Frugal Café Blog Zone

Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on September 9, 2009

Is actor Matt Damon dead?

There’s been a bit of a frantic flurry today, with thousands of fans asking and Googling and Twittering madly, “Is Matt Damon dead?”

From what I can find, no, the popular actor isn’t, and he isn’t at death’s door, either. But the rumors and fears of Damon’s demise have been flying fast and thick. Here’s one explanation:

From Duniyalive.com:

Hollywood star Matt Damon’s fans were shocked on Wednesday, when came across the rumors of his death.

Matt Damon is the latest celebrity to fall victim to dead rumors. Before this, “Harry Potter” actress Emma Watson and “Beverly Hills Cop” star Eddie Murphy fall in the trap of the rumors.

Several Web sites on Wednesday began reporting that Damon was found dead after heading out on a camping trip in California.

In reality, Damon has been overseas attending the Venice Film Festival this week. He’s healthy and doing well, reports said.

This is reminiscent of the “Paul is dead” rumor/hoax that was kicked around for ages back in the late 1960s about Beatles Paul McCartney… there was no Internet then, so starting rumors about a celeb’s death took time, as did dispelling them.

There’s an actual website devoted to the “Paul is dead” phenomenon, appropriately located at www.paulisdeadhoax.com, which explains everything you ever wanted to know about the rumor:

It is difficult to pinpoint the exact origin of the ‘Paul Is Dead’ hoax. Some believe The Beatles and Apple Records started the rumor as a marketing ploy to sell albums. That John Lennon started it out of jealousy. That overzealous fans conjured up the idea. Or that Paul McCartney is actually dead, and this was the way it was announced.

We may never know the true origin of the hoax. However, we do know how it was brought into public knowledge.

In 1969 Russell Gibb, a radio Disc Jockey in Detroit, announced that Paul McCartney was dead. His proof: evidence strewn throughout The Beatles’ songs, movies, and album artwork. Newspaper and television reporters picked up the story and the news quickly spread across America….

Reportedly, clues were buried in a number of Beatles’ albums (on the album covers and in the songs’ lyrics, which sometimes had to be played backwards to “hear”) about Paul’s demise, which the site explores at tremendous lengths. The site even boasts “Paul Is Dead” merchandise in its online gift store. Cute, but a trifle morbid…

Beatles Paul McCartney, 'the cute one,' back during the Fab Four's early years

So, Matt Damon fans, no more fretting. Like McCartney’s “death” four decades ago, it’s only a silly rumor. But, about Elvis Presley… yeah, sorry, but Elvis IS dead.

Categories: Entertainment, Celebrities, Social and Political Climate
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