satire

Sadly, not everyone always gets the joke. But it seems the ranks of the gullible and clueless may be deeper than we originally thought.

The reemergence and apparent pervasiveness of a global meme around satirical Onion articles that some of our fellow humans read to be the literal truth is actually more absurd than the silly fake news stories said people are being duped by.… Read more

It's the logical next step in iPhone development: a much, much, much longer screen. It's 18 percent thinner and 795 percent taller than the previous iPhone. A parody video has popped up on YouTube to tout the phone's ability to reduce "scrolling fatigue" and offer full-body FaceTime.

The video, called "A Taller Change Than Expected" comes from YouTube comedy troupe Satire, makers of the "We're NASA and We Know It" video. NASA Mohawk Guy, complete with stars in his hair, makes a cameo appearance rocking his extra-long iPhone 5 as a guitar.… Read more

For any writer who is trying to be funny, there is a very special pain that comes when someone doesn't get the joke.

It hits you somewhere beneath the ribs and the pain then courses around your torso, before finally emerging, days later, from a nostril.

This is a feeling that must often infect those who toil at The Onion, a place that attempts to offer truth delivered through comedic fiction. Sometimes, though, the Onion's writers are just too good. So good, indeed, that people take to Facebook to display their amusing stories as facts.

Now an enterprising … Read more

There is tension in the air. Well, even before you manage to get into the air.

Stories have abounded concerning new screening procedures and their overly personal nature. Why, just the other day, a woman decided that the only way to maintain her dignity was to go through screening wearing only matching bra and panties. (I have embedded her here.)

And yet, as one might imagine in a land in which the enthusiasm for self-expression and the invention of the Internet merge to create a dynamic cocktail, some of the stories told are simply not true.

So the TSA has … Read more

NOTE: See the bottom of this post for a very bizarre correction.

Along the beleaguered Gulf Coast, the emergency measure known as "top kill" appears to have halted the flow of oil from a ruptured offshore BP well--but the bogus Twitter sensation known as @BPGlobalPR continues to gush out black comedy gold.

"Just got the concession call from Exxon Valdez. They were great competitors and remarkably evil about everything," the account, which claims to be written by the British oil giant's public relations department, tweeted shortly after the unfortunate revelation that the recent Gulf Coast … Read more

The Onion nicely parodies the often irrational (but highly predictable) drivers behind the constant treadmill of electronic gizmo introductions and the unrelenting consumer interest in each new launch:

With the holiday shopping season officially under way, millions of consumers proceeded to their nearest commercial centers this week in hopes of acquiring the latest, and therefore most desirable, personal device.

The device, which is never named, retails for $395.

"Its higher price indicates to me that it is superior, and that not everyone will be able to afford it, which only makes me want to possess it more," said … Read more

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg put out an "open letter" to the site's massive membership on Tuesday, explaining the site's revised privacy controls that are finally going into effect after being announced this summer, and additionally announcing the milestone that the site has reached 350 million active users around the world.

But CEOs are notoriously deft with spin, and Zuckerberg is a clever fellow. So, luckily, CNET has translated his entire letter for you! In italics are Zuckerberg's words. Below are the ones we found to be an appropriate substitution after extensive research, experimentation, and a … Read more

In this satire of a Nissan ad, starring Andy Richter and James Adomian, a Prius owner smugly extols the advantages the Prius has over his neighbor's car, a Hyundai Elantra, with a fatal result. Nissan denies any involvement with the production.

I was surprised this has become public, but I suppose I should weigh in now that reports have filtered onto the blogosphere: It's true. Google is in talks to buy my car.

I was reluctant to discuss this for obvious reasons. These talks could break down at any time and there is no clear indication when they'll be concluded and the final price could change dramatically before negotiations have completed.

Nonetheless, with the equally odd acquisition rumor floating Wednesday that Google could acquire the travel site Expedia (now watch them actually do this and make me look like … Read more