This page will contain discussion groups about the onion, as they become available.The OnionThe Onion is a parody newspaper published weekly in print and on the Internet. It contains satirical articles as well as a general entertainment section. As of May 2005 its print editions are distributed in Madison, Milwaukee, New York City, Chicago, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Denver/Boulder, and San Francisco. The Onion's articles comment on current events, both real and imagined (an example of the latter: "All Americans Issued Life Jackets for Some Reason"). It parodies traditional newspaper features and styles. The paper often reports on everyday events in a sensationalistic manner ("Area Man Confounded by Buffet Procedure"). Obsession with fame and celebrity are frequently satirized, as well as the general credulousness of the public. The second half of the newspaper is a non-satirical — but still often humorous — entertainment section called The A.V. Club that features interviews, reviews of various newly-released media, and other weekly features. The print edition also contains previews of upcoming live entertainment specific to cities where a print edition is published. The online incarnation of The A.V. Club has its own domain, includes its own regular features (including weekly sex advice column Savage Love), A.V. Club blogs and reader forums, and presents itself as an almost-separate entity from The Onion itself. Regular features of The Onion include:
The newspaper was revamped on August 31, 2005, which changed the layout of the website homepage. As well:
The staff of the Onion have also produced numerous books, including Our Dumb Century, Finest News Reporting, and Dispatches from the Tenth Circle. Both print and online editions of The Onion are published on Wednesdays. Reporters and editorsThe Onion's fictional editor is T. Herman Zweibel (Zwiebel is German for onion), who has "held the position since 1901" and is rather insane; the real editor is currently Scott Dikkers, the managing editor is Peter Koechley, and the current writing staff comprises Todd Hanson, Maria Schneider, John Krewson, Joe Garden, and Chris Karwowski, as well as the graphics work of Mike Loew and Chad Nackers. Past writers have included Max Cannon, Rich Dahm, Tim Harrod, David Javerbaum, Ben Karlin, Carol Kolb, Robert Siegel, and Jack Szwergold. Each issue features columns by (fictional) regular and guest writers. The regular contributors include:
HistoryThe Onion was founded in 1988 and originally published in Madison, Wisconsin by two juniors at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Tim Keck and Christopher Johnson; they sold it to colleagues the following year. The Onion remained a regional success until it began its website in 1996. A possible origin for its name is a mispronunciation of "The Union", which is a fairly common name for a legitimate paper. In early 2001, the company relocated its offices to New York City. As of 2004 the paper's founders are publishers of other weeklies: Keck of the Seattle weekly The Stranger and Johnson of Albuquerque's Weekly Alibi. In late August 2005, The Onion's companion website The Onion A.V. Club relaunched in a new design which presents the content as almost entirely discrete from The Onion itself. Simultaneously The Onion discontinued their Premium Service which charged readers a substantial fee for additional content and vintage archives. This brings The Onion back to the open state it was in prior to April 2004 when the restrictive move towards a Premium Service was first initiated. Awards and nominationsThe Onion's graphic for its coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.The Onion's coverage of the September 11, 2001 attacks less than two weeks following the attacks was one of the earliest satirical reactions to those attacks, and was considered for a Pulitzer Prize. The Onion taken too seriouslyUpon occasion the straight-faced manner in which the Onion reports non-existent happenings has resulted in outside parties mistakenly citing Onion stories as real news. In 1998, controversial minister Fred Phelps posted the Onion article '98 Homosexual-recruitment drive nearing goal on his God Hates Fags website as proof that homosexuals were indeed actively trying to get straight people to join their ranks. Just after the 2000 U.S. Presidential election, when the future President remained undetermined, the Onion published a story titled Bush or Gore: "A New Era Dawns" which parodied the similarities between the two politicians. The noteworthiness of this story was largely a matter of luck: the paper went to press election night, before the contested election results which led to Bush v. Gore. As the recount process unfolded, the Onion published a satirical issue reporting chaos in America, in which Serbia sent peacekeepers to the U.S. to introduce democracy and protect their interests in the region, Bill Clinton declared himself "President for life.", Bob