Guns ‘N Roses rocker chooses to see the funny side in this

Dec 4, 2014 10:19 GMT  ·  By
Axl Rose is not dead but he’s very amused by the Internet hoax claiming otherwise
9 photos
   Axl Rose is not dead but he’s very amused by the Internet hoax claiming otherwise

The Internet is a very dangerous place, which can even “kill” you off if you’re a celebrity, just for the fun of it, and send waves of panic through a fanbase made of millions of people. Former child star turned musician Macaulay Culkin “died” last month and now it’s Axl Rose’s turn to kick the virtual bucket.

Some hours ago, word started spreading online that the rocker, frontman for the iconic rock band Guns N’ Roses and no stranger to a hellraiser reputation (which gave credence to the fake report), had been found dead in his home.

Fans were saddened and shocked to hear of this – apparently so much of both that they didn’t even stop to make the connection to the Culkin story of almost a month ago.

The culprit: website posing as the real MSNBC

That connection is in the website reporting the “news,” namely a publication that rips off the real MSNBC, down to its URL. It’s not even trying too much of an effort, because the story they came up with for Axl is very similar to the one they had on for Culkin.

“Sources: Guns N’ Roses Frontman Axl Rose Found Dead in West Hollywood Home at Age 52,” reads the bogus headline. Cops conducted a welfare check on the rocker, after a call alerting them that he hadn’t been seen in a while and had people concerned.

“The home was entered by police through an open back door where a body was found in the foyer area,” a “police spokesperson” is quoted as saying.

Clearly, the entirely story was fiction but the fans who got wind of it, who woke up to find “RIPs” and nice words posted on their Twitter feeds and Facebook walls, didn’t stop to dissect it in detail.

Axl Rose is amused

Much like Macaulay before him, Rose is choosing to see the funny side in this hoax, so instead of raving or ranting about the people who’d make a living off claiming others have died, he’s asking his Twitter followers and fans if being dead, even virtually so, will spare him from paying taxes.

Culkin showed a bit more creativity in his response, posting photos of himself apparently dead, held by his bandmembers in a joke that implied he had indeed passed away but everyone in his entourage was trying to fool the fans into thinking he hadn’t.

Celebrities have long learned that this is the best response because it’s not like they can actually do anything to prevent these hoaxes from occurring or the fans from falling for them. Making fun of a sick situation is the best weapon they’ve got – and they earn points in the fans’ eyes by using it in such amazing ways.

So to conclude, no, Axl Rose isn’t dead. He’s at his home, he’s feeling well (we assume), and he’s still working on Guns N’ Roses music: guitarist DJ Ashba revealed just recently that they had material for 2 brand new albums, but he wouldn’t say when they might be coming out.  

Axl Rose through the years (9 Images)

Axl Rose is not dead but he’s very amused by the Internet hoax claiming otherwise
Axl Rose and the original Guns N’ Roses lineupAt the height of the Guns N’ Roses fame, Axl Rose was quite the ladies’ man too – it’s not hard to understand why
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