Thursday, November 20, 2008

what is happening at the Onion?

I generally think The Onion is amazingly wonderful. Often the short articles are one of their better features, perhaps because they get a few good jokes in without stretching the whole article too long. Efficiency of language, etc. This is why I was confused (not mad, not yet...) when two of their recent shorts were, as best as I could tell, utterly devoid of humor. Read them for yourselves -

Crocodile Bites Off Bush's Arm

Bush Tumbles Wildly Down Washington Monument Staircase

Not only are these both about Bush, but they are both about him getting hurt, and were released only a few days apart. What the fuck? Is it just that they want to get all their Bush jokes in before he leaves office (60 days and counting, bitches!) ? Still, you'd think they'd have better stuff than this. What do you all think?

Also, remember when I complained about Andy Rooney? I sure as heck do. The Onion has apparently also noticed this! I like their version better.

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On a related note: Did anyone else notice something awfully similar between the newest Truck Bearing Kibble and a certain Perry Bible Fellowship? Just saying.

5 comments:

  1. I think, and I could be wrong about this, but I think it's going to be a running gag before he goes out of office just to have a bunch of stories where horrible things happen to him. I don't know. It weirded me out too.

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  2. Running jokes like that are very, very un-Onionesque. I'm not sure I've ever read anything along those lines in actual news stories (There are recurring features and columnists, but that's not the same as their actual news stories).

    Actually though if that's what happens it could be funny. I think it'll take a few more stories but if every few days it's like "Bush cuts off finger while cutting turkey at thanksgiving" and stuff that could work. Maybe.

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  3. I saw that too and wondered... after some thought, I'm pretty sure that the jokes are that Bush is now so irrelevant that these stories merit only a tiny blurb?

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  4. Bush's irrelevance is best expressed in that story about him wanting to make Obama president NOW. The article ends with, "he shuffled aimlessly back into the White House." That image tickles me.

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  5. Thomas, from the life mimics comedy file: Gail Collins, a New York Times columnist, writes that Bush should resign now and let Obama take over asap.

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