Dole was shot, and Tipper Gore was being held hostage. On June 7, 2002, Reuters reported that the Beijing Evening News republished, in the international news page of its June 3 edition, translated portions of Congress Threatens To Leave D.C. Unless New Capitol Is Built (they were apparently unaware of The Onion's satirical nature). The story discusses the U.S. Congress's threats to leave Washington for Memphis, Tennessee or Charlotte, North Carolina unless Washington, DC built them a new Capitol building with a retractable dome. The article is a parody of U.S. sports franchises' threats to leave their home city unless new stadiums are built for them. The Evening News is Beijing's most popular newspaper, claiming a circulation of 1.25 million. In late March 2004, Deborah Norville of MSNBC presented as genuine an article entitled Study: 58 Percent Of U.S. Exercise Televised. [1] Columnist Ellen Makkai and others who believe the Harry Potter books recruit children to Satanism have also been taken in by The Onion's satire, using quotes from an Onion article as evidence for their claims. [2] [3] Recently, an article from The Onion appeared on the 2005 Advanced Placement English Language and Composition test, in which students were asked to write an essay analyzing its use of satire.[4] Presidential Seal ControversyIn September 2005, the assistant counsel to President George W. Bush, Grant M. Dixton, wrote a cease and desist letter to The Onion, asking the paper to stop using the presidential seal, which is used in an online segment poking fun at the President through parodies of his weekly radio address. The law governing the Presidential Seal is contained in TITLE 18, 713 and contains the section:
This section would seem to allow the use of the presidential seal by The Onion. However, by Executive Order President Richard Nixon specifically enumerated the allowed uses of the Presidential Seal which is more restictive than the above title (Ex. Ord. No. 11649), but which allows for exceptions to be granted upon formal request. The Onion has responded with a letter asking for formal use of the Seal in accordance with the Executive Order, while still declaring that the use is legitimate under Title 18, 713. The letter written by Rochelle H. Klaskin, the Onion's lawyer, is quoted in the New York Times as saying "It is inconceivable that anyone would think that, by using the seal, The Onion intends to 'convey... sponsorship or approval' by the president," referring to Title 18, 713, but then went on to ask that the letter be considered a formal application asking for permission to use the seal. InfluencesIn 1978 National Lampoon released the book "National Lampoon's Sunday Newspaper Parody" which was edited by P.J. O'Rourke and John Hughes. The book was an issue of the fictional "Ohio Republican-Democrat," a tabloid style newspaper. The paper contained all the usual sections found in most major newspapers (classified ads, Sunday magazines, sports, local news, comics) satirized with the anarchistic Lampoon sense of humor. While it is unknown if this book directly inspired/influenced The Onion's founders, it certainly shares similarities. Also, the National Lampoon crew has had a lasting influence on most American humorists, so it is not unlikely that The Onion's founders and staff had been influenced by them (considering that National Lampoon grew out of the college humor publication Harvard Lampoon and that The Onion also began as a college humor magazine.) Another popular send-up of the news that pre-dates The Onion is the Weekend Update segment on Saturday Night Live. References to The Onion in popular cultureMAD Magazine ran a parody of The Onion called "The Bunion" in one issue. Books
This page about the onion includes information from a Wikipedia article. Additional articles about the onion News stories about the onion External links for the onion Videos for the onion Wikis about the onion Discussion Groups about the onion Blogs about the onion Images of the onion |
|
MAD Magazine ran a parody of The Onion called "The Bunion" in one issue. During the time when her daughter is with Hades, Demeter becomes depressed and causes winter. Another popular send-up of the news that pre-dates The Onion is the Weekend Update segment on Saturday Night Live. However, Hades tricked Persephone into eating the food of the dead so Zeus decreeded Persephone would spend six months with Demeter and six months with Hades. Also, the National Lampoon crew has had a lasting influence on most American humorists, so it is not unlikely that The Onion's founders and staff had been influenced by them (considering that National Lampoon grew out of the college humor publication Harvard Lampoon and that The Onion also began as a college humor magazine.). Zeus ordered Hades to return her to Demeter, the goddess of the earth and her mother. While it is unknown if this book directly inspired/influenced The Onion's founders, it certainly shares similarities. In