Male loneliness epidemic traced back to Forbidden Planet

THE male loneliness epidemic has been traced back to an accidental release of nerdy merchandise from Forbidden Planet, research has found. 

The increasing isolation and lack of close friendships experienced by young men dates to a 2005 sale at the specialist store which saw an unprecedented number of DC graphic novels and Star Wars Funko Pops come into contact with the public.

Sociologist Martin Bishop said: “Andrew Tate is, unfortunately, blameless. It’s all down to geeky tat.

“In the days before limited-edition Snake Plissken action figures and Doctor Who Monopoly, men had to go outside, drink pints together and develop interpersonal relationships. Forbidden Planet leaving the stockroom doors open ended all that.

“Now men haunt the internet, debating minor plot points in Marvel TV shows, collecting every issue of The Walking Dead, amassing Firefly board games they will never, ever play. No longer do healthy, well-adjusted men work out their problems in football violence.

“It will burn itself out because you cannot breed with a Half-Life headcrab zombie statuette on the shelf. So we wait, or pray that scientists can bring back lad culture.”

Forbidden Planet staffer Oliver O’Connor said: “We get loads of girls in here buying manga. So they’re next for a lifetime of solitary inadequacy.”

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GCSE app to automatically take jumping-in-air selfies

A NEW app will inform pupils of GCSE results and automatically capture images of them jumping in the air for local newspapers. 

Ministers hope the app will save money for media outlets who will no longer need to send a sweating, overweight man with a moustache to cajole 16-year-olds to leap for his camera.

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Only for grades 7 and above, obviously. If you’ve received a handful of 5s and 6s stay firmly on the ground.

“But if you’ve achieved multiple top grades the app will, before giving you your results, direct you into your parents’ leafy garden – these students will be middle-class or something’s gone awry – so there’s a pleasant backdrop.

“It will deliver the results, the student will naturally jump as everyone does when receiving good news, and the app will take a mid-air shot and email it to the local press alongside an AI-generated quote from you.

“Facial recognition software will match female students who have six or more 9s and are physically 10s for the national press. Dress sexy.”