaging towns and cities who cannot afford to pay police
*A disease epidemic caused by Americans unable to afford health care, including epidemics of cholera, tuberculosis, polio and even the bubonic plague
*The absence of food forcing starving citizens to resort to cannibalism of deceased relatives
*China replacing the United States as the world's #1 superpower
*Americans overcome with despair will turn their backs on their religion and return to pagan religions, and possibly sell their soul to Satan. Christians who stubbornly continue to adhere to their religion will be burned alive, and have their virgin daughters sacrificed
*The world completely running out of oil.

A follow up in the August 15, 2005 issue reveals plans by China to buy a controlling interest in all of America's banks, effectively buying out the nation's economy. According to the article, China currently owns more than 100 US banks totaling roughly 17 trillion dollars, making them the majority shareholder in America.

Religion and Biblical relics

"Weekly World News" was often the first to report the findings of biblical relics, including "Noah's Ark, "the Garden of Eden (claimed by the tabloid to be in Colorado), and the discovery of additional commandments from God. The magazine obtained information when Jesus will return to Earth. WWN was also the first to speak of a pair of sandals worn by Jesus. Other stories disclosed that natural disasters such as earthquakes have opened up gates and portals to Hell from which demons have escaped which are now wreaking havoc upon the earth. A story shortly after September 11, 2001 showed the face of Satan appearing in a cloud of dust caused by the collapse of the World Trade Center. Similar stories had appeared before, wherein Satan's face had appeared in a thunderstorm.

Following the terrorist attack on September 11 2001 "WWN" featured articles exposing plans for possible future terrorist attacks on the United States of America. A 2004 cover story leaked plans by Kim Jong-il to eventually invade and conquer the United States. Other stories featured profiles on the location and nature of Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction, including the news that Saddam Hussein had an arsenal of giant slingshots and Dinosaurs. In 2003, a series of articles profiled the ongoing relationship, and eventual marriage of Saddam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden. Other stories have made claims that Bin Laden is actually a dwarf, that he recruited a cloned Adolf Hitler to join Al Qaeda or that he is in fact dead and that the CIA is keeping it a secret. Since being captured by Batboy, Saddam has been humiliated by female prison guards, won the United States lottery, and even demanded that the government pay for his sex change operation.

The April 25 2005 issue of WWN revealed a thwarted attempt by terrorists abducted by aliens to hijack their UFO and fly it into the White House.

addam Hussein's heartbreak

Throughout 2003, just prior to the capture of Saddam Hussein, and persisting after his capture, "WWN" ran a series of articles on an alleged romance between him and Osama bin Laden. The setup of the plot alleged Saddam Hussein once starred in gay porn films.

The "couple" apparently had a steamy, sensual affair, before a wedding was performed, with Hussein as the bride and bin Laden as the groom. Later, they traveled the globe, ending up in France. They adopted a shaved ape baby (Robert) that posed as a human child. After an argument, Hussein left for Iraq to be comforted in his home town of Tikrit by family and friends, and hid in the spider hole until Bat Boy discovered him.

addam's Nuclear Submarine

In 2002 WWN reported that Saddam Hussein was hiding in his Nuclear Submarine, called the "Saddam-tilus", in Lake Michigan. In this Submarine he had a theme park and half the Iraqi military. It was also reported that he was planning to launch his nuclear missiles at New York and Los Angeles saving Washington D.C. for his new capital, where he would demolish the White House and build a new palace made of the ruins of the White House. Also he planned to carve a statue of himself out of the Washington Monument. The article went on to further describe how he got the submarine into Lake Michigan. He used the help of bin Laden's "alien allies".