Greek mythology, Hades kidnapped Persephone to be his wife. The paper contained all the usual sections found in most major newspapers (classified ads, Sunday magazines, sports, local news, comics) satirized with the anarchistic Lampoon sense of humor. In addition to this, novels such as Ethan Frome also use a winter setting to mirror the bleak, frozen feelings that the characters harbor. The book was an issue of the fictional "Ohio Republican-Democrat," a tabloid style newspaper. There are many films in which a winter setting plays an important role, Fargo being an example. O'Rourke and John Hughes. Other uses of winter in the graphic arts occur in Winsor McCay's Little Nemo in Slumberland. In 1978 National Lampoon released the book "National Lampoon's Sunday Newspaper Parody" which was edited by P.J. The land of Frigia is also featured in the serial Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe. sponsorship or approval' by the president," referring to Title 18, 713, but then went on to ask that the letter be considered a formal application asking for permission to use the seal. In Alex Raymond's comic strip, Flash Gordon, there is a land called Frigia, where it is always winter. Klaskin, the Onion's lawyer, is quoted in the New York Times as saying "It is inconceivable that anyone would think that, by using the seal, The Onion intends to 'convey.. LeGuin's novel The Left Hand of Darkness is set on a planet named Winter. The letter written by Rochelle H. Ursula K. The Onion has responded with a letter asking for formal use of the Seal in accordance with the Executive Order, while still declaring that the use is legitimate under Title 18, 713. Winter is one movement in Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons;" and there are many examples of four paintings, all showing the same scene in different seasons. 11649), but which allows for exceptions to be granted upon formal request. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, where it was always winter but never Christmas. No. S. Ord. Some use winter to suggest death, as in Robert Frost's "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening." Some use it to suggest the absence of hope, as in C. However, by Executive Order President Richard Nixon specifically enumerated the allowed uses of the Presidential Seal which is more restictive than the above title (Ex. Winter is highly symbolic of many things to many people and has been used to represent various things by artists in all media. This section would seem to allow the use of the presidential seal by The Onion. Although causes include genetic disposition and stress, the prevailing environmental influence is decreased exposure to light due to winter weather patterns. Whoever knowingly displays any printed or other likeness of the great seal of the United States, or of the seals of the President or the Vice President of the United States, or the seal of the United States Senate, or the seal of the United States House of Representatives, or the seal of the United States Congress, or any facsimile thereof, in, or in connection with, any advertisement, poster, circular, book, pamphlet, or other publication, public meeting, play, motion picture, telecast, or other production, or on any building, monument, or stationery, for the purpose of conveying, or in a manner reasonably calculated to convey, a false impression of sponsorship or approval by the Government of the United States or by any department, agency, or instrumentality thereof, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both. (emphasis added). Symptoms include sleeping more, tiredness, depression, and physical aches. The law governing the Presidential Seal is contained in TITLE 18, 713 and contains the section:. The severest cases of this type of depression is diagnosed as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Dixton, wrote a cease and desist letter to The Onion, asking the paper to stop using the presidential seal, which is used in an online segment poking fun at the President through parodies of his weekly radio address. Around winter months, a gloominess, called "winter blues" or "February blahs" or "Holiday depression"-- during November and December in the northern hemisphere-- is informally noted amongst people. Bush, Grant M. Passing seasons change the habits and moods of people. In September 2005, the assistant counsel to President George W. Larger plants, particularly deciduous trees, usually let their upper part die, but their roots are still protected by the snow layer. Recently, an article from The Onion appeared on the 2005 Advanced Placement English Language and Composition test, in which students were asked to write an essay analyzing its use of satire.