LONDON – It's well-known that magazines and websites often create templates for celebrity obituaries in order to push out articles quickly after someone dies, but it's less common for them to publish those obituaries while the celebrity in question is still very much alive.
Well, it might be less common, but – as readers of Variety noticed Tuesday evening – it does still happen.
Terry Gilliam dead? Did somebody press the publish button on the wrong post? pic.twitter.com/LyiB3Z64pR— Sean Fitzgerald (@SeanDFitzgerald) September 8, 2015
Oh dear.
Variety also posted a tweet linking to the article, but deleted it shortly after and issued the following correction.
CORRECTION: Variety incorrectly published an article stating that director Terry Gilliam passed away. We're deeply sorry for the mistake.— Variety (@Variety) September 8, 2015
This is the Internet we're talking about, though, and it wasn't long before people were furiously posting and retweeting screengrabs of the gaffe.
Now it looks like the news of Terry Gilliam's death has found its way back to none other than Terry Gilliam. The Monty Python member took to Facebook on Wednesday to issue the following, brilliant response.
(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));I APOLOGIZE FOR BEING DEAD especially to those who have already bought to tickets to the upcoming talks, but, Variety...Posted by Terry Gilliam on Wednesday, September 9, 2015
Good on you, Terry.