# The Onion (9/26), what do you think? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 26, 2001, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864 "2001-09-26T04:31:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dignan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Dignan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dignan)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/1 "2001-09-26T04:31:22Z")
While I haven’t read _all_ of it yet, I think the writers did a good job. The best story I’ve read was _God Angrily Clarifies “Don’t Kill” Rule_; it was exceptional. Two of the headlines on the left side had a lot of truth to them. One was: _Jerry Falwell: Is That Guy A Dick Or What?_ The other was: _Massive Attack On Pentagon Page 14 News_. I think the one about the Pentagon is especially true. I know that more people in the WTC died, but it doesn’t make the deaths at the Pentagon any less sad. I think the news has been guilty of kind of forgetting about the Pentagon attack. Anyway, back to the new issue, what’s everyone think? [The Onion](http://www.theonion.com) ---
**Author:** ![xanadu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c4cdca/32.png) [@xanadu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xanadu)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/2 "2001-09-26T04:36:13Z")
Tasteful, yet still funny. They could have written a whole article on Jerry Fallwell, though. That would have been hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/3 "2001-09-26T05:06:45Z")
I thought it was decent, although that whole “talking to your kids about the tragedy” article either went right over my head or didn’t have a single ounce of humor in it. Explanation, please? ---
**Author:** ![Juniper200](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@Juniper200](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Juniper200)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/4 "2001-09-26T05:13:29Z")
It’s funny and poignant all the way through. [American Life Turns Into Bad Jerry Bruckheimer Movie](http://www.theonion.com/onion3734/american_life_turns_into.html) is pretty much exactly what I’ve been feeling for two weeks. I kind of got a little lumpy in the throat at the end of the “God” and “Cake” articles, too. Jesus Christ, I’m not sitting here crying at the freakin’ _Onion_ am I? I mean, sure it’s appropriate, but…Jesus Christ, man. This is all good stuff, but it just reminds me how much better things haven’t gotten. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/5 "2001-09-26T05:58:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by woodstockbirdybird \* > \*\*I thought it was decent, although that whole “talking to your kids about the tragedy” article either went right over my head or didn’t have a single ounce of humor in it. Explanation, please? \*\* I think the idea is that the explanation is complex and detailed, unlike most “What should you tell your children about a tragedy” stories, which are usually “Somebody did a bad thing, but mommy and daddy won’t let anyone hurt you” ---
**Author:** ![AmbushBug](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ambushbug/32/4600_2.png) [@AmbushBug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmbushBug)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/6 "2001-09-26T06:07:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by woodstockbirdybird \* > \*\*I thought it was decent, although that whole “talking to your kids about the tragedy” article either went right over my head or didn’t have a single ounce of humor in it. Explanation, please? \*\* Erm. My take on that one (gosh it seems to take all the fun out of it, trying to explain jokes) was that there really isn’t any way to reduce the language needed to explain this to the level of a child. It illustrated this by instructing us to explain it to the child as one would to an adult, and then showed itself up by closing with _Hopefully, though, the above will serve as a start, helping your child better understand why the bad men did this terrible thing._ (preview reveals Captain Amazing simulpost. oh well). Anyway, I think the Onion folks really nailed it. 10/10. ---
**Author:** ![DKW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dkw/32/3118_2.png) [@DKW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DKW)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/7 "2001-09-26T06:08:07Z")
Holy [F Word]ing [S Word]! How did they know _exactly_ what I was thinking? :D:D:D:D Save this page and everything on it, folks…the good folks at The Onion have come up with an effort for the ages. It’s incredible that they pulled it off at all, but to so effectively skewer all the ridiculous hoopla that’s surrounded these attacks (incluiding the marginalizing of the Pentagon attack), and to do it, yes, tastefully, was just masterful. If this site ever gets into financial trouble, I would gladly pay a monthly subscription to keep it going. I tell ya, this is too good to give up. Oh yeah, and thanks for the measured responses. Please, keep 'em coming! ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/8 "2001-09-26T06:27:49Z")
Oh, thanks for the clarification, guys. I’m dense sometimes. Usually, even. Funny thing is, the explanations they offered are pretty close to what I actually _did_ tell my kids about it. Which means I give my kids too much credit or I’m just bad at simplifying things. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/9 "2001-09-26T06:31:20Z")
