# What is funny about this Onion article? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 21, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-funny-about-this-onion-article/473848 "2008-11-21T16:22:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-funny-about-this-onion-article/473848/1 "2008-11-21T16:22:54Z")
[Link](http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/crocodile_bites_off_bushs) The only thing I can think is that it’s just pure surrealism. Or is there some cultural reference or news story that I’m missing? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-funny-about-this-onion-article/473848/2 "2008-11-21T16:26:04Z")
I took it as a parody of Carter being attacked by the swimming rabbit. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-funny-about-this-onion-article/473848/3 "2008-11-21T16:29:34Z")
**Qadgop** seems right. It’s also a really small article for such an event, possibly parodying either the huge newsgasm such an event would produce in real life or, possibly, Bush’s reduced role now that he’s a lame duck. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-funny-about-this-onion-article/473848/4 "2008-11-21T16:36:06Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > It’s also a really small article for such an event, possibly parodying either the huge newsgasm such an event would produce in real life or, possibly, Bush’s reduced role now that he’s a lame duck. That’s what I took away from it. In addition, the article is very matter-of-fact and not at all sensationalist. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-funny-about-this-onion-article/473848/5 "2008-11-21T16:36:32Z")
Maybe the joke is that Bush is now so irrelevant as president that what ought to be a major news story is treated in such a cursory manner. [edit] Or, what faster typers already said… ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-funny-about-this-onion-article/473848/6 "2008-11-21T16:36:41Z")
[It’s also a callback to this article.](http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/bush_tumbles_wildly_down) It might just be a running joke due to the staff’s dislike of Bush. That, or they want to parody ‘cartoonish’ violence by transposing it into the real world with real consequences. ---
**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:** [November 21, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-funny-about-this-onion-article/473848/7 "2008-11-21T16:39:22Z")
“President Ford was killed and eaten by a pack of wolves yesterday. He was delicious.” ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-funny-about-this-onion-article/473848/8 "2008-11-21T17:36:02Z")
The line that he was “waist deep” indicates that the water was up to his ass with alligators. Too late to drain the swamp. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-funny-about-this-onion-article/473848/9 "2008-11-21T17:41:29Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > The line that he was “waist deep” indicates that the water was up to his ass with alligators. > > Too late to drain the swamp. I read the article and totally missed the connection. Well played, Onion. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-funny-about-this-onion-article/473848/10 "2008-11-21T17:45:01Z")
Is it wrong that I think it would be _awesome_ to have a President with a bionic arm? ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-funny-about-this-onion-article/473848/11 "2008-11-21T17:57:03Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > Is it wrong that I think it would be _awesome_ to have a President with a bionic arm? Now with _VETO POWER!!!_ ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-funny-about-this-onion-article/473848/12 "2008-11-21T18:02:30Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > Is it wrong that I think it would be _awesome_ to have a President with a bionic arm? > [@Sailboat](#): > > Now with _VETO POWER!!!_ Only problem is when he uses it, everything goes into slow motion. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-funny-about-this-onion-article/473848/13 "2008-11-21T19:36:52Z")
I don’t know…14 feet long is a bit far-fetched for the American Crocodile. ---
**Author:** ![JerseyFrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bcef8e/32.png) [@JerseyFrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerseyFrank)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-funny-about-this-onion-article/473848/14 "2008-11-21T20:39:45Z")
No one’s pointed out the rarity of crocodiles in Florida (as opposed to the abundant alligators). I suppose that’s because there _are_ crocs in FL, but just not common. ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-funny-about-this-onion-article/473848/15 "2008-11-21T20:52:56Z")
> [@JerseyFrank](#): > > No one’s pointed out the rarity of crocodiles in Florida (as opposed to the abundant alligators). I suppose that’s because there _are_ crocs in FL, but just not common. Rare, schmare. Nothing’s too good for our President! ---
**Author:** ![mailman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@mailman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mailman)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-funny-about-this-onion-article/473848/16 "2008-11-21T21:03:18Z")
“severe puncture wounds and torn flesh in his hip and upper thigh,” almost sounds like he’s half-assed. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2008, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-funny-about-this-onion-article/473848/17 "2008-11-21T21:38:33Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > I don’t know…14 feet long is a bit far-fetched for the American Crocodile. [Big Arkie](http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=2213) himself was only thirteen feet long. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-funny-about-this-onion-article/473848/18 "2008-11-22T02:41:36Z")
Thanks for the explanation. It makes sense now, sort of. The other day I heard the editor of The Onion interviewed on NPR, and they asked him if Bush’s departure would take away a major source of humor for them. He said he’s sure Obama will do some stupid things, and there’s always the “nerd” angle for them to lampoon. ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-funny-about-this-onion-article/473848/19 "2008-11-22T08:11:05Z")
It is funny because the Onion used to be a cutting edge humor magazine and now it is just crap. Ha ha. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2008, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-funny-about-this-onion-article/473848/20 "2008-11-22T14:35:57Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > [Big Arkie](http://www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net/encyclopedia/entry-detail.aspx?entryID=2213) himself was only thirteen feet long. 🙂 An he was an alligator! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-funny-about-this-onion-article/473848.md?page=2)