"17 worst haircuts in the Ottoman Empire"

My friend has a theory about “chick crack,” the quizzes and factoids you find in Vogue and Cosmo and, literally, littered around the Internet. To be fair, I think it’s only called “chick crack” because these glossies have mastered the art form: As I discussed with my roommate this evening, Maxim and FHM really just don’t have the same knack for useless, dubiously factual information that these do, and what seems like such a inane form of trivia recycling (really, how many sexual positions are there that Cosmo can introduce hundreds of new ones every month?) actually requires, if not literary skill, at least some artful touch. Today’s XKCD captures it perfectly, and nails at least one of it’s practioners, Cracked.com, squarely on the head. As today’s XCKD alt text reads: <blockquote>“Cracked.com is another inexplicable browser narcotic. They could write a list of ‘17 worst haircuts in the Ottoman Empire’ and I’d read through to the end, then click on all the links at the end.”</blockquote> Sadly, I would too. I’m actually kind of grateful I’d never (until now) heard of TVTropes, because the last thing I need is another time suck. Although this article on Diabolus Ex Vacuus is fascinating…