Deconstructing the Onion

With the unprecedented spread of digital media today, it's pretty unsurprising that a large focus is placed on satirical news. And why not? Most can appreciate some sarcasm, some irony, dare I say some satire to liven up their daily dose of the latest happenings. But it does beg the question: what is it exactly about this particular use of media, about the Steven Colberts, the Onions of this day and age, that is so appealing? By reading a few Onion articles and examining my own reactions, I've tried to figure that out.

Take, for instance, this article: http://www.theonion.com/articles/powerball-winners-already-divorced-bankrupt,30553/. Even the title itself nicely represents several of the qualities that make for great satire. For one, it's fresh and relevant: the Powerball drawing is something that has been discussed frequently in the past week, so individuals see this reference and immediately recognize its source. Continuing through the article, it quickly becomes clear that a common fear or saying is being exaggerated for effect: that lottery winners tend to be unhappy after receiving large sums of money. The much greater extent this is taken to, with quotes like “Sources confirmed he is now barely making ends meet by working as a cashier at the same 4 Sons Food Store at which he purchased the winning ticket,” takes this idea to the point of absurdity, and thus makes it amusing to the reader.