When the Onion Gets Serious.
How the Onion uses satire to ask life and death questions.
I love to stumble across an article from the Onion.
Usually, it can guarantee some brevity and at least a quick chuckle. It rarely fails to make me smile.
In case you haven’t heard of it, the Onion is a satirical publication that posts amusing articles about current events and politics. It’s been around forever and is still some of the best comedy writing, often presenting real or exaggerated events in a deadpan editorial style.
Here are a few popular examples of their work.
Studies reveal babies are stupid.
Perky ‘Canada’ Has Own Government, Laws
Archaeological Dig Uncovers Ancient Race Of Skeleton People
I stumbled across an article I saw that referenced one of the mass shootings, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Surely they wouldn’t make light or humor out of such a tragedy?
They didn’t.
Instead, they contributed to the commentary in their own style and made a powerful point. There is nothing light about it.
It’s the Onion, but the feeling is different. The satire and deadpan are still there, but they are employed for a different purpose…
