Question - does anybody else find The Onion a tad boring?

[Sarah Ibarruri]

I still haven't found anything about it funny, eye-opening, etc. Maybe it's just me?

[no limit]

1. it's just you.

[Schema Thing]

2. I find that very odd. What is an example of satire that you enjoy?

[MMsteezycheeze]

3. The onion?

im new here

[peejay3]

8. onion

http://theonion.com – the only truth on the internet...

[MMsteezycheeze]

11. i dont think......

its that funny either

[Sarah Ibarruri]

18. Nope. nt

[DoctorMyEyes]

4. WTF???

[Dover]

5. Maybe not boring, but I rarely feel inclined to read it. Probably because

life has become so similar to its satire. So many news stories seem like they could have
come straight from the Onion and vice versa.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

19. Exactly! Real stuff sounds more like satire than anything The Onion has nt

[Vickers]

6. Please post an example of something you find outrageously funny.

That might help us understand your situation.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

23. LOL! I just think The Onion is so much like the real thing that the real thing sounds more

satirical :-)

[Vickers]

26. Well, you do have a point there.

I mean, when the Onion did their "our long national nightmare of peace and prosperity is finally over" article, it was uncomfortably close to the truth (and a more exact prediction than anyone's wildest dreams ).

[Ichingcarpenter]

7. Maybe it is you

But we don't find you that witty either.

[GOPBasher]

9. Sorry, I think it's the funniest thing ever. n/t

[TheCowsCameHome]

10. Real life has become more like the Onion.

[RoyGBiv]

12. Totally you ...

If you don't find this amusing, well ... I dunno what to say.

Some people just don't get satire.

http://members.shaw.ca/rlongpre01/moon.html

[Sarah Ibarruri]

20. No, I get it, but it's like the real thing that happens sounds more like the satire than oh I dunno

Hard to explain.

[Morning Dew]

13. Some of it is funny.

and some, not so much. It's made for a younger audience.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

21. Yep - Maybe it's made for an audience that didn't "get" the actual happening the first time...

I dunno.

[Warpy]

14. Consider what a challenge it is to satirize people

who are hell bent on becoming self satire.

The Onion gives it a good try, but there's no wondering why they fall short. It's because sometimes you just can't write this stuff and the real thing will always top you in real life.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

17. I think that's what it is. The real thing is more the satire than the satire nt

[HughBeaumont]

15. Read "Our Dumb World".

Their version of the World Facts. Very hilarious and they get it right with most nations.

[IDemo]

16. Here's my regular Monday morning satire fix:

http://www.ironictimes.com/index.html

[Sarah Ibarruri]

22. I like that better. :-) And I like your photo of Warren with "the profit driven life" lol nt

[Creideiki]

24. Here's the best article they ever put up.

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/28784/print/

[IDemo]

28. That wasn't at all prescient, was it?

:banghead:

[Sarah Ibarruri]

30. See, that sounds like something he would say, so why write something he would say?

You know what I mean? Satire is a bit more involved than that isn't it? I dunno I dunno.

[Edweird]

25. eh. I think it's hilarious, but that's totally subjective. To each their own.

[jrockford]

27. No, it's not you. I think it's really boring. nt

[Sarah Ibarruri]

29. :-) Maybe it's a matter of tastes. I hate The Onion. I love Brit sitcoms, the 3 stooges, &

Chris Rock, and I HATE anything by Chevy Chase and Jim Carrey.

I hate The Onion because it seems written for people who don't know enough about the current political situation.

[Cid_B]

31. I enjoy their podcast videos...

nt

[seemslikeadream]

32. THE * BEST * ONION * EVER

Bush: 'Our Long National Nightmare Of Peace And Prosperity Is Finally Over'

January 17, 2001 | Issue 37•01



WASHINGTON, DC–Mere days from assuming the presidency and closing the door on eight years of Bill Clinton, president-elect George W. Bush assured the nation in a televised address Tuesday that "our long national nightmare of peace and prosperity is finally over."



President-elect Bush vows that "together, we can put the triumphs of the recent past behind us."
"My fellow Americans," Bush said, "at long last, we have reached the end of the dark period in American history that will come to be known as the Clinton Era, eight long years characterized by unprecedented economic expansion, a sharp decrease in crime, and sustained peace overseas. The time has come to put all of that behind us."

