# Getting whooshed by the Onion **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 11, 2006, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-whooshed-by-the-onion/364018 "2006-07-11T13:34:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-whooshed-by-the-onion/364018/41 "2006-07-12T04:58:47Z")
The government of Kiribati went into panic a few years back after the NZ satirical website www.spinner.co.nz ran a story about the US planning to invade the islands. [Satirical NZ Web site sends Kiribati into panic](http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/11/04/1036308259452.html) > [@](#): > > The story, headlined “Bush to invade Kiribati islands”, read in part: “George W Bush today announced a realignment of US foreign policy. The goal of ousting Iraq’s Saddam Hussein has now been replaced by the goal of regime change in the Kiribati islands as the new top priority.” ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-whooshed-by-the-onion/364018/42 "2006-07-12T09:31:54Z")
[QUOTE=jackelope] Wow, this endless-repetition-of-dumb-joke thing is really, really unfunny. Please stop, all of you. [/QUOTE] Jackalope, you know the 2 basic building blocks of humor don’t you? 1. Repetition 2. Repetition ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-whooshed-by-the-onion/364018/43 "2006-07-12T11:26:12Z")
What’s number three?? ---
**Author:** ![nameless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/779978/32.png) [@nameless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nameless)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-whooshed-by-the-onion/364018/44 "2006-07-12T12:14:25Z")
I know this one! Number 3 is profit! ---
**Author:** ![thwartme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@thwartme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thwartme)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-whooshed-by-the-onion/364018/45 "2006-07-12T13:07:17Z")
Number 3 is “Hi Opal!”… or am I repeating that…? Onion Believers get all the news, but BBSpot has gotta be the winner on this. His article on a [Nigerian Millionaire](http://www.bbspot.com/News/2003/09/nigerian_millions.html) who can’t understand why people won’t accept his gifts of money has been getting believers by the dozen since it first appeared in 2003. The Sitemaster, Brian Briggs, posts weekly round-ups of them in his mailbag column. The same site has gotten believers in a computer video card that can let you see through clothes, a Metallica album specifically recorded to be not worth pirating, and most recently about World Of Warcraft mail being readable by GMail. Some folks’ll believe anything. thwartme ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-whooshed-by-the-onion/364018/46 "2006-07-12T13:14:26Z")
[QUOTE=nameless] I know this one! Number 3 is profit! [/QUOTE] Which one?, there were many. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2006, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-whooshed-by-the-onion/364018/47 "2006-07-12T13:14:35Z")
Here’s her last quote: > [@](#): > > Either way, I think I did a good job of turning the “satire” right back at them, don’t you? You keep on using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. And just to reiterate for the thousandth time, women are not joyfully skipping down the street to have an abortion. Even if it’s the best decision and a relatively easy decision - as it is for some women - it still isn’t the joy of our lives and women shouldn’t be made to feel guilty when they do not. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-whooshed-by-the-onion/364018/48 "2006-07-13T03:58:55Z")
[QUOTE=mr. jp] Jackalope, you know the 2 basic building blocks of humor don’t you? 1. Repetition 2. Repetition [/QUOTE] OK, I’ll play the wet blanket: No, the basic building blocks of humor are surprise, timing, and changes in the audience’s level of emotional involvement. Repetition is the basic building block of _irony_, which, while it does have its uses, is woefully inferior to actual humor. Sorry for the hijack, and sorry to be That Guy. I’ll shut up now. ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-whooshed-by-the-onion/364018/49 "2006-07-13T08:45:58Z")
No, no. I’m pretty sure the basic building blocks of humor are surprise, timing, and changes in the audience’s level of emotional involvement. Repetition is the basic building block of _irony_, which, while it does have it’s uses, is woefully inferior to actual humor. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-whooshed-by-the-onion/364018/50 "2006-07-13T09:39:04Z")
Actually, the four basic building blocks of humor are surprise, timing, changes in the audience’s level of emotional involvement, AND repetition. And a fanatical dedication to the pope. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-whooshed-by-the-onion/364018/51 "2006-07-13T12:07:01Z")
[QUOTE=Nametag] Actually, the four basic building blocks of humor are surprise, timing, changes in the audience’s level of emotional involvement, AND repetition. And a fanatical dedication to the pope. [/QUOTE] Aaaaaand a well-timed Python reference. \ ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-whooshed-by-the-onion/364018/52 "2006-07-13T12:32:52Z")
Anybody rememberwhen a Chinese newspaper reported that Harry Potter was threatening to move the Capitol using a 1920’s-style death ray unless Duran Duran played “Rio” at the bottom of the Marianas Trench for 20 minutes? (Have we had enough of a digression for this to meet at least the ‘surprise’ requirement?) ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-whooshed-by-the-onion/364018/53 "2006-07-13T12:55:39Z")
[QUOTE=jackelope] OK, I’ll play the wet blanket: No, the basic building blocks of humor are surprise, timing, and changes in the audience’s level of emotional involvement. Repetition is the basic building block of _irony_, which, while it does have its uses, is woefully inferior to actual humor. Sorry for the hijack, and sorry to be That Guy. I’ll shut up now. [/QUOTE] This post has been repeated by the repeatist! ---
**Author:** ![FordPrefect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-whooshed-by-the-onion/364018/54 "2006-07-13T13:59:26Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] Probaly the most famous case of this was the Onion’s article about how “Harry Potter” was turning kids to Satanism. Years later, the article is still being circulated in right-wing Christian circles as a legitimate article. [/QUOTE] When I was in the PTA we had that article forwarded to us to be read at a PTA meeting. I could tell it was BS as it was being read, but the good news is that I discovered the Onion that day! ---
**Author:** ![FordPrefect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-whooshed-by-the-onion/364018/55 "2006-07-13T14:06:46Z")
:smack: I should have read through the thread and realized that the topic was no longer about the Onion. I also liked the Monty Python reference, nice work! ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-whooshed-by-the-onion/364018/56 "2006-07-13T14:12:47Z")
BWA-HA-HA-HA! Just went to the Blog in the OP. The _person_ discussed in the OP is now _pretending_ he knew it was a joke all along, _but he has removed the ability to leave remarks_, thus proving that he is hypersensitive to those remarks. And that he never had the sense of humor to try such a stunt in the first place. And now, he has redoubled the number & vitriol of his blog postings. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-whooshed-by-the-onion/364018/57 "2006-07-13T14:18:42Z")
No one expects the Spainish repetition!! ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-whooshed-by-the-onion/364018/58 "2006-07-13T14:22:13Z")
So this joke is “not dead yet”? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-whooshed-by-the-onion/364018/59 "2006-07-13T14:56:58Z")
I was a Congressman who wanted an upgraded, ultra-comfy Capitol once. But I got better. ---
**Author:** ![SuaSponte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SuaSponte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuaSponte)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2006, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-whooshed-by-the-onion/364018/60 "2006-07-13T15:00:22Z")
[QUOTE=sinjin] No, no. I’m pretty sure the basic building blocks of humor are surprise, timing, and changes in the audience’s level of emotional involvement. Repetition is the basic building block of _irony_, which, while it does have it’s uses, is woefully inferior to actual humor. [/QUOTE] For this, I must go old school. ROTFLMAO! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-whooshed-by-the-onion/364018.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-whooshed-by-the-onion/364018.md?page=4)