Dr Mumbo

The thinnest news story of all time?

There’ve been many debates about whether the brand of the print edition of the Sydney Morning Herald – and indeed the hopes of persuading the public that it’s worth paying for in digital format – is in any way diluted by the somewhat less rigorous standards of its sister brand smh.com.au.

Or you could just watch what comedian and SMH reader James Colley has to say about a story covering Julia Gillard’s announcement that Wolverine is being filmed in Sydney:

Here’s the article he’s talking about.

What on earth could be wrong with a piece of journalism that includes the following:

“The fact Wolverine was hanging out with a redhead with the initial “JG” seemed perfectly normal to the comics geeks. In the Marvel comics universe, where Wolverine was born, it’s something the razor-clawed superhero has been doing for years.

“Throughout the X-Men timeline, Wolverine has had an on-again, off-again romance with a fiery red-haired mutant whose initials are JG.

“That would be Jean Grey, a telepathic and telekinetic “omega-level mutant” who has been known as Marvel Girl, Phoenix and Dark Phoenix. In the Marvel official timeline, Jean Grey is currently dead, but the comic publishers have hinted that she may soon return in a phoenix-like rise from the ashes.

“We’re sure the PM is crossing her fingers for life to imitate art on that one. Although possibly without being killed in a battle with Magneto, who as far as we know is not one of the Faceless Men.”

That’s just good journalism, right?

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