The presidency

"WWN" is often the home to humorous political satire regarding current and past Presidential Administrations. The magazine scored an important beat when it disclosed that the founding fathers were all gay and that George Washington and Abraham Lincoln were actually women. Abraham Lincoln, according to the paper, was mentally insane and his ghost has also been spotted in the White House giving President George W. Bush advice on the War in Iraq. Stories regarding President George W. Bush usually capitalizes on the public's perception that he lacks intelligence. The paper has chronicled his plans to run for pope, his love affair with Janet Reno and his intention to nominate Yoda as Secretary of Defense. The paper also reported his secret plans to invade the moon (which may possibly be ready to explode and destroy Earth) and mine it for the rich oil reserves discovered underneath. The June 21, 2004 issue confirmed that Vice President Dick Cheney is actually a Robot, and that his frequent trips to the hospital are actually to allow him to get his circuits rewired.

Aliens

Aliens are another subject frequently tackled by "WWN".

"Weekly World News" blamed these creatures for holes in the ozone. A Roswell crash survivor, "Altair Bob", made contact with "WWN" via telepathic e-mail. Several factions of extraterrestrials have been using the moon to dump garbage. Martians have been monitoring the Mid-East crisis. Warrior aliens have been resurrecting the dead, fighting Big Foot and training in a mock US town hidden in Antarctica. San Franciscans have opened their hearts to immigrants from Mercury.

One such alien who made several appearances in "WWN" named P'Lod, has been known to fraternize with known women of politics. It was reported that he and Hillary Rodham Clinton once had a close relationship, which ended up in a brawl between him and Bill Clinton who went on a jealous rage. After P'Lodd left Hillary, he expressed a lot of interest for Condoleezza Rice.

In the June 7, 1994 edition, "WWN" reported that 12 U.S. Senators were aliens from other planets. The piece quoted several Senators or their spokespersons humorously "confirming" the story. The Associated Press ran a follow-up piece which confirmed the tongue-in-cheek participation of Senate offices in the story. "WWN" quoted Senator Phil Gramm (R-TX) as saying he was "amazed it took you this long to find out." Senator Alan Simpson's (R-WY) then-spokesman Charles Pelkey told the
Klaatu barada nikto." [ [http://www.skepticfiles.org/ufo2/12senaln.htm "Senators Jokingly Confirm Tabloid Claim They Are Space Aliens"] , "Associated Press", May 25, 1994]

Cryptids

Cryptids and half-animal half-Human hybrids are frequently the topic of many issues of "Weekly World News". Creatures such as Bigfoot, Merpeople, Real-life Catwomen, Half-Alligator Half-Humans, Frog Babies, Kangaroo Women, and many other creatures have swept the world by storm on various covers (Abominable Beachman strikes terror in Hawaii!)

Merfolk

is also frequently reported in the pages of the "Weekly World News".

The most detailed account from the "Weekly World News", recorded a mermaid being caught in a fishing net off of the coast of Florida on April 17, 2004. She was at least half-human, very sociable, and extremely intelligent. The mermaid measured five feet from the tip of her upturned nose to the end of her spiny, translucent tail. Experts which talked with "WWN" reporters say she was able to talk in a sophisticated "three dimensional language" that depends heavily on noises that could possibly be connected to the "click languages" prevalent in parts of Africa and on hand movements that look like sign language instructed to deaf people around the globe. A linguist who had spent several hours with the mermaid at an undisclosed marine study facility in Florida declared that once they are able to establish communication, everything known about human evolution, the specialness of human intelligence, everything thought about fish - "It's all going out the door". Four government agencies (at least) were reported as if involved in the care and study of the mermaid, including the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of the Interior; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Institutes of Health. An unexpected discovery, the only definite goals at the point of her capture were:
*Keeping her alive
*Figuring out how to communicate with her
*Deciding where she belongs in the hierarchy of the animal kingdom

