As tributes have been pouring in for Oscar-winning Italian composer Ennio Morricone, following his death in Rome at the age of 91, The Washington Post shared an obituary to the author of classical works and countless memorable film scores on Twitter. However, it was the accompanying headline that unwittingly set netizens reeling and having fun at the paper’s expense.
When it comes to film scores, Morricone, who is credited over 500 times on IMDB, is possibly best-known for the iconic theme to the 1966 Clint Eastwood classic "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly," directed by Sergio Leone.
The Washington Post tweeted a headline that paid tribute to Ennio Morricone as the man who wrote the “ah-ee-ah-ee-ah” theme to the “spaghetti” Western.
The reactions were swift and barbed, with colleague journalists “reeling”, and wondering if a medical check for whoever was behind the headline was called for.
Some netizens, however, failed to see what the “hoop-la” was all about.
The tweet set netizens off on a quest for what other Washington Post obituaries for famous composers might sound like.
The Washington Post made its own headlines last year when it eulogised the infamous terrorist Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as an "austere religious scholar".
The famous Italian composer, who was also known for writing the music scores to films such as "The Hateful Eight," "The Untouchables," "Bugsy," and "Once Upon a Time in America," died at a clinic in Rome due to the "consequences of a fall", Italy's Rai News24 reported on Monday, citing the Morricone family's lawyer Giorgio Assumma, adding that his femur had been broken several days before.
It was noted that the funeral ceremony would be held in private.