So far I found most of it to be pretty good. I laughed at the “Point/Counterpoint”, at: [http://www.theonion.com/onion3734/point\_americas\_response.html](http://www.theonion.com/onion3734/point_americas_response.html) I especially liked the more “reasoned” response, which includes: > [@](#): > > We must remember that impulsively lashing out is never the best course of action. True justice can only be achieved through cool, calm, levelheaded armageddon. No, of course I don’t agree that we want an “armageddon”, (and I’m sure the Onion doesn’t either, not really!) But the way the “reasonable” counterpoint was written just _cracked me up._ ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/10 "2001-09-26T07:23:19Z")
The TV schedule was pretty good, too. Pay TV has “Extremely Uninformed Debate” planned. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/11 "2001-09-26T10:31:59Z")
I like [this](http://www.theonion.com/onion3734/hijackers_surprised.html) article. Its exactly what I felt about the dickheads at the controls of the aircraft. I didn’t really know what the Onion was going to come up with after such an immense tragedy. Tasteful, poignant while still amusing. ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/12 "2001-09-26T10:38:53Z")
Wonderful. The Onion has outdone themselves. While remaining true to their mission (poking merciless fun at everything there is), they’ve managed to do it without dishonor to the dead, and with some words that are apt and, for pete’s sake, almost poetic. I was in a few tears while reading “American Life Turns Into Bad Jerry Bruckheimer Movie.” I mean, who cries reading The Onion? And “God Angrily Clarifies ‘Don’t Kill’ Rule” was pretty nearly beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Red\_Menace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/82dd89/32.png) [@The\_Red\_Menace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Red_Menace)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/13 "2001-09-26T13:33:06Z")
I must admit there have been past Onion’s I’ve found more funny (the election one from November last year comes to mind), but I think that this Onion is everything it needs to be. It’s both ironic _and_ very earnest, and I don’t think anyone could say they’re being insensitive to the tragedy. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/14 "2001-09-26T13:42:29Z")
I can’t seem to get the Onion to load any of the stories here at work - I wish I could. But I thought it a rather odd coincidence that today’s calendar page from the Onion’s “Our Dumb Century” calendar is the moon landing headline “HOLY SHIT”. History repeates itself… ---
**Author:** ![Yue\_Han](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/eada6e/32.png) [@Yue\_Han](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yue_Han)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/15 "2001-09-26T13:51:25Z")
What I thought was beautiful about ‘what to tell your kids’ was that a lot of adults don’t really understand all the factors either; I’m sure a lot of people learned something reading it. I especially enjoyed the man-on-the-street interviews… so much so that I’ve added one of them to my sig. It’s a nice summation of trying to balance sanity with the awful pain of what happened. –John ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/16 "2001-09-26T14:02:36Z")
I love it. I LOVE IT. I want to keep it right next to my Commemorative Sun Times “Hugging Up 76,000 Percent” and to me personally, I laughed out loud at “Nation Feels Temporary Affection for New York” I’ve NEVER liked New York. In fact, I’ll be honest, I hate it…but for the past two weeks I’ve been screaming I HEART NEW YORK at every f-ing sporting event. Wild. ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/17 "2001-09-26T14:13:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Pushkin \* > \*\*I like [this](http://www.theonion.com/onion3734/hijackers_surprised.html) article. Its exactly what I felt about the dickheads at the controls of the aircraft. > \*\* That was my favorite as well. I was pleased to see how well they did on this one. Excellent work. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/18 "2001-09-26T15:08:27Z")
Miller: > [@](#): > > The TV schedule was pretty good, too. Pay TV has “Extremely Uninformed Debate” planned. I think that was on Public Access cable. And, while that’s what I assumed they _meant_ to write, they actually typoed it so it says “Extremely Uniformed Debate,” which I guess could legitimately refer to the military role in all this. ---
**Author:** ![Rosebud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rosebud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rosebud)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/19 "2001-09-26T19:01:17Z")
I’m still having trouble with some of the pages (I think only about half of the God story loaded for me and then it stalled) but I absolutely love the “On TV Tonight” section. My favorites there are 8:00, NBC, “A Nation Looks Around for Someone to Hit,” and the CBS Dan Rather saga, and MTV’s “Carson Daly in Way Over His Head.” I also dig the 10:00pm NBC listing, which is nicely sprinkled with profanity, same with Animal Planet’s zebra footage. ---
**Author:** ![ModernRonin2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c37758/32.png) [@ModernRonin2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ModernRonin2)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/20 "2001-09-26T19:36:57Z")
That the SDMB’s headlines were better. Nyeah! [http://www.dim.com/~mackys/irregular/current/WTCheadlines.html](http://www.dim.com/~mackys/irregular/current/WTCheadlines.html) -Ben [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864.md?page=2)