The location of the research facility where the mermaid was being studied was never released to the public, but some 'sources' have led to an abandoned seafood-processing plant as an assumed location. DNA testing taking shortly after her capture proved that the mermaid's genes are split between both humans and fish; specifically, "Homo Sapiens" and a sea bass species that has been extinct for over forty thousand years. The pictures confirm the fishermen's verbal description — "Up top, the mermaid has human breasts and arms, a pretty face and long, dark brown hair. Down below, she looks like any other fish, with silvery-blue scales, a sleek, tapered body and broad, powerful fins". U.S. Customs agents labeled the creature "an exotic fish not cleared for importation into the United States". Within hours of the exotic find, she was airlifted to the unknown marine research facility where the government scientists are said to be giving a complete medical check-up to see how closely connected to man is to the bizarre creature. One expert was quoted thusly: "If it can be recognized that humans share a substantial amount of genetic coding with the mermaid, the understanding of our origins may change. Instead of looking for missing links between man and monkeys in the jungles of Africa, we'll have to start searching for the missing link between humans and fish, and between humans and merpeople — the mermaids and the mermen." Since she was so strong, two crewmen had to pin down the mermaid to the deck by putting their knees on her shoulders while a third blew marijuana smoke in her face to sedate her. She was placed in an aerated tank that is normally used to keep lobsters and bait fish alive, once she calmed down. President George W. Bush took a keen interest in the mermaid and her well-being. He felt so deeply about the mermaid that he ordered two personal chefs to help with the creature's dietary needs. The dishes which he believed would benefit the half-human, half-fish were "two of his favorite comfort foods — Texas catfish and hush puppies with jalapeño bits. Details were released claiming the mermaid had a hearty appetite, thoroughly enjoying the food. At the paper's demise, it was working on a story that she had engaged in sexual relations with both Bat Boy and Elvis. In latest reports, she seems happy, broods when she's left alone, and perks up when she sees a human.

Similar to their female counterparts, mermen are found within the pages of the "Weekly World News". On June 17 2003, a merman was reported to have been caught in the South Pacific. The bizarre creature measured 28 inches, significantly shorter than a mermaid caught the following year in a fishing net (which measured five feet from the tip of her upturned nose to the end of her translucent tail). Though this most likely points to the fact that they might have been two separate merpeople species. Another contributing factor might have been the different area of the world in which it was caught. "See also: Fiji Mermaid"

Freeze-dried baby

A series of several articles dealt with a couple whose doctor told them they could not have more children, and whose only son, Christer, climbed out of his crib one night and drank chemicals under the kitchen sink. They decided to take his remains to a taxidermist and freeze dry him so he could stand in the corner, his hand grabbing the waistline of his diaper. The next story had them going to prison because it is illegal to dispose of a corpse in any manner other than burial or cremation without a statement in writing from the deceased. The parents eventually died in a boating accident. The final story had a billionaire collector of weird things buy Christer's remains in the couple's neighbors' garage sale for ten cents.

Other stories

*Marisa DeMatha, a Texas pool player with a mouth so large she can stuff it with multiple billiard balls.

*The chaos cloud, an enormous dustcloud in outer space, that is on its way to destroy the Earth in 2014. [ [http://movies.yahoo.com/mv/news/wwn/20050912/112653720010.html] ]

*A fossilized tornado found underground.

*Raw sewage being sold as hamburger meat in Japan.

*A Dutch biography of Hans Christian Andersen which alleges that Andersen hated children and frequently dined on human flesh.

* In May 2001, the "WWN" had a cover story which stated they had photographs of Timothy McVeigh after he had been executed. The problem with those claims was that McVeigh had just received a temporary stay of execution, and he was not killed until June 11, 2001.

* The WWN once reported the story of a cruel surgeon who re-attached a pair of conjoined twins (the actual article referred to them as "Siamese" twins), after they failed to pay their medical bill for the initial surgical separation he performed.

* Another popular story involved a cannibal food critic, who rated the people he had eaten, based on their nationalities. For example, he didn't like Mexican or Chinese people as food, because they were "too spicy." Germans, on the other hand, were fattening and "greasy" while the one American he had eaten was rated highly for "taste, texture, and appearance."

