'When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie...'

A couple day ago the New York Times published a fun science story that featured the sort of headline that illustrates how important it is for readers to have a wide enough background to "get the jokes."

Here is the headline, and the explanatory deck: 

When an Eel Climbs a Ramp to Eat Squid From a Clamp, That’s a Moray
Moray eels can hunt on land, and footage from a recent study highlights how they accomplish this feat with a sneaky second set of jaws.

Just in case that headline did not jog your memory, it is a play on "That's Amore," a hit song by Dean Martin that was popular in my youth. You can check it out on YouTube.

In the era of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and the emphasis on online posts coming up at the top of any Google search, this sort of headline is increasingly rare. But what fun to happen upon one, and to be able to "sing" the headline as it was intended.

Of course, the "deck" or subhead helps readers who can't quite conjure up that old song, but the headline illustrates two rhetorical devices writers might consider. I admire that deck, BTW, which neatly sums up the key details of what the article itself will explain. But it's the headline that sticks with me.

First, "a moray" is a homophone to "amore," and that anchors the joke. Second, the headline depends on an allusion to something unrelated to the topic covered. 

If a reader has never heard of that song (and that would likely be a large percentage of America), the allusion just lies there, more puzzling than amusing or enlightening.

Some writers argue that including such allusions limits readership, and perhaps the Times being willing to go with this fanciful headline is just a recognition of the average age of the American newspaper reader (which is, not surprisingly, my age or a bit younger, not to mention white and middle to upper class in economics).

It's the sort of "inside joke" that many readers appreciate, sort of a secret sign to enter the clubhouse.

Other writers might argue that the substantial chance that many readers will NOT get the allusion is the first step in urging people to do some research and expand their references.

And some writers (and editors) might simply prefer to avoid such challenging language choices. Why not appeal to the broadest possible readership? 

Is this sort of allusion a form of elitism? I would say no, mostly because Dean Martin could hardly be classified as part of elite culture. I know there is some limit to this sort of wordplay in the media -- overuse could turn off readers as easily as inspire or amuse them.

But I would be fine with a bit "amore" of this sort of writing.