So, I go for my weekly dose of quality Onion humor just now, and after chuckling heartily at the independant-minded cat who shits outside the box, I read the front page, making down to the STATshot, featuring my wonderful town. Now, this got me wondering: is the character of Austin, Texas really so well-known throughout the english-speaking world that it makes a viable front-page gag for The Onion? Or are they playing a clever game with IP recognition? Any insight as to either possibility would be welcome.
I saw it, and I was reading from Chicago. I guess Austin’s hippietown reputation is a little more well-known than I thought.
This week’s Onion does seem to have a bit more “localization” than usual, though. Most if their articles don’t specify where they’re supposed to have taken place - but for whatever reason, most of this week’s articles mention specific (different) cities. I have to wonder if that’s a reflection of a deliberate change in style.
It’s the same in Panama.
My friend who moved last year from Madison (home of The Onion) to Austin only has a couple hacky sacks, not a whole box of them as pictured in the issue, not sure if it’s on-line pic or not. Totally unrealistic…
As an Onion reader of nearly a decade, I’ve got to call you on this one. Onion articles almost always carry a dateline. The location is often unimportant, but it is usually specified just as it would be in a “real” news article.