Bush swore to do "everything in power" to undo the damage wrought by Clinton's two terms in office, including selling off the national parks to developers, going into massive debt to develop expensive and impractical weapons technologies, and passing sweeping budget cuts that drive the mentally ill out of hospitals and onto the street.

During the 40-minute speech, Bush also promised to bring an end to the severe war drought that plagued the nation under Clinton, assuring citizens that the U.S. will engage in at least one Gulf War-level armed conflict in the next four years.

"You better believe we're going to mix it up with somebody at some point during my administration," said Bush, who plans a 250 percent boost in military spending. "Unlike my predecessor, I am fully committed to putting soldiers in battle situations. Otherwise, what is the point of even having a military?"

On the economic side, Bush vowed to bring back economic stagnation by implementing substantial tax cuts, which would lead to a recession, which would necessitate a tax hike, which would lead to a drop in consumer spending, which would lead to layoffs, which would deepen the recession even further.

Wall Street responded strongly to the Bush speech, with the Dow Jones industrial fluctuating wildly before closing at an 18-month low. The NASDAQ composite index, rattled by a gloomy outlook for tech stocks in 2001, also fell sharply, losing 4.4 percent of its total value between 3 p.m. and the closing bell.

Asked for comment about the cooling technology sector, Bush said: "That's hardly my area of expertise."

Turning to the subject of the environment, Bush said he will do whatever it takes to undo the tremendous damage not done by the Clinton Administration to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He assured citizens that he will follow through on his campaign promise to open the 1.5 million acre refuge's coastal plain to oil drilling. As a sign of his commitment to bringing about a change in the environment, he pointed to his choice of Gale Norton for Secretary of the Interior. Norton, Bush noted, has "extensive experience" fighting environmental causes, working as a lobbyist for lead-paint manufacturers and as an attorney for loggers and miners, in addition to suing the EPA to overturn clean-air standards.

[tomreedtoon]

33. It's what happens to satire, everywhere.

Remember when MAD Magazine was hot satire? When SPY Magazine was tweaking rich jerks like Donald Trump? When National Lampoon was more than just a trademark slapped on low-end bad comedies?

The odd thing is, near the end of SPY's run, they ran an editorial that pretty much explained the reason why. It was an article entitled "Oh Cool, Cool World."

I wish I had kept it, but from memory, it said that their satires were designed to make them, the writers, look and feel "cool." They laughed at the pain that these evil events caused. Events like Trump putting up expensive, trendy but worthless Manhattan properties, Schwartzenegger pretending to be macho when he did gay porn (and they printed a nude photo of him), police in Los Angeles playing like they were in "Dragnet" while LA burned, and more.

The editorial even indicted David Letterman for his "cooler than anyone in the room" attitude that masked contempt for government, law, the public, and just about everything. It concluded by saying that the magazine was no longer able to pretend that these scandals and tragedies were laughable, and they would start getting righteously mad when required. It ended with the words, "Goodbye, cool world."

And then the magazine folded.

Guess you can't be a satirist and actually give a damn about people, and eventually people realize that, and that's why satire is something that (in theater) closes on Saturday night.

It took a long time, but it looks like it will soon be Saturday night at The Onion.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

34. I think you're right! Also, I think there's a point at which you should no longer use satire...

For example, back in Nazi Germany, maybe in the beginning it would've been possible to do satire. Once it went beyond the pale and the mass murders were beginning to be known, it would've been sick to poke fun (even using satire) at the Third Reich and its doings. When things get SO BAD, there's not even a way to do proper satire. It doesn't even seem funny in any way. I guess that's why I don't find The Onion funny, or interesting, or amusing, because they are trying to satirize individuals who are so sick, such sobs, and have done so much wrong that it's almost impossible.

[baby_mouse]

35. Reality outstripped it, somewhat. When it started it was AWFULLY new.

I like it still, but it's probably a bit past it now.

[camera obscura]

36. I find the articles that are more about everyday life ("Area Man") more interesting

the political ones are usually funny but the headlines are the best part.

Some of the everyday ones are more subtly funny, or even short-story like (there was a great one about a Wal-Mart opening that was in a parody of a Flannery O'Connor style, that was great).