# How realistic are the spoof cartoons in the Onion? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 21, 2008, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-realistic-are-the-spoof-cartoons-in-the-onion/442279 "2008-03-21T22:31:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-realistic-are-the-spoof-cartoons-in-the-onion/442279/1 "2008-03-21T22:31:39Z")
I think the [spoof](http://www.theonion.com/content/cartoon/feb-04-2008) [cartoons](http://www.theonion.com/content/cartoon/mar-17-2008) in the Onion are hilarious, but I find it hard to believe that there really are right wing cartoonists in US papers that are so simplistically partisan. I might be naive but I think even the Daily Mail in the UK wouldn’t publish stuff like that. Are there any real life examples online? Is there a particular inspiration for the ones in the onion? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-realistic-are-the-spoof-cartoons-in-the-onion/442279/2 "2008-03-21T23:07:16Z")
[QUOTE=G. Odoreida] I think the [spoof](http://www.theonion.com/content/cartoon/feb-04-2008) [cartoons](http://www.theonion.com/content/cartoon/mar-17-2008) in the Onion are hilarious, but I find it hard to believe that there really are right wing cartoonists in US papers that are so simplistically partisan. I might be naive but I think even the Daily Mail in the UK wouldn’t publish stuff like that. Are there any real life examples online? Is there a particular inspiration for the ones in the onion? [/QUOTE] Uh, _Mallard Filmore_? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stafford_cripps/32/7167_2.png) [@The\_Stafford\_Cripps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stafford_Cripps)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-realistic-are-the-spoof-cartoons-in-the-onion/442279/3 "2008-03-21T23:13:59Z")
[QUOTE=Guinastasia] Uh, _Mallard Filmore_? [/QUOTE] After a quick Googling, my eyes have been opened. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-realistic-are-the-spoof-cartoons-in-the-onion/442279/4 "2008-03-21T23:19:35Z")
I love those cartoons. ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-realistic-are-the-spoof-cartoons-in-the-onion/442279/5 "2008-03-21T23:23:10Z")
[Tom Toles](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/opinions/cartoonsandvideos/toles_main.html?name=Toles&date=03202008) may have inspired the cartoonist at his drawing desk in the corner, but not the actual content. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-realistic-are-the-spoof-cartoons-in-the-onion/442279/6 "2008-03-21T23:36:39Z")
I looked up Mallard Fillmore, it’s like Opus (of Bloom County fame) in bizarro-world. I want to cry. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-realistic-are-the-spoof-cartoons-in-the-onion/442279/7 "2008-03-21T23:57:57Z")
[QUOTE=G. Odoreida] I think the [spoof](http://www.theonion.com/content/cartoon/feb-04-2008) [cartoons](http://www.theonion.com/content/cartoon/mar-17-2008) in the Onion are hilarious, but I find it hard to believe that there really are right wing cartoonists in US papers that are so simplistically partisan. I might be naive but I think even the Daily Mail in the UK wouldn’t publish stuff like that. Are there any real life examples online? Is there a particular inspiration for the ones in the onion? [/QUOTE] The Onion’s mock editorial cartoons were discussed in a previous thread (which, due to technical difficulties, I cannot search for and link to right now). Except for a a few cartoons where the “cartoonist’s” perspective on an issue is obviously clueless, I’ve seen quite a few cartoons that, had they not been clearly identified as coming from the Onion, could’ve ran on the editorial page of various newspapers of a conservative bent without anyone noticing. The quality of editorial cartooning has steeply declined in the last 15 or so years. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2008, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-realistic-are-the-spoof-cartoons-in-the-onion/442279/8 "2008-03-22T00:12:32Z")
[QUOTE=An Gadaí] I looked up Mallard Fillmore, it’s like Opus (of Bloom County fame) in bizarro-world. I want to cry. [/QUOTE] I just looked up Mallard Fillmore as well. Until now, I’ve been picturing Opus whenever someone mentions Mallard Fillmore. In fact, I think I’ve been skipping over Opus comics in the Sunday funnies because of this confusion. ---
**Author:** ![Bag\_of\_Mostly\_Water](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bag_of_mostly_water/32/1029_2.png) [@Bag\_of\_Mostly\_Water](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bag_of_Mostly_Water)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2008, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-realistic-are-the-spoof-cartoons-in-the-onion/442279/9 "2008-03-22T00:23:55Z")
The Onion cartoons are a spoof? Their viewpoint is typical of many neo-con writings, if not cartoons. This is yet another case of the real world matching what was once satire.