Comments on: Onion joke about "screams and gunfire" inside Congress backfires http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Sat, 25 May 2013 21:28:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: danegeld http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229995 danegeld Fri, 30 Sep 2011 03:22:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229995 Did the Onion just vanish behind a paywall? I surfed over there and each article is hidden by a banner asking for subscriptions. Where's my free ice-cream, etc? Did the Onion just vanish behind a paywall? I surfed over there and each article is hidden by a banner asking for subscriptions. Where’s my free ice-cream, etc?

]]> By: Guest http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229792 Guest Thu, 29 Sep 2011 23:25:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229792 Know what's even less funny? That. Know what’s even less funny? That.

]]> By: V http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229752 V Thu, 29 Sep 2011 22:41:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229752 Well, a Chinese newspaper did reprint a bogus story about Congress threatening to leave DC if they didn't get a retractable roof for the Capitol building.... http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2002/06/53048 Well, a Chinese newspaper did reprint a bogus story about Congress threatening to leave DC if they didn’t get a retractable roof for the Capitol building….

http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2002/06/53048

]]> By: EH http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229718 EH Thu, 29 Sep 2011 22:04:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229718 <i>A very well known satirical news publication tweeting something is on the same level as what has happened in Mexico?</i> In a way, among those who were taken in by this, especially anybody who thinks they should apologize. A very well known satirical news publication tweeting something is on the same level as what has happened in Mexico?

In a way, among those who were taken in by this, especially anybody who thinks they should apologize.

]]> By: recoiled http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229715 recoiled Thu, 29 Sep 2011 22:03:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229715 Not my tumbler.  But, this is a tumbler of people misinterpreting the onion.   http://www.scribbal.com/2011/05/tumblr-blog-features-facebook-users-who-dont-realize-the-onion-news-is-fake/ Not my tumbler.  But, this is a tumbler of people misinterpreting the onion.  

http://www.scribbal.com/2011/05/tumblr-blog-features-facebook-users-who-dont-realize-the-onion-news-is-fake/

]]> By: Jack Reno http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229681 Jack Reno Thu, 29 Sep 2011 21:39:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229681 Sadly no they have not. Sadly no they have not.

]]> By: Jack Reno http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229676 Jack Reno Thu, 29 Sep 2011 21:37:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229676 Increasingly of late The Onion has been distinctly unfunny. And it knows it. The one guy who is writing headlines for the obscure Rumford Meteor  http://rumfordmeteor.com/ is funnier on a daily or hourly basis than the Onion "staffers."This little stunt just confirms that The Onion knows it is losing it. It's pure publicity and doesn't care if it is funny (it's not) or depraved (it is)... the only thing that matters here is that it is talked about. Look for the Onion to descend even deeper into this kind of pointless "look at us please " crap as it's fortunes become ever more not funny. Increasingly of late The Onion has been distinctly unfunny. And it knows it. The one guy who is writing headlines for the obscure Rumford Meteor 

http://rumfordmeteor.com/

is funnier on a daily or hourly basis than the Onion “staffers.”This little stunt just confirms that The Onion knows it is losing it. It’s pure publicity and doesn’t care if it is funny (it’s not) or depraved (it is)… the only thing that matters here is that it is talked about. Look for the Onion to descend even deeper into this kind of pointless “look at us please ” crap as it’s fortunes become ever more not funny.

]]> By: Sasha Chh http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229525 Sasha Chh Thu, 29 Sep 2011 20:24:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229525 Are you guys idiots? It's THE ONION! Are you guys idiots? It’s THE ONION!

]]> By: Antinous / Moderator http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229493 Antinous / Moderator Thu, 29 Sep 2011 20:10:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229493 <blockquote>Why would anyone take anything written by the Onion seriously? </blockquote> Onion stories get picked up as real all the time by news organizations in the US and internationally.  Chinese state television has done it a couple of times.  Small -town newsrooms in the US do it as well.  Everybody ain't city slickers like y'all.

Why would anyone take anything written by the Onion seriously?

Onion stories get picked up as real all the time by news organizations in the US and internationally.  Chinese state television has done it a couple of times.  Small -town newsrooms in the US do it as well.  Everybody ain’t city slickers like y’all.

]]> By: robotnik http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229491 robotnik Thu, 29 Sep 2011 20:09:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229491 Thanks for handing down your verdict. Thanks for handing down your verdict.

]]> By: Antinous / Moderator http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229483 Antinous / Moderator Thu, 29 Sep 2011 20:04:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229483 Did he died? Did he died?

