I think that in most contexts the vast majority of recipients would think it was dramatic exaggeration <i>now</i>; there might be somewhat more people who would think it was serious, and those people who think it most likely to be dramatic exaggeration might weigh the potential <i>risk</i> of seriousness differently, and most important it might be more likely to be relayed out of its original contexts into other forums now, and thus be seen by more people, and thus more of the people inclined to take it seriously.