Tiger Beat: The Michael Jackson edition

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There is an art to writing a great headline, one that has found its apogee at the New York tabloids, which has over the years produced such classics as ‘Headless Body in Topless Bar,’ ‘Kiss Your Asteroid Goodbye’ (upon a narrow miss between Earth and a renegade meteor) and ‘Close But No Cigar’ (commemorating Bill Clinton’s wriggling out of a Senate impeachment).

But the British papers aren’t far behind. The Guardian has a wacky story about the always-wacky Tippi Hedren (who apparently still hasn’t recovered from being in Alfred Hitchcock’s ‘The Birds’). In 2005, the veteran actress adopted Michael Jackson’s two pet tigers, Thriller and Sabu, after Jackson had closed his private zoo at the Neverland ranch. They now live with Hedren at her Shambala Preserve, along with 60-odd tigers, lions and other big cats.

So, what happened? I’d say the headline says it all:

‘TIPPI HEDREN TELLS MICHAEL JACKSON’S FORMER PET TIGERS OF HIS DEATH’

Hedren says she informed the tigers about the singer’s death late last week. ‘I went up and sat with them for a while and let them know that Michael was gone,’ she explained. ‘You don’t know what mental telepathy exists from the human to the animal. But I hope they understood.’

All I can say is that I hope it was someone with equal sensitivity who broke the news to Bubbles. (A tip of the cap to Kris Tapley for spotting this gem).