]]> By: C W http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229427 C W Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:31:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229427 "The Onion used to be a lot funnier than it's been lately.  I've noticed a reliance on running older material from their classic era.  Time for some new blood, I'd say." I don't know what you're talking about, this was somewhat of a downer because of the overreaction, but they've been on their game for the last six months or so i've been paying attention again. “The Onion used to be a lot funnier than it’s been lately.  I’ve noticed a reliance on running older material from their classic era.  Time for some new blood, I’d say.”

I don’t know what you’re talking about, this was somewhat of a downer because of the overreaction, but they’ve been on their game for the last six months or so i’ve been paying attention again.

]]> By: Mark Wenchell http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229403 Mark Wenchell Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:20:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229403 No, it is silly, because it's The Onion. What you describe in your post, the "subtle cues and indicators of 'play,'" most people call that context. The fact that the post was written and posted by The Onion on their official Twitter feed, a feed that has never posted a serious sentence in its entire existence, should provide people with all the context that they need. No, it is silly, because it’s The Onion. What you describe in your post, the “subtle cues and indicators of ‘play,’” most people call that context. The fact that the post was written and posted by The Onion on their official Twitter feed, a feed that has never posted a serious sentence in its entire existence, should provide people with all the context that they need.

]]> By: penguinchris http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229397 penguinchris Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:16:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229397 The story here is clearly that some people took it seriously... why everyone's pointing out that there are multiple ways that people <i>should</i> have realized it was fake, I'm not sure - that's totally irrelevant. We all know that. These people didn't - that's the story. And come on now, are we really going to believe The Onion didn't intend that to happen? The story here is clearly that some people took it seriously… why everyone’s pointing out that there are multiple ways that people should have realized it was fake, I’m not sure – that’s totally irrelevant. We all know that. These people didn’t – that’s the story.

And come on now, are we really going to believe The Onion didn’t intend that to happen?

]]> By: UnholyMoses http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229367 UnholyMoses Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:55:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229367 "Part of what makes comedy work are subtle cues and indicators of "play," that we're in on this humor thing together." Like, say, reading something posted from a well-known parody/satire/humor site that isn't known for breaking any real news. After all, anything from such a site would be immediately and transparently seen as a joke (no matter if in good or bad taste) and it would take a truly special kind of stupid for people to think anything from a site like that is real and ... um ... Oh. We Americans (and particularly our media) are a special kind of stupid, aren't we? Nevermind. “Part of what makes comedy work are subtle cues and
indicators of “play,” that we’re in on this humor thing together.”

Like, say, reading something posted from a well-known parody/satire/humor site that isn’t known for breaking any real news.

After all, anything from such a site would be immediately and transparently seen as a joke (no matter if in good or bad taste) and it would take a truly special kind of stupid for people to think anything from a site like that is real and … um …

Oh. We Americans (and particularly our media) are a special kind of stupid, aren’t we?

Nevermind.

]]> By: BarBarSeven http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229339 BarBarSeven Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:39:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229339 <blockquote>Systemic repercussions for Twitter posts?</blockquote>Really? A very well known satirical news publication tweeting something is on the same level as what has happened in Mexico?

Systemic repercussions for Twitter posts?

Really? A very well known satirical news publication tweeting something is on the same level as what has happened in Mexico?

]]> By: EH http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229334 EH Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:33:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229334 <i>And connecting this to the craziness in Mexico is really nonsense.</i> Really? Systemic repercussions for Twitter posts? Not as far apart as you dismiss. It would be more on-point if it were Congresspeople calling for Onionoids to be disciplined/re-educated, but violence is not the only means of comparison here.  And connecting this to the craziness in Mexico is really nonsense.

Really? Systemic repercussions for Twitter posts? Not as far apart as you dismiss. It would be more on-point if it were Congresspeople calling for Onionoids to be disciplined/re-educated, but violence is not the only means of comparison here. 

]]> By: fnc http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229299 fnc Thu, 29 Sep 2011 18:17:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229299 It's either the Onion making an unfunny misstep or playing the rest of the media industry like a tightly strung violin. I wouldn't have been taken in though, because I only get my news from The Daily Show. It’s either the Onion making an unfunny misstep or playing the rest of the media industry like a tightly strung violin.

I wouldn’t have been taken in though, because I only get my news from The Daily Show.

]]> By: BarBarSeven http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229261 BarBarSeven Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:54:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229261 They could never do something as funny as this in Chicago. The crust on the pizza is too thick in Chicago. They could never do something as funny as this in Chicago. The crust on the pizza is too thick in Chicago.

]]> By: voiceinthedistance http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229257 voiceinthedistance Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:51:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229257 They should ship the staff of the Onion off to Chicago for this act, as punishment.  Oh wait, they already are. They should ship the staff of the Onion off to Chicago for this act, as punishment.  Oh wait, they already are.