[4]. As for perennial plants, many small ones profit from the insulating effects of snow by being buried in it. [2] [3]. Annual plants never survive the winter. Columnist Ellen Makkai and others who believe the Harry Potter books recruit children to Satanism have also been taken in by The Onion's satire, using quotes from an Onion article as evidence for their claims. To survive the harshness of winter, many animals have developed different behavioral and morphological adaptations:. [1]. This effect is compounded by the larger distance that the light must travel through the atmosphere, allowing it to filter more of this already limited heat. Exercise Televised. In regions experiencing winter, the same amount of solar radiation is spread out over a larger area. In late March 2004, Deborah Norville of MSNBC presented as genuine an article entitled Study: 58 Percent Of U.S. During winter in either hemisphere, the radiation from the Sun hits that hemisphere at an oblique angle. The Evening News is Beijing's most popular newspaper, claiming a circulation of 1.25 million. When it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the Southern Hemisphere faces the Sun more directly and thus experiences warmer temperatures than the Northern Hemisphere. sports franchises' threats to leave their home city unless new stadiums are built for them. It is this variation that primarily brings about the seasons. The article is a parody of U.S. The planet is tilted at an angle of 23°27' (23 degrees 27 minutes) to the plane of its orbit, and this causes different latitudes on the Earth to directly face the Sun as the Earth moves through its orbit. Congress's threats to leave Washington for Memphis, Tennessee or Charlotte, North Carolina unless Washington, DC built them a new Capitol building with a retractable dome. For example, winter occurs in the Northern Hemisphere when the Earth is closest to the Sun. The story discusses the U.S. The popular belief that winter is caused by the Earth moving away from the Sun in its orbit is not true. Unless New Capitol Is Built (they were apparently unaware of The Onion's satirical nature). Our planet remains tilted on its axis, and this has a dramatic effect on the weather. On June 7, 2002, Reuters reported that the Beijing Evening News republished, in the international news page of its June 3 edition, translated portions of Congress Threatens To Leave D.C. Elsewhere, in Chinese astronomy (and other East Asian calenders), winter is taken to commence on or around November 7, with the Jiéqì known as (立冬 lì dōng, literally "establishment of winter".). to introduce democracy and protect their interests in the region, Bill Clinton declared himself "President for life.", Bob Dole was shot, and Tipper Gore was being held hostage. However, in the United Kingdom and Ireland the winter solstice is traditionally considered as midwinter, the winter season beginning November 1 on All Hallows or Samhain. As the recount process unfolded, the Onion published a satirical issue reporting chaos in America, in which Serbia sent peacekeepers to the U.S. In meteorology, it is by convention counted instead as the whole months of June, July and August in the Southern Hemisphere and December, January and February in the Northern Hemisphere. Gore. Astronomically, it starts with the winter solstice (around December 21 in the Northern Hemisphere and June 21 in the Southern Hemisphere), and ends with the spring equinox (around March 21 in the Northern Hemisphere and September 23 in the Southern Hemisphere). The noteworthiness of this story was largely a matter of luck: the paper went to press election night, before the contested election results which led to Bush v. A rare meteorological phenomenon encountered during winter is ice fog, which is composed of ice crystals suspended in the air and happening only at very low temperatures (at least 10 degrees below zero Fahrenheit). Presidential election, when the future President remained undetermined, the Onion published a story titled Bush or Gore: "A New Era Dawns" which parodied the similarities between the two politicians. Blizzards often develop and cause many transportation delays. Just after the 2000 U.S. Outside the equatorial areas, winter is cold and (particularly in the Northern Hemisphere) snowy. In 1998, controversial minister Fred Phelps posted the Onion article '98 Homosexual-recruitment drive nearing goal on his God Hates Fags website as proof that homosexuals were indeed actively trying to get straight people to join their ranks. Measured astronomically, winter begins on the shortest day of the year, and each day of winter has more sunlight than the previous one. Upon occasion the straight-faced manner in which the Onion reports non-existent happenings has resulted in outside parties mistakenly citing Onion stories as real news. Nighttime predominates the winter season, and in some regions it has the highest rate of precipitation as well as prolonged dampness due to permanent snow cover in such areas. The Onion's coverage of the September 11, 2001 attacks less than two weeks following the attacks was one of the earliest satirical reactions to those attacks, and was considered for a Pulitzer Prize. Meteorological