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    The Cutline

    Larry David called it: New York Times uses emoticon in headline

    (Click to enlarge)

    The story that is leading the New York Times homepage at the time of this writing on Thursday uses an emoticon in its headline. A smiley-face replaces the word "Happy" atop an article by Benedict Carey about a study on the emotional patterns of Twitter users.

    It is a watershed moment for the paper of record. In 2007, an article by Alex Williams about emoticons featured a headline that was bookended by them--"(-: Just Between You and Me ;-)"--and emoticons were used the headline of a 2002 article about a milestone in evolution of the smiley-face ("Happy Birthday :-) to You: A Smiley Face Turns 20"). But Thursday appears to be the first time an emoticon was used to convey information in a headline.

    "Just to be clear, the :) is not in the print headline or the e-headline sent to electronic devices," Jacob Harris, a senior software architect at the Times, explained on Twitter. "It's just some homepage fun."

    The paper is believed to have first used an emoticon in print in 1862, when a typo in the transcript of a speech by President Abraham Lincoln created a winking smiley-face.

    As NPR's Eric Athas pointed out on Twitter, during an episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" this year, Larry David worried that this would happen.

    Here's the "Curb" clip:

     

    53 comments

    • justin  •  7 mths ago
      Im pretty sure there is a revolution in syria and many other world events happening rite now, this is clearly the corporate medias idea of news. Masking the real news, what a waste of reporting
    • Deborah  •  7 mths ago
      Larry David a decendent of King David is so right most of the time. Love him .
    • Gregory  •  7 mths ago
      Using emoticons should save this sorry excuse for a newspaper from bankruptcy. Nice work New York Times!!!
    • John L.  •  7 mths ago
      If you're going to write an article about *Twitter*, and on the front page for crying out loud, who cares if they used an emoticon in the headline? Even without the emoticon, it's already a foolish and trivial piece of writing.
      • Seu D 7 mths ago
        Excellent point. Even dumber is YAHOO's continuing front page stories about wardrobes, cute dogs, and "incredible" basketball shots.
      • Seu D 7 mths ago
        Yes. I am sick of all this internet inanity.
    • M  •  7 mths ago
      Larry David President 2016! Let's get our funky Seinfeld-style Jew on! Man!
    • G  •  7 mths ago
      What next? Articles in texting jargon?
    • joshua f  •  7 mths ago
      More importantly, what does Leon Black have to say about all this?

      "LD, youz my M.F.er!!!"
      • JasS 7 mths ago
        Maybe he'd say "My name is actually 'Lewis'."
      • Bret 7 mths ago
        No, his name is Leon. Watch the show.
      • Taylor 7 mths ago
        "I'm gonna go up to my m-f'in room and this m-f'in chinese food!"
    • Joe  •  7 mths ago
      :(
    • A Yahoo! User  •  7 mths ago
      Twitter is for twits. All social media is a gigantic data mining/time wasting enterprise.
      • BeatClapper 7 mths ago
        Yep. The new Facebook features include what you're watching and listening to now. It's literally becoming a demographic sweep site, designed to target more-relevant ads in your face. Only FB to get in touch with hard-to-find people, and leave it alone otherwise.
    • Harley  •  7 mths ago
      Nice, I love that show. I want to know who the writer was that developed that line, very good!
    • Phillip W  •  7 mths ago
      Parkisons
    • Phillip W  •  7 mths ago
      Parkisons
    • TinTin  •  7 mths ago
      Love it!! Larry David is awesome!
      • M 7 mths ago
        Larry is the man!
    • Noway 1Way  •  7 mths ago
      hahahaha - I love these 2 guys..
    • BGM  •  7 mths ago
      The NY Times has made itself irrelevant !!
    • Bunny FU  •  7 mths ago
      HAHA! Yahoo didn't edit the clip for language.
      • JohnR 7 mths ago
        Why would they? Yahoo is a web site, not the disney channel.
    • BenS  •  7 mths ago
      WTFC
    • M W  •  7 mths ago
      Larry rules.
    • El Duderino  •  7 mths ago
      It might be that damn Michael J Fox's doing.
    • Bry  •  7 mths ago
      Having some Curb Your Enthusiasm at the end of this article greatly appeased me.
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