Online death hoax is bad joke for fans

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The news of the death of a star can drive a diehard fan to the extreme end of taking his own life. That’s what one Jiah Khan fan did recently. So, how insensitive and dangerous is it to spread a rumour about the death of a celebrity? Actors Jackie Chan and Ayushman Khurana recently became victims to such rumours when social media was abuzz with condolences and stories of their accidents, that actually never happened.
Filmmaker Rajan Khosa believes that such rumours should be taken in good humour unless they are spread with seriously malicious intention. “As long as the prank is not done in a very objectionable manner, it should be taken lightly,” he said.
But according to Nimesh Shah, a social media expert, such hoaxes are aimed just to feed the pseudo-ego of the person who initiates such pranks. “They just want to prove that they can bring the system down without caring about the sensitivities of the people. It not only affects those that are at the receiving end of the prank but also maligns the reputation of the social media as a platform.”
Most of these death hoaxes have been a product of “Global Associated News” — a front for fakeawish.com where anyone can enter the name of a celebrity and spread a rumour about their death. The mastermind behind the hoax site, Rich Hoover said in an interview to an online entertainment portal, “It’s dark comedy, done in poor taste. I’m guilty of that. But the intent is not to be hurtful to one’s character.”

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