Bateman Bats Back at Clickbait

Jason Bateman recently appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live to promote his new movie DTF St. Louis, but the conversation quickly turned to clickbait headlines.

Kimmel asked Bateman if he had a Google Alert set for his own name, and Bateman replied that he did. He explained that it's useful to know what the public is seeing and reading about him, especially since he has a public job.

Bateman shared an example of how clickbait headlines can be misleading. He mentioned a recent article where Kimmel had Googled his name before the show, and the top result was a headline claiming that Bateman makes rare red carpet appearances with his wife. However, Bateman pointed out that this is not true - he and his wife are always together, including on red carpets.

Bateman also discussed how clickbait websites cherry-pick information from interviews to create sensational headlines. He mentioned an instance where a magazine interview covered topics about him from age 10 to the present, but the clickbait site focused on one specific detail - that he liked to party in his twenties.

Bateman's comments highlight the issue of clickbait headlines and how they can create a distorted public perception. He didn't sound angry, but rather realistic about the way modern media works.