* The latest purported discoveries from the RMS Titanic were often featured on the Weekly World News's front cover, particularly in its later years. Examples of objects being found onboard were puppies, live babies, and the remains of gay lovers still in embrace.

Cultural references

*In issue 7 of 1995's "Return to Jurassic Park", a comic book based on the movie of the same name, then editor of "Weekly World News" Dick Kulpa vowed a huge cash reward for anyone who would give him a picture of the Jurassic Park dinosaurs. (Taking place before "", Jurassic Park's existence is known to the world at large though only as an urban legend just as in the book.)
*In the popular 90s MTV series Daria, Daria Morgendorffer, Jane Lane, and many other members of the cast watch a show called "Sick, Sad World" about strange and exaggerated occurrences (one example Hitler reincarnated as a leggy blonde- the report was titled "There's Something About Hitler"). Characters also often read a newspaper based on the types of situations in the show.
*In the 1997 film "Men in Black", Tommy Lee Jones' character refers to the "Weekly World News" as the "best damn investigative reporting on the planet." In the movie, "every story in this paper is true" and leads the agents in their cases.
*In the 1993 movie "So I Married an Axe Murderer", Mike Myers' character discovers secrets about his fiancée through clues found in copies of "Weekly World News", which is religiously read by his character's mother, played by Brenda Fricker. It is in this movie that the paper is said to have the "8th highest circulation in the world." Myers' character says to his mother in this film, "You're the only person I know who refers to "Weekly World News" as 'the paper'".
*In David Byrne's 1986 film "True Stories", two teenagers stand in front of a shopping mall newsstand, cracking up while reading an issue of "Weekly World News" and quoting: "Starving peasants sell their bodies to vampires for blood money." The film itself is said to be inspired by stories read in supermarket tabloids like the "WWN".
*During the 1992 US presidential election campaign, both George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton were photographed reading "WWN" issues that depicted them meeting with P'Lod. Bush got a hearty laugh from the article and Clinton held his copy up at a campaign stop and joked that it proved his campaign had "universal" appeal. The "WWN" ran the photos of both candidates reading their publication, for once running pictures that had "not" been altered.
*In CW's Supernatural (TV series), Sam Winchester and Dean Winchester masquerade as journalists of the "Weekly World News" in "Bloodlust". The 2.15 episode "Tall Tales" featured a trickster who uses "Weekly World News" as his inspiration for unearthly mayhem. To cross promote the episode, both "Weekly World News" online and the print edition, February 19, 2007, ran a cover story featuring an interview with both Sam Winchester and Dean Winchester. The article was written by "WWN" Senior Editor Paul Kupperberg.
*In issue #54 of "The Sandman", an issue of "WWN" reports that Prez and Elvis have teamed up to fight crime.
*In the 1984 movie "Repo Man", the photograph that Leila shows Otto later appears on the cover of the "Weekly World News".
*In the 1991 movie "Slacker", the character who talks about how we've "been on the moon since the 50s" refers to the "World Weekly News" during his speech.

Website

In October 2006, "Weekly World News" relaunched its website in color. The site included video reportage and an Interactive Bat Boy Map. Other new features include "Share your Sightings" and categorizing breaking news in "National", "International", and "Intergalactic" news bureaus.

Headlines on the website are refreshed daily. Samples:

*"Security Blanket Actually Saves Child's Life" [http://www.weeklyworldnews.com/stories/75]

*"Astronomer Rebuked For Endless Staring into Space" [http://www.weeklyworldnews.com/intergalactic_stories/48]

ee also

* The Sun
*
* The Onion
* Toronto Special

References

External links

* [http://www.weeklyworldnews.com Weekly World News official website]
* [http://www.badmouth.net/interview-david-perel/ Badmouth.net interview with David Perel, vice president of the Weekly World News]
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20050411233709/www.weeklyworldnews.com/ Archive of "Weekly World News" Articles]