Low Point For Popular Trends, Mia Michaels Cancer Rumors



2009 October, 22nd
Phil Butler
Phil Butler
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Okay, it’s no secret that every new outlet in the world follows Google trends. Sometimes these trends are at the heart of what people need to know, and other times the trend is just what they “feel like” they need to know. Today one trend deals with whether or not SYTYCD judge and celebrated American choreographer Mia Michaels has cancer or not? Ordinarily I would not even report on such macabre speculation, but my thinking is; “If everyone wants to buy into this, maybe some will read why they should not.” I know this may seem like misplaced idealism, but if you think about it we are all venturing into a sort of “Twilight Zone” of digital exploration here.

Mia Michaels, who has been with “So You Think You Can Dance” for the past five years reportedly posted announcements of her resignation from the show on various social networking and media sites around the Web. Apparently, rumors of pictures of her floating about the Web revealing a shaved head, along with these supposed resignations, has led many news outlets to speculate that she may have cancer. The statement below was revealed to us via The Examiner, one of the most viewed news outlets in the digital world.

“It’s been an amazing five years on SYTYCD. I thank them for all the great memories and movement I have been able to create for the world. Today was my official resignation of the U.S. show and look forward to what’s ahead for me.”

Inquiring Minds, Even Small Ones, Want to Know

So what’s the big deal you say? Well, somehow it just does not seem right to be virtually “wishing” this terrible disease on Mia. That’s the long and short of it. From the news people’s perspective, it may be understandable to follow and report on what people are interested in, but creating a story before it happens? Do we really need to be first that badly? I am sitting here pondering even this sort of “anti-article” if the truth be told. We have been covering cancer issues these past few weeks, and in some cases have run across what appear to be almost sinister attempts to capitalize on the notoriety of other people’s misery. Have even the most respected newspapers, magazines, and news outlets become nothing more than cheap tabloids? Or have we become so limited that tabloid journalism is all we want?

Examples That Should Not Have Been

This year some people have been exposed to things over the Web as they never have before. Not only are these “exposures” indicative to a degree of our seemingly unquenchable thirst for sensation, but at times perhaps revealing of something missing in the character of society. Just looking at Google trends, scanning for a “happy ending” so to speak, is usually a disappointing experience. There are simply too few positive trends out there, but even worse, some are down right darkness. Even this writer sometimes just reports the news without even noticing how negative some of it is. Just count the numbers of positive articles on any news outlet! The best ones seem to come from Bollywood and Google News India. Aside those, happy trends are few and far between. Below is a short list of stories which became trends, that probably should not have in a perfect world.

  • The Death of Neda Agha-Soltan – At the top of the list is without a doubt the most disturbing piece of video I ever saw. The reader cannot imagine how much flak we took for even suggesting this visceral encroachment on the humanity of another human being should have been suppressed. The only question anyone should have asked? “Would this sweet girl have wanted to have her last breath broadcast over the world?” Or, perhaps; “In that fleeting moment of fear and disbelief, what teetering conscious thought did she have staring up at a camera?”
  • The Erin Andrews Peephole Incident – This is a story that without Google trends would likely have never gone very far. We reported on it just like every other outlet, but perhaps in a more critical way at some point. Just so the readers know, the gravity of this sort of “non-story” is revealed in our metrics as one of the most popular searched trends ever. Why? Probably for the same reason tabloids sell at the grocery checkout – people are bored waiting for what is next.
  • Demi Moore On Twitter – Do I need to go into this? Aging stars grabbing the last fragments or notoriety on Twitter? Her husband supposedly revealing her bent over? Is the word “class” mutually exclusive of Demi More and Ashton Kutcher. I know the answer to the last one.
  • Rumors of Death – From President Obama to the most obscure celebs out there, nearly everyone has officially died on the Web at one time or another. I am thinking right now; “Just who out there are these stories target at?” We would like to claim some sort of generational gap and blame the 15 to 24 year old demographic, but I suspect lots of people buy into these.
  • Everyone Gets Naked – Naked ladies are perhaps the biggest Google trends out there, even partially naked ones. Understandable might be the best way to categorize this trend, beautiful women are just that after all. But, somehow I get this image of barging into a restroom to find half the world staring back starry eyed with a Penthouse in one hand, and something else in the other. Maybe the this is what hot Google trends is all about any way? A form of ultimate instant gratification at the keyboard?

Meanwhile, Back At The Ranch

Don’t get me wrong, we do not stand on top of some ivory tower yelling “Doomsday” down at the huddled masses here. These things just occur to us as they probably do to millions of other people. We are in business after all, we have a desire to report things people like to read, we are misled sometimes like everyone else, we make mistakes. Perhaps just the “questioning” is a good sign? The real problem is all the news that slips through the cracks because of this rather worthless entertainment stuff. Just think how much of the good news, or important stuff which escapes us? Well, maybe it does not escape, but its weight is somehow diminished, we minimize things of heavy gravity so often maybe? So, this is just an article addressed to people who follow trends, who search Google for understanding more than the superficial perhaps.

I guess some will question the Examiner for their rather inappropriate verbal (literary) actualization of Mia Micheal’s situation. One we should all hope and pray is nothing more than a job or lifestyle change. As I think about it, this is perhaps the biggest reason I wrote this article, to somehow let her know we thought about her via Google trends in a much more positive way. Maybe we should all think about these things a little more, that is all I am saying. Maybe trying to create a buzz from these things is the real evil? What is your opinion? I left a message on Mia’s Facebook wall, maybe you should?

About the Author

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Phil Butler is editor-in-chief of Everything PR and senior partner at Pamil Visions PR. He’s a widely cited authority on beta startups, search engines and public relations issues, and he has covered tech news since 2004. Phil wrote in the past for ReadWriteWeb, Mashable, Profy, SitePoint, Search Engine Journal, AltSearchEngines. Follow Phil on Twitter or send him an email at phil [at] pamil-visions [dot] com.

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