Theonion.com is a satirical newspaper that makes up stories as news and writes them in a serious manner. The writers of the articles DO want to make you laugh, but the humor is so finely meshed with the newspaperman delivery that you have to read it just once to laugh, but twice to find out exactly the lines where you began to laugh.
The onion is totally uncensored, and its writers are varied. Some articles are downright disgusting, especially the editors picturesque descriptions of his various maladies, including the stones he passes, and the anal infections he contracts. But most of the articles and news stories published, are ’’cleverly’’ written, in the sense, that the humor is very subtle, and often the entire article is written in an almost serious and realistic vein, only to make a final biting comment towards the end that brings the situation into a hilarious light.
You will see headlines such as ’’general tommy franks to step down to pursue solo bombing projects’’ (after the iraq war) and ’’ageing pope just ’blessing everything in sight’’’ (with stories of how the pope is triggerhappily blessing everything he sees, including entire aeroplanes and hangars, which then have to be made holy and kept in a sacrosanct manner). The accompanying articles explain in full earnest, and displays a totally unique style of humor, where the writer himself makes hardly a comment or two out of place of a serious article but you suddenly realise that the entire article is humorous.
It is very difficult to write the way these people write. I have tried it, and it rarely works unless you make it really perfect. I attempted this style once, and it hardly makes an impression as humor.. the trick is to get the reader to understand, very early in the article, that you are trying to make him laugh, without using anything not found in an ordinary newspaper article. I will try to write one paragraph or two in this style, and see for yourself if you know what I mean..
’’Area man reads every newspaper as if it is theonion.com’’
Springfield, MA.
Area man Jim Jones is known to read every newspaper as if it is an article printed in online satirical newspapers. Sherbet, often roars aloud reading headlines such as ’’missing girl’s clothes found by riverbank’’, thereby infuriating fellow readers, who make the mistake of reading over his shoulder.
Apparently, the trouble started a few months ago when Jones stumbled across a periodical of theonion.com and read it without ever realising that it was satire..
Of course, for the real thing, just check out theonion.com. :)