# 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:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/21 "2001-09-26T20:04:47Z")
Easily their best since the election. My favorites were the one about George Bush Sr. telling W about how he funded OBL in the 80’s and the MTV listing for the show “Carson Daly In Way Over His Head”. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/22 "2001-09-26T20:07:48Z")
I thought that they did an excellent job, especially the infographic on ways to make America safer: Before boarding plane, all passengers must be born-again and baptized Sam’s Club supersaver cards no longer acceptable form of ID for airline check-in All commercial flights to taxi to their destination ---
**Author:** ![Zappo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b3f665/32.png) [@Zappo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zappo)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/23 "2001-09-26T20:33:15Z")
I thought it was tasteful and ironic without being crude. Excellent work all around, especially the “God Angrily Clarifies Don’t-Kill Rule” piece. ---
**Author:** ![ArturoBandini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/50afbb/32.png) [@ArturoBandini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArturoBandini)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/24 "2001-09-27T02:01:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DKW \* > \*\*Holy [F Word]ing [S Word]! How did they know _exactly_ what I was thinking? :D:D:D:D > > 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. > \*\* Um…you are aware that the Onion began as a print publication as continues as such? Remember those? They’re like a tree-fiber based PDA you can fold up and put in yr back pocket. Only drawback is the inky stains on your fingers…You can order a subscription or find one at yr local bookstore (Border’s in my town carries it). And you can buy any one of three Onion books. As for this week’s issue…that took balls. Even Jon Stewart can’t bring himself to make light of these events. The Onion’s true strength has always been it’s abilty to turn current events into humorous fodder by simply amplifying the truth… ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/25 "2001-09-27T03:16:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ModernRonin2 \* > \*\* > That the SDMB’s headlines were better. Nyeah! > -Ben \*\* While we Dopers came up with some very good headlines, we didn’t always do a good job of staying within the bounds of good taste. And there were a couple where we both came up with basically the same concepts. But more importantly, the Onion did an excellent job of filling in the fine details. ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/26 "2001-09-27T11:18:56Z")
I also think that The Onion didd a very nice job. [http://www.nationallampoon.com](http://www.nationallampoon.com) was very funny as well. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/27 "2001-09-27T20:32:21Z")
Dangit! Wednesday I couldn’t get the Onion at all (just the titlebar and a banner ad) and today (Thursday) I can only get the front page ad all the links take me to “page can’t be found.” Why does the Onion hate me so? I can’t even link to the Lee jeans ad! ---
**Author:** ![Katisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bcef8e/32.png) [@Katisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katisha)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/28 "2001-09-27T20:43:45Z")
That was awesome, every little bit of it. Especially the God article – that was brilliant. I’ll also admit to getting a bit teary-eyed at it – reading the _Onion,_ of all things! (Plus I think the guy across from me in the computer lab was looking at me strangely.) Oh, and I have to agree with xanadu. I’d have liked to see more on the subject of Jerry Falwell being a dick… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Tretiak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a88e57/32.png) [@Tretiak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tretiak)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/29 "2001-09-27T21:40:33Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by ArturoBandini \* > \*\* > Um…you are aware that the Onion began as a print publication as continues as such? Remember those? They’re like a tree-fiber based PDA you can fold up and put in yr back pocket. Only drawback is the inky stains on your fingers…You can order a subscription or find one at yr local bookstore (Border’s in my town carries it). And you can buy any one of three Onion books._\* Hell yeah I remember. I remember when the thing first appeared as four page newspaper in Madison, Wisconsin. I remember mostly picking it up for the coupons to Taco John’s at the time. They just showed up all over the place one day atround 1987-88. My recollection was that it wasn’t particularly funny at first, but I think it just took them some time to find their “voice”. I think it is brilliant now ---
**Author:** ![pesch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pesch/32/4925_2.png) [@pesch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pesch)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2001, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/30 "2001-09-28T00:32:58Z")
It must be amazing to get 28 (29 including mine) dopers agreeing on the same question. They did a great job. I wonder if that Muslim description of hell was accurate. ---
**Author:** ![red\_dragon60](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@red\_dragon60](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/red_dragon60)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2001, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/31 "2001-09-28T01:36:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pesch \* > \*\*It must be amazing to get 28 (29 including mine) dopers agreeing on the same question. > > They did a great job. I wonder if that Muslim description of hell was accurate. \*\* They got it pretty good. Ilbris is the Satan of Islam, that’s what I picked up off hand. ---
**Author:** ![serack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@serack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/serack)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2001, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/32 "2001-09-28T02:33:00Z")
> [@](#): > > ## quote: > > ## 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. I think they meant uniformed, as in it’s not really a debate since everyone has the same feelings on the subject. ---
**Author:** ![serack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@serack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/serack)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2001, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/33 "2001-09-28T02:35:01Z")
Oh, no wait, they fixed it. It’s “uninformed” now. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2001, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/34 "2001-09-28T05:21:34Z")
OK, who’s the editor-in-chief of The Onion? I now know who I’m voting for for vice-president in three years. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2001, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/35 "2001-09-28T20:49:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Chronos \* > \*\*OK, who’s the editor-in-chief of The Onion? \*\* Max Zweibel, of course. Why don’t you write him a letter? 😃 I liked the security improvement: **Airlines to add “Are you a terrorist?” to list of pre-flight questions.** ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2001, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/36 "2001-09-28T21:34:36Z")
The “surprised to be in hell” article bore a striking similarity to an editorial cartoon that ran last week in the Daily Californian, student newspaper at UC-Berkeley. I’d provide a link if I could find one…the cartoon shows two terrorists, one saying “oh boy, now we’ll meet Allah, get serviced by 74 virgins…” and the other is just noticing that they’re in hell. It caused a mild protest, as the terrorists in the cartoon were depicted in typical Muslim/Afghani dress. Apparently it’s stereotyping to point out the obvious. So either inspiration, plagiarism, or a coincidence at work. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2001, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/37 "2001-09-29T02:43:20Z")
I too thought it was fantastic, especially the God article. I was trying very hard not to laugh out loud and failing. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2001, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/38 "2001-09-29T04:20:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jsc1953 \* > \*\* > So either inspiration, plagiarism, or a coincidence at work. \*\* Given that a doper suggested the same story in our examples, I’d guess the latter. It was very well-written, but a fairly obvious gag. ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864/39 "2001-10-09T21:46:18Z")
The lastest issue of _Newsweek_ includes an interview with editor Robert Siegel. He reports that a headline they decided _not_ to use for the 9/26 issue was “America Stronger Than Ever, Say Quadragon Officials”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-onion-9-26-what-do-you-think/83864.md?page=1)