winter is the season having the shortest days (which vary greatly according to latitude) and the lowest temperatures. This brings The Onion back to the open state it was in prior to April 2004 when the restrictive move towards a Premium Service was first initiated. . Simultaneously The Onion discontinued their Premium Service which charged readers a substantial fee for additional content and vintage archives. However, many cultures in Europe consider winter to begin in November. Club relaunched in a new design which presents the content as almost entirely discrete from The Onion itself. Contemporary meteorology takes winter to be the months of December, January, and February in the Northern Hemisphere and June, July, and August in the Southern Hemisphere. In late August 2005, The Onion's companion website The Onion A.V. Depending on place and culture, what is considered to be the start and end of winter vary. As of 2004 the paper's founders are publishers of other weeklies: Keck of the Seattle weekly The Stranger and Johnson of Albuquerque's Weekly Alibi. In areas farther from the equator, winter is often marked by snow. In early 2001, the company relocated its offices to New York City. It is the season with the shortest days and the lowest temperatures. A possible origin for its name is a mispronunciation of "The Union", which is a fairly common name for a legitimate paper. Winter is one of the four seasons of temperate zones. The Onion remained a regional success until it began its website in 1996. Most notorious however was an unofficial strike by gravediggers. The Onion was founded in 1988 and originally published in Madison, Wisconsin by two juniors at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Tim Keck and Christopher Johnson; they sold it to colleagues the following year. Lorry drivers, train drivers, nurses, most public sector employees, refuse collectors, and workers at Ford Motors all went on strike. The regular contributors include:. The Winter of Discontent is the name for the British winter of 1978-79, during which there were widespread strikes. Each issue features columns by (fictional) regular and guest writers. Russian Winters of 1812/13 and 1941/42. Past writers have included Max Cannon, Rich Dahm, Tim Harrod, David Javerbaum, Ben Karlin, Carol Kolb, Robert Siegel, and Jack Szwergold. Mice and voles typically live under the snow layer. Herman Zweibel (Zwiebel is German for onion), who has "held the position since 1901" and is rather insane; the real editor is currently Scott Dikkers, the managing editor is Peter Koechley, and the current writing staff comprises Todd Hanson, Maria Schneider, John Krewson, Joe Garden, and Chris Karwowski, as well as the graphics work of Mike Loew and Chad Nackers. Snow also affects the ways animals behave, as many take advantage of the insulating properties of snow by burrowing in it. The Onion's fictional editor is T. The heavier winter coat made this season a favorite for trappers who sought more profitable skins. . The coat is then shed following the winter season to allow better cooling. Both print and online editions of The Onion are published on Wednesdays. This improves the heat-retention qualities of the fur. The staff of the Onion have also produced numerous books, including Our Dumb Century, Finest News Reporting, and Dispatches from the Tenth Circle. Some fur-coated mammals grow a heavier fur coat during the winter. As well:. Examples are the ptarmigan, the arctic fox, the weasel, the white-tailed jack rabbit or the mountain hare. The newspaper was revamped on August 31, 2005, which changed the layout of the website homepage. The color of the fur or plumage are changed to white in order to be confused with snow and thus, to retain their cryptic coloration year round. Regular features of The Onion include:. Resistance is observed when an animal endures winter, but changes in ways such as color and musculature. Club blogs and reader forums, and presents itself as an almost-separate entity from The Onion itself. This is the case of squirrels, beavers, skunks, badgers and raccoons. Club has its own domain, includes its own regular features (including weekly sex advice column Savage Love), A.V. Some animals store food for the winter and live upon it instead of hibernating completely. The online incarnation of The A.V. For example, gophers, bears, frogs, snakes or bats hibernate. The print edition also contains previews of upcoming live entertainment specific to cities where a print edition is published. These animals "sleep" during winter and only come out as warm weather returns. Club that features interviews, reviews of various newly-released media, and other weekly features. Hibernation is a state of reduced metabolic activity during the winter. The second half of the newspaper is a non-satirical — but still often humorous — entertainment section called The A.V. the cardinal do not migrate. Obsession with fame and celebrity are frequently satirized, as well as