satire news stories on Newser

GOP Rep Fooled by Onion 's 'Abortionplex' Story

Evann Gastaldo — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:43:37 CST

The Abortionplex, a fake business dreamed up by the Onion , has fooled quite a few naïve souls who were simply outraged when they read about it. Now you can add a Louisiana congressman to the list of people who, somehow, failed to figure out that the Abortionplex is a joke....

Colbert Making Supreme Court Look Stupid

Kevin Spak — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:25:52 CST

The Supreme Court has had plenty of powerful foils over the years, like Andrew Jackson and FDR, "but in the history of the Supreme Court, nothing has ever prepared the justices for the public opinion wrecking ball that is Stephen Colbert," writes Dahlia Lithwick at Slate . With his super PAC,...

Fake Onion Tweets Prompt Scare at US Capitol

John Johnson — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 11:58:50 CDT

The Onion seems to have registered a rare misfire in the joke department. It set off a scare at the US Capitol this morning with a fake tweet reading, “BREAKING: Witnesses reporting screams and gunfire heard inside Capitol building," reports the Washington Post . A few others in a similar vein...

Forever 21 Threatens Blogger Who Mocks It

Evann Gastaldo — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 10:41:05 CDT

Forever 21, the "fast fashion" store known for its cheap designer knockoffs, is threatening to sue the creator of the website WTForever21 —because, among other reasons, the store doesn't appreciate being associated with the "F-word." Rachel Kane, who created the satire blog, talks to the Consumerist , Jezebel , and the Village...

These Facebook Users Think Onion Stories Are Real

John Johnson — Fri, 27 May 2011 12:34:05 CDT

The Onion bills itself as "America's Finest News Source," and lots of Facebook users agree. But we're referring here to those who don't quite get the whole satire thing: The Literally Unbelievable blog is devoted to people who take Onion stories as gospel (Planned Parenthood is building an $8 billion...

Brazil Comedians: Ban on Mocking Pols a Joke

Rob Quinn — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 08:23:01 CDT

The Brazilian equivalents of Jon Stewart plan to gather in Rio de Janiero this weekend to protest a law that prevents them from making fun of politicians. The law—a relic from Brazil's days of authoritarian rule—outlaws ridiculing candidates for 3 months before an election, the Telegraph reports. Broadcasters...

She's Not a Brat; She Just Likes Ayn Rand

John Johnson — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 11:44:04 CDT

Eric Hague pokes fun at the Ayn Rand craze with a satirical apology from one parent to another over his daughter's bratty behavior. It starts when a boy politely asks her for the Elmo ball. "To be sure, I was equally proud when Johanna yelled, 'No! Looter!' right in...

Jon Stewart Evolves Into 'True Satirist'

John Johnson — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:43:24 CDT

Jon Stewart has turned on President Obama without mercy , proving himself to be a "true satirist" instead of a partisan ideologue, writes Matt Zoller Seitz. Stewart will go after anyone, but he "reserves particular scorn for those who reawakened his sense of hope just long enough to exploit it," writes...

10 Best Fake Twitter Feeds

Kate Schwartz — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 11:25:00 CDT

If only @BPGlobalPR were the real deal: The spoof account is far more entertaining than BP's actual one (find a clear demonstration of that here ). Time's Newsfeed shares 9 more spectacular, satirical Twitter feeds, with sample tweets: @FakeAP Stylebook : "'horrible tragedy'—use this phrasing to differentiate the described event...