History Main / ClickbaitGag

* ''LetsPlay/{{critikal}}'' compares Platform/YouTube clickbait to the programming of the Discovery Channel in a video-long TakeThat called "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tviR5_ooNAg Phelps vs Shark]]," which is about the misleading marketing leading up to Michael Phelps' race against a computer-generated shark.

* The 2024 AprilFoolsDay edition of TropeReport was styled like a stereotypical energetic [=YouTube=] video, with the folder categories replaced with titles like "53 AMAZING TROPES THAT YOU NEVER NOTICED ON YOUR FAVORITE WORKS" (Obscure Tropes), "Has WOKE CULTURE Gone Too Far? -- [[Tropers/WarJay77 WarJay]] BANNED for OFFENSIVE Comment" (Forumwatch), and "DON'T CALL THESE PEOPLE AT 3 AM (SCARY) (GONE WRONG)" (the contributor credits).

* ''Webcomic/DinosaurComics'' has a [[http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=2774 strip]] about a man named Jim, who reacted to headlines as clickbait writers expected everyone too. So, he literally could not forget these five facts about cats, he reacted to this video you could not believe with the Platonically perfect skepticism, and number 6 blew his mind, making him a wholly new man. The dinosaurs agree he sounds awful, even if he would be a great assassin.

* ''Website/SCPFoundation'': [[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-3299 SCP-3299]] is a series of BrownNote internet advertisements that result in various physical or mental changes when viewed. These effects are somewhat related to the headline. For example, reading the affected article titled "This woman's one weird trick will make you younger! Doctors hate her!" will literally make the viewer 20 to 30 percent younger, unless they have a [[ExactWords PhD]], in which case they will develop an angry and "crippling obsession" towards the woman described in the article.

** [[https://thehardtimes.net/blog/7-pictures-of-ian-mackaye-in-silly-hats-youll-never-believe-number-4/ 7 Pictures of Ian MacKaye in Silly Hats (You'll Never Believe Number 4!)]] The whole article is pretty much what the title claims, but is full of hyperbole about how amazing number 4 is. Turns out it's just [[Music/MinorThreat Ian MacKaye]] in the Queen's hat, which isn't espcially silly. 5 is also just a normal hat.

* After WebVideo/GameXplain was accused of clickbait while covering a rumor about VideoGame/ShovelKnight in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'', their followup discussion featured a tacky title and [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/0_38.jpg the word "click" literally put on the thumbnail]].

* ''Most Valuable Gaming'' has a video literally titled "[=Mew2King=] says Water (Clickbait)".

* ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'': In ''Comicbook/TheAmazingSpiderMan2018'', Norah Winters's ''Threats and Menaces'' is a clickbait farm, producing headlines like "You Won't Believe This Shocking Proof That Comicbook/CaptainAmerica is [[Comicbook/SecretEmpire Still HYDRA]]". As she explains it, it doesn't matter that she has precisely zero proof, or even circumstantial evidence, that Captain America is still HYDRA; the important thing is that some people will believe it and share it. And other people will be outraged by it and rebuff it, which ''also'' shares it. J. Jonah Jameson is disquieted by this, especially when she points out it's basically how he used to run the Bugle. Other headlines seen in [=TnM=]'s first appearance include "People Are Earning Millions [[Comicbook/OneMoreDay Selling Their Soul to Mephisto]], Here's How", "Going to [[Comicbook/XMenTheKrakoanAge Krakoa]] is Easy With This One Simple Trick", and "Is Your Boyfriend a Skrull? He is if He Does These Six Things".

* ''Radio/JohnFinnemoresSouvenirProgramme:'' One sketch has John admitting (or possibly John playing a fictional version of himself) that while he doesn't usually fall for clickbait, one time he did fall for an advert saying "Top Botanists Cannot Figure This Plant Out. Can You?" because for one brief moment he thought he might just know more about plants than an actual botanist.

** The boss character Spamton is the living parody of spam and clickbait, promising you hot singles in your area, rapid financial gains, and links to explicit websites in exchange for your money, your personal information, [[BreadEggsMilkSquick and your SOUL]]. Like real clickbait, he's not to be trusted, and checking him outright says you should never give him money.

* An abundance of all-caps text, often with particularly scandalous scenarios in brackets (a particular favourite tactic of Website/YouTube clickbaiters) -- for example, "HUGGING RANDOM STRANGERS IN PUBLIC PRANK! (GONE WRONG) (GONE SEXUAL) (IN THE HOOD) ([[VomitIndiscretionShot VOMIT WARNING]]) ([[BloodyHilarious BLOOD WARNING]]) (I ALMOST DIED!!)"

* Website/CollegeHumor was one of the first to parody "clickbait" while using that term in their article "[[https://web.archive.org/web/20180731061255/http://www.collegehumor.com/post/6923989/if-popular-books-had-clickbait-titles If Popular Books Had Clickbait Titles]]". The disturbing tale of pedophilia described in ''Literature/{{Lolita}}'' is rendered "He's Dating WHO?!?" and Literature/TheBible is rendered "This Book Will Change Your Mind About Everything In Just One Thousand Pages."

* ''LetsPlay/{{critikal}}'' compares Website/YouTube clickbait to the programming of the Discovery Channel in a video-long TakeThat called "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tviR5_ooNAg Phelps vs Shark]]," which is about the misleading marketing leading up to Michael Phelps' race against a computer-generated shark.

* One of the videos from ''WebVideo/IHateEverything'' is titled "5 Epic Ways to Be a Website/YouTube Celebrity!" It even has a check-mark in the title. The thumbnail has LetsPlay/PewDiePie, WebVideo/{{Markiplier}}, a hot chick's face, and another hot chick's [[MaleGaze booty surrounded by a red circle with an arrow pointed at it.]] In the video, Alex discusses clickbait and various tactics that some [=YouTube=] channels use to garner clicks, such as everything in the title of his video as well as what he put in his own thumbnail.

Clickbait is a term used to describe attention-grabbing, over-the-top, misleading headlines, thumbnails, and content intended to induce clicks from internet users. For the purposes of this page, however, we'll only be listing and discussing [[ParodiedTrope parodies]] and InUniverse gags about clickbait.

* Obnoxiously contrarian "takes", e.g. "<insert name of acclaimed classic> Is Actually Utter Garbage, Here's Why."
* Hysterical Listicles -- for example, "The Five Most Crazily Overrated Movies YOU Love!"

* [[NeverTrustATitle Blatantly inaccurate headlines]], especially those that promise sexual or scandalous content ("Watch this celebrity video before it's banned").
* A headline missing a key fact, thereby [[LyingByOmission giving a misleading impression]] or setting up a mystery -- for example "A mother went to pick her child up from daycare. Then she was arrested."

With time, the public has become aware of these tactics and they've been labelled "clickbait" since at least [[http://www.jaygeiger.com/index.php/2006/12/01/definition-of-click-bait/ 2006]]. This ubiquity has led many creators to discuss clickbait more openly and use the obnoxiousness of clickbait as a source of humor. Since clickbait thrives in WebOriginal content, those creators tend to discuss these tactics the most.

* The thumbnail of the article or video having either some innocuous area of an image circled, having an arrow pointing to said area, or both.