The Onion Reminds Us That We Need Humor And Satire In Our Lives

Easily one of the most recognized sources of witty, satirical news and intelligent humor is the online magazine The Onion. It has been around since 1988, founded as a print publication by University of Wisconsin students. It began its online venture in 2007 and, in 2013, the owners decided to cease publishing the magazine in print, opting to corroborate its online presence with the launch of Onion Labs, the company’s own ad agency.

Image source:theonion.com

The Onion presents a wide variety of articles that cover anything from fictional and real current events and trends, keeping to both the tone and format of traditional news organizations, using the same style as CNN’s or the Associated Press’. The uninitiated will be hard-pressed in telling the difference between its handling of news and those of “true” journalists and news media.

It’s such a successful journalistic venture that there was even an “Onion Movie” that came out in 2008, and has now attained cult status. Also, on a more serious and also ironic note, a lot of people follow The Onion A.V. Club, which is not only non-satirical but offers trustworthy reviews and interviews of modern culture, from literature and film to games and music.

Image source:huffingtonpost.com

The relevance of having The Onion around has not been as important (or even ironic) as it is today, given the rise of the so-called fake news. It may be irreverent and outrageous, but is outright belly-laughter entertaining. Falling for its headlines is a grand statement on how reading has been compromised in this age of instant gratification and social media. The joke is on you if you do get fooled.

Charles Bishop is based in Pompano Beach, Florida. He has been working as a wedding photographer for more than 10 years. He is also an avid reader. For more on his hobbies and interests, visit this blog.