What is news? The onion often construes true events with satirical analysis to form comedic articles that it presents as “news”. In one case, The Onion describes complaints from the Republican Party about president Obama turning 50 years old. The author of the article sounds authoritative and knowledgeable. He or she is trying to mimic that of a political analysis in order to give his or her opinion credibility. The author uses language that replicates that of a real political reporter: “After months of heated negotiations and failed attempts to achieve any kind of consensus, President Obama turned 50 years old Thursday, drawing strong criticism from Republicans in Congress”. The specific phrasing sounds like an ordinary news article from a reputable source, making it sound more credible. Mostly due to the author’s serious and objective tone when mixed with the content of the article, the message, when observed within the context of the political world of which it pertains, drips with irony. The words speak about Obama turning 50 as if it weren’t inevitable. It also claims that his birthday takes away from his duties as president: “With the host of problems this country is currently facing, the fact that our president is devoting time to the human process of aging is an affront to Americans everywhere”. The statement mirrors that of political discourse but contains nothing but discontent for something the president cannot control. However, within the context of politics in America, the article reflects some of the idiotic claims that senators and congressmen have made about the president or other members of the United States government that waste time and matter little in the big picture. . The readers of the article should be amused by it based on its subject and interpretation of the event. Most people who read the onion know of its satirical sense of humor and never take its information at face value.
Article Link- http://www.theonion.com/article/obama-turns-50-despite-republican-opposition-21061
Really nice job here, Eli! You’ve done a good job unpacking the joke–who it’s supposed to be funny for, and why. (I also think this is a particularly funny Onion article, and one well suited to this assignment, so good choice.)
One next step might be to see what happens if you start to divide your post into paragraphs and play with organization. Rather than jumping into listing your evidence and then explaining it, could you organize your claims under topic sentences?
thanks for sharing, good information