assignment #4

assignment #4

RON GEREN, an actor in Los Angeles, commutes to auditions and jobs throughout Southern California in a sleek black Mazda MX-5 Miata convertible. But for a recent date with a woman, he rented a Cadillac Escalade because he was so used to friends saying his Miata is “gay.
Newsvine.com

The headline for this story was “Is Your Car Gay?” Immediately after I read the lead, I began to laugh. It’s such an unusual thing to say your car is gay. I was curious and wanted to know more about the different cars men think are ‘gay.’ I just think this entire story is hilarious and the lead makes the reader actually want to read the story no matter how ridiculous and pointless it might be.

NEW YORK Apr 13, 2007 (AP)— A man jumped to his death Friday out the window of a 69th-floor law office in the Empire State Building.
Abcnews.com

The reason I found this lead engaging is because it’s unusual to hear of a man jumping off the Empire State Building. Immediately I start to wonder why this man jumped to his death. I want to know the details. How old was he? Did he have a wife and family? The lead does a great job at providing the point of the story, but still making the reader want to know the facts.

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. Apr 13, 2007 (AP)— A gunman robbing a convenience store allowed the clerk to call 911 and apologized after the woman said she might be having a heart attack. But he still took $30 and cigarettes, authorities said.
Abcnews.com

I chose this lead because when I think of people robbing stores I picture mean, cruel and threatening robbers with guns pointed at the faces of the innocent. I don’t imagine someone who allows the victims to call for help after they feel ill. The lead makes me laugh because this gunman sounds like the worst and most inexperienced robber I’ve ever heard of. He didn’t even make bank. All he got away with was thirty bucks and cigarettes. I want to read the entire story to see if the robber was captured because I wouldn’t be surprised it he was!