Like the Timex Social Club, I spend a lot of time lamenting the rumors that surround me every day. How do they get started? And where do they get crazy? In Truthmonger, I’ll try to suss out the kernels of truth in the rumors that are taking up airspace in gossip columns, blogs, and our tips inbox.


THE RUMOR: In the wake of falling off a stage in South Dakota and being airlifted to the hospital on Wednesday night, Aerosmith lead singer Steven Tyler has gone to “The Other Side.”


TRUTH THRESHOLD: Sigh. Why, Internet, must you continue to wish death upon all of our celebrities? Is it because that’s the only way you can be OK with being sorta-nice about them?


LIKELY TRUTHS: In the wake of Tyler’s injury, Aerosmith has postponed a show scheduled for tonight in Winnipeg, Manitoba; according to Billie Perry, the wife of guitarist Joe Perry, the whole band has returned to Boston so Tyler can see his doctor and determine the extent of the injuries to his shoulder, head, and back. The fall looks pretty nasty:





LIKELY FALSEHOODS: Something tells me that the band’s show after the now-postponed Winnipeg date—which is scheduled for Sunday in Regina, Saskatchewan—won’t go on as planned. But that doesn’t necessarily mean Tyler’s dead!


Earlier: Aerosmith: Almost As Prone To Injury As The 2009 New York Mets