]]> By: BarBarSeven http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229247 BarBarSeven Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:46:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229247 Leave the interns alone! Seriously, now FOX is reporting: “Capitol Police End Inquiry into Onion Satire” Let me make it simpler for anyone: 1000% anyone in the world including self-proclaimed “media- experts” should find new jobs if they actually believe that a FAKE news publication was somehow HACKED to post a FAKE HEADLINE.  Seriously, I’ve been following <i>The Onion</i> for a good long while and recall tons of incidents of real publications reporting news stories from <i>The Onion</i> as real. But this has to be the 100% first time something like this not only happened so quickly but gained validity by dozens of ninnies thinking “Well, the headline is from <i>The Onion</i>, so it must be real, right?” http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2011/09/29/capitol-police-end-inquiry-onion-satire And connecting this to the craziness in Mexico is really nonsense. Leave the interns alone!

Seriously, now FOX is reporting:
“Capitol Police End Inquiry into Onion Satire”

Let me make it simpler for anyone: 1000% anyone in the world including self-proclaimed “media- experts” should find new jobs if they actually believe that a FAKE news publication was somehow HACKED to post a FAKE HEADLINE.  Seriously, I’ve been following The Onion for a good long while and recall tons of incidents of real publications reporting news stories from The Onion as real. But this has to be the 100% first time something like this not only happened so quickly but gained validity by dozens of ninnies thinking “Well, the headline is from The Onion, so it must be real, right?”

http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2011/09/29/capitol-police-end-inquiry-onion-satire

And connecting this to the craziness in Mexico is really nonsense.

]]> By: EH http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229239 EH Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:39:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229239 Obviously, the Onion staffer who posted this should be decapitated. Obviously, the Onion staffer who posted this should be decapitated.

]]> By: BarBarSeven http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229232 BarBarSeven Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:33:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229232 <blockquote>But at first, many of the media watchers and journalists in my tweet-stream wondered if the Onion had been hacked.</blockquote>Seriously, the story of ninnies overreacting to a tweet from the account of a very well known satirical news publication is news. It shows how frayed and fragile the 24 hour news cycle is and how gullible some are. <i>The Onion</i> itself should not be blamed or chastised. What dink gets their real news from <i>The Onion</i>?  Also, when the tweet is described as “An oddly presented tweet…”, how is it actually any more/less odd than something <i>Improv Everywhere</i> or <i>The Yes Men</i> would have done? Other than one thing: This is very clearly a “news” headline from <i>The Onion</i>?!?!

But at first, many of the media watchers and journalists in my tweet-stream wondered if the Onion had been hacked.

Seriously, the story of ninnies overreacting to a tweet from the account of a very well known satirical news publication is news. It shows how frayed and fragile the 24 hour news cycle is and how gullible some are. The Onion itself should not be blamed or chastised. What dink gets their real news from The Onion? 

Also, when the tweet is described as “An oddly presented tweet…”, how is it actually any more/less odd than something Improv Everywhere or The Yes Men would have done? Other than one thing: This is very clearly a “news” headline from The Onion?!?!

]]> By: Fart History Major http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229202 Fart History Major Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:09:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229202 They certainly did... the line of hilarity, that is! They certainly did… the line of hilarity, that is!

]]> By: EH http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229193 EH Thu, 29 Sep 2011 17:02:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229193 What line is that? What line is that?

]]> By: Dan mcgovern http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229177 Dan mcgovern Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:51:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229177 What no one realizes is that the Onion is not satire but the only true news organization on this planet.   What no one realizes is that the Onion is not satire but the only true news organization on this planet.  

]]> By: ChicagoD http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229172 ChicagoD Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:50:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229172 Said the Onion, "Oops." Said the Onion, “Oops.”

]]> By: achernow http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229164 achernow Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:47:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229164 The Onion completely crossed the line with this one.   The Onion completely crossed the line with this one.  

]]> By: TooGoodToCheck http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229161 TooGoodToCheck Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:46:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229161 This reminds me of  http://literallyunbelievable.org/ a collection of facebook posts, wherein people don't appear to realize that the onion is humour. Although in this specific case, I would say the onion definitely could have done their tweet better. This reminds me of 
http://literallyunbelievable.org/

a collection of facebook posts, wherein people don’t appear to realize that the onion is humour.

Although in this specific case, I would say the onion definitely could have done their tweet better.

]]> By: Chuck Holt http://boingboing.net/2011/09/29/onion-joke-about-screams-and-gunfire-inside-congress-backfires.html#comment-1229159 Chuck Holt Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:45:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=120889#comment-1229159 Maybe someone thought certain politicians were overdue for something like this.:-) Maybe someone thought certain politicians were overdue for something like this.:-)

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