If we demand that the Onion always deliver the yuks then we’re demanding that they never exceed our expectations.

This is a poignant piece. It’s obvious that the focus is on the mother. She’s the one we’re supposed to identify with from the git go. To accuse the Onion of here dishonoring our soldiers, or mocking their scrifice, is to miss the point completely, imo.

The Onion is, as usual, mocking the media. That’s why it’s called “Onion News“.

Just because it’s satire doesn’t mean that it’s supposed to be “har har har” funny. Allow them to make a profound observation once and a while, just like we all want to.

Exit question: If this were written by, say, Leonard Cohen or Dick Gregory instead of The Onion, would some of us still be complaining about the lack of “LOL moments”?

But hey, that’s coming from a “Jesus freak” and we all know that you have no problem with bashing those of us with passionate values. You were probably laughing your arse off that those who paid the ulitmate sacrifice were being spoofed.

highhopes on April 28, 2008 at 8:42 PM

Wow.

..

No, just wow.

Now I know how to support the Onion’s powerful, hard-hitting commentaries on crass commercialism: By buying a new monitor from LG.

I feel more consequential already (and totally HD’ed up, baby!).

spmat on April 29, 2008 at 1:39 PM

Exactly.

Meet Scarlet.

RushBaby on April 29, 2008 at 1:01 PM

Thanks RB. Now I know how to support the Onion’s powerful, hard-hitting commentaries on crass commercialism:

