---
title: "From vegan porn to wig snatchers — the standout clickbait headlines of 2024"
description: "It’s time, whether you like it not or not, for my annual review of the ‘best’ headlines of the year. This is the fourth time I have edified the holiday season of Daily Maverick readers with a collection of the good, the bad, the punning and the downright bewildering clickbaiters of the year from around the online news world."
type: "OpinionNewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Opinionistas"
author: "Mike Wills"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/mike-wills/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2024-12-26-from-vegan-porn-to-wig-snatchers-the-standout-clickbait-headlines-of-2024/"
published: "2024-12-26T16:11:02"
updated: "2024-12-26T16:11:05"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 503
---

# From vegan porn to wig snatchers — the standout clickbait headlines of 2024

> It’s time, whether you like it not or not, for my annual review of the ‘best’ headlines of the year. This is the fourth time I have edified the holiday season of Daily Maverick readers with a collection of the good, the bad, the punning and the downright bewildering clickbaiters of the year from around the online news world.

By Mike Wills · Published 26 December 2024, 18:11 SAST · Updated 26 December 2024, 18:11 SAST

## Content

There’s neither rhyme nor reason to this selection other than the headline must have appeared during 2024 on a proper news site (for which definition I have tenuously included IOL.co.za) and it must have tickled the fancy of my weird mind.

#### **The good**

*Ready, steady, eau! Paris waiters race each other through the city’s streets (but who’ll croissant the line first?)****dailymail.co.uk***

*Aliyev and kicking…****The Economist****on the re-election of Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev*

Rising crime weave: Wig snatchers target quality hairpieces in Joburg and Cape Town **news24.com**

*Drinking wine to 5: Dolly Parton launches prosecco and rosé range in UK* ***theguardian.com***

#### **The weird**

*Uni boss, 63, sacked for starring in vegan-themed porn films****thesun.co.uk***

*Britain has been invaded by parakeets — and it’s got nothing to do with Jimi Hendrix* ***theguardian.com***

*Penis filler surgery broke lockdown rules****telegraph.co.uk***

*New York authorities euthanise social media star Peanut the squirrel****theguardian.com***

*North Korea censors UK TV gardener’s trousers****bbc.com***

#### **Breaking (wind) news**

*Breaking wind on colleague was age discrimination, judge rules****thetimes.co.uk***

*Everyone in Japan will be called Sato by 2531 unless marriage law changed, says professor****theguardian.com***

If you cry at the movies you could be more likely to die young **dailymail.co.uk**

*Japan equips trains with stab-proof umbrellas to combat knife crime****thetimes.co.uk***

Mark Lifman’s alleged hitman was Cosmo’s 2013 barman of the year (and a scaredy cat) **news24.com**

*King Charles finally gets to wear his banned coronation breeches****thetimes.co.uk***

*DPD AI chatbot swears, calls itself ‘useless’ and criticises delivery firm****theguardian.com***

*Play about late Queen Mother given trigger warning*

***telegraph.co.uk***

*New Zealand Charity Accidentally Gives Away Meth Disguised As Candy****NYTimes.com***

Anti-hatred tsar quits because of all the hate he got before he even starts the job **dailymail.co.uk**

*Councils scrapping apostrophes is just another sorry sign of Britain’s decline****telegraph.co.uk***

*Australia’s Macquarie Dictionary picks ‘enshittification’ as word of 2024****aljazeera.com***

*Scorned husband goes on berserk rampage after finding his wife and BROTHER having sex in the back of a car in Australia... but that’s not the worst part****dailymail.co.uk***

*Rowan Atkinson blamed for poor electric car sales****telegraph.co.uk***

#### **From our political correspondents**

*MP denies being drunk and in underwear outside parliament at 4am****smh.com.au***

*Welsh government to ban politicians from lying****telegraph.co.uk***

*Donald Trump: God saved me so I can save the world****thetimes.co.uk***

Dead people should be able to change their gender, says Labour MP

***telegraph.co.uk***

Floyd Shivambu has the tools to lead Treasury **IOL.co.za**

*Chaos in Bahamas parliament as MP throws ceremonial mace out of window****theguardian.com***

#### **The sports section**

*Julien Bernard fined for stopping to kiss wife during Tour de France time trial****theguardian.com***

*Gutsy play: Packers QB Malik Willis declines to pass after teammate vomits on ball****theguardian.com***

*Australia’s Raygun officially ranked as the world’s best female breakdancer****IOL.co.za***

*Scrabble star wins Spanish world title — despite not speaking Spanish****theguardian.com***

*AFL umpire Leigh Haussen banned after dressing as Osama bin Laden at function****theguardian.com***

*Sex noises interrupt BBC coverage of World Indoor Bowls Championship****telegraph.co.uk*****DM**