I like the short, offbeat stories that Today still delivers. For best effect, the writing tone has to be deadpanned. These are the ones that when I was a young sub-editor, we would look out for and strategically position as, say, bottom of page "cut-offs" so readers are drawn to them as they get to the end of longer stories. Good headlines are a must.
Here are two from different pages of Today (28 Jan) but I think their juxtaposition here "doubles" the fun read:
Today's headline: Hubby dumped after taking mum on honeymoon
My headline: Mum comes between honeymooning couple
A newlywed Italian woman has filed for divorce after her husband took his mother on their honeymoon, [Italian news agency] ANSA reported on Wednesday.
When the married couple of two days set off for their honeymoon in France, the 36-year-old woman was shocked to see that her mother-in-law was also at the airport.
When she objected, her husband said he could not leave his mother alone for health reasons.
When the woman returned to Italy, she filed for divorce, claiming her husband and his mother had an "excessive emotional attachment".
Today's headline: Couple's confusion
My headline: Mum calls the shot if it's a close call
[Chinese tennis star] Li Na's husband thought they would have something to celebrate on Thursday (27 Jan), whether or not she won her semi-final at the Australian Open -- their fifth wedding anniversary. That was news to Li, who thought their fifth anniversary was still two days away.
Congratulated by an announcer [for her win over Caroline Wozniacki and her happy day], Li looked stunned and turned to her husband Jiang Shan, who is also her coach, in the player's box. "It's today? I think it's the 29th." Later, she said, "Maybe I should ask my mother."
Moral of both stories? Mum's the word. In the Italian woman's case, the word is "divorce". In Li Na's case, mum has the last word (mum knows best).
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