For me, it all started when I received a text late into the afternoon on July 29th. It was a random acquaintance informing me of a car accident that took place the night before, apparently killing well-known and widely loved DJ/Producer, David Guetta. I was shocked and certainly upset, so much so that I did not bother to research the accident myself. Little did I know that I was being tricked by a gag website that had succeeded in fooling at least one viewer who posted, tweeted, and inspired the online social world to mourn the loss of Guetta.
The thought of losing Guetta was unsettling to almost everyone involved or interested in the new music community (or at least everyone that fell subject to the rumor spread like wildfire via social networking sites). Having produced top of the chart hits including “Gettin’ Over You” (featuring Fergie and LMFAO) and “Memories” (featuring Kid Cudi) as well as being one of the very few producers mentioned on the radio every time one of his hits is played, Guetta is often considered an inspiration for his innovative and unique style.
While the article detailing Guetta’s untimely death was convincing – packed with details from how many times the car flipped to how officials intended to proceed – the website itself can be described as nothing but sketchy. Global Associated Newsis a website dedicated to tricking readers into believing ridiculous rumors about cultural icons. This same website has killed off Adam Sandler, Jim Carrey, and several other celebrities.
In fact, if you replace David Guetta’s name with any other name in the URL, the website generates the exact same story with a new person suffering the same deathly car crash. With Guetta tweeting the morning after his alleged crash and releasing a single less than a month later, it is clear that the rumor was false. Rest assured that Guetta has a long career ahead of him, and perhaps think twice the next time you read a status, tweet, or text containing any rumor material.
Sources: http://david.guetta.swellserver.com/news/top_stories/auto80.php