the general credulousness of the public. However some birds, i.e. The paper often reports on everyday events in a sensationalistic manner ("Area Man Confounded by Buffet Procedure"). Migration is a common effect of winter upon animals, affecting basically birds. It parodies traditional newspaper features and styles. Ice Sculpture - elaborate sculptures are carved out of blocks of ice. The Onion's articles comment on current events, both real and imagined (an example of the latter: "All Americans Issued Life Jackets for Some Reason"). Ice diving - a type of penetration diving where the dive takes place under ice. Paul, Denver/Boulder, and San Francisco. Ice fishing - the sport of catching fish with lines and hooks through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. As of May 2005 its print editions are distributed in Madison, Milwaukee, New York City, Chicago, Minneapolis-St. Ice boating - a means of travel in a specialized boat similar in appearance to a sailboat but fitted with skis or runners (skates) and designed to run over ice instead of (liquid) water. It contains satirical articles as well as a general entertainment section. Ice Skating - a means of traveling on ice with skates, narrow (and sometimes parabolic) blade-like devices moulded into special boots (or, more primitively, without boots, tied to regular footwear). The Onion is a parody newspaper published weekly in print and on the Internet. Snowman building - creating a man-like model out of snow. "Embedded in America": The Onion Ad Nauseam Complete News Archives Volume 16 (2005, ISBN 1400054567). Snowshoeing - a means of travel in which one is able to walk on top of the snow by increasing the surface area of their feet. "Fanfare for the Area Man": The Onion Ad Nauseam Complete News Archives Volume 15 (2004, ISBN 1400054559). Snowboarding - an increasingly common sport where participants strap a composite board to their feet and slide down a snow-covered mountain. and Them": The Onion Ad Nauseam: Complete News Archives Volume 14 (2003, ISBN 140004961X). Snowball fight - a physical game in which snowballs are thrown with the intention of hitting someone else. "Relations Break Down Between U.S. Sledding - a downhill activity where the user uses a sled to glide down the hill. The Onion Ad Nauseam: Complete News Archives Volume 13 (2002, ISBN 1400047242). Skiing - the activity of gliding over snow using what is now fiberglass planks called skis that are strapped to the skiers' feet with ski bindings. Dispatches from the Tenth Circle: The Best of The Onion (2001, ISBN 0609808346). Bobsledding - a winter sport in which teams make timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked purpose-built iced tracks in a gravity-powered, steerable sled. The Onion's Finest News Reporting, Volume 1 (2000, ISBN 0609804634). Our Dumb Century: The Onion Presents 100 Years of Headlines from America's Finest News Source (1999, ISBN 0609804618). Gorzo the Mighty, the Emperor of the Universe, villain in the style of 1930s science fiction. Jackie Harvey, a ridiculously uninformed media critic who writes the column The Outside Scoop. Jean Teasdale, an overweight nerdish woman with kitsch tastes, whose constantly upbeat attitude always finds the bright side of her otherwise depressing white trash life. Smoove B, a smooth talking ladies' man who insists on the best of everything for his dates. Herbert Kornfeld, Accounts Receivable Supervisor, a white man with a boring desk job who speaks in gangsta rap-isms and ebonics. He is similar to the Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons. Larry Groznic, an overweight geek with an obsession for subcultural fandoms. Jim Anchower, a slacker and stoner with a different job every few weeks, whose musical tastes are stuck in 1970s rock and roll. Jackie Harvey was given his own blog. A daily fictional stock market analysis titled "Stock Watch", a web opinion poll titled "QuickPoll", and "National News Highlights" of three regional stories, were added. "In the News" was retitled "From the Print Edition". "What Do You Think?" became "American Voices," with the question updated daily, and only three responders each day. Up until August 31, 2005, one of them was almost always a "systems analyst.". "What Do You Think?", a survey showing photos of the same six people, although their names and professions change every week. "In the News" photograph and caption with no accompanying story (such as "Frederick's of Anchorage Debuts Crotchless Long Underwear", "National Association Advances Colored Person"). "The ONION in History": a front page produced in the look of newspapers of an earlier era, satirizing that earlier style and content (these are all taken from the book "Our Dumb Century"). Cynical horoscopes. Random and bizarre editorials. Point-Counterpoint. "Infographic"), with a bulleted list of items on a theme. The "Infograph" (a.k.a. "STATshot", an illustrated statistical snapshot which parodies "USA Today Snapshots". |