Author: Martin Cramer
Comedy news sources like the Onion hold our fragmented country together: Without them, we as a nation would be less informed than we already are. The aforementioned bastion of information communicates with the public effectively because it’s honest and upfront about its purposes. The Onion admits to subjectively presenting news, and at times embellishing the facts. This does not detract from the news source’s positive effect, though, as it exposes Americans to new political outlooks and new perspectives about the world through humor. By writing with a sense of humor, the writers humanize themselves and make their material more accessible to the public. The Onion’s writers communicate better than their dry, objective news counterparts.
Self-proclaimed as “America’s Finest News Source,” the Onion keeps readers scrolling through its online archives for hours by giving them what they need most: a series of surreal stories that lead to bouts of infectious laughter. The articles and videos from the Onion are hilarious because they’re scathingly sarcastic and, for the most part, rather accurate. Even when the writers take liberties with the information by stretching the truth, they provide unique, piercing insight into American culture.
On Dec. 1, the Onion published an article about Obama succumbing to the overwhelming stress of his presidency, saying that he stepped out for a pack of cigarettes and never returned. “Obama reportedly told ‘Big Joe’ that he would be in charge of the country for a while, and that the Vice President should keep an eye on Iraq and Iran while he was out,” according to the Onion. Although Obama obviously did not abandon the country, this article makes it easier for the public to empathize with the President and his struggle with the slew of difficulties the Bush administration left for him. Conventional news sources could not present this side of the story because they must retain objectivity.
The Onion offers a rare glimpse into the inner-workings of the American psyche in the section “American Voices.” This section acknowledges that the average American attention span should not be tested, as it’s embarrassingly short. Therefore, it consists of brief summaries of actual news events and posts of “citizen” responses to the issue. If the quick responses from various political experts, including Will the Smokehouse Attendant and Shannon the Instrument-Lens Grinder, weren’t so hilarious, far fewer people would read the news clips. Important information, such as Dr. Michael Tomasello’s finding that humans are biologically disposed to help one another, would go unnoticed.
It’s easy to ignore the drab headlines that conventional news stories publish: The numbers, names and places blur together as everyday brings more of the same bad news. At least, it seems that way because of the dull, formulaic way in which news is usually presented. The Onion energizes the humdrum news industry with humor, and keeps readers informed by leaving them laughing and begging for more.
Marty Cramer is a sophomore ECLS major. He can be reached at cramer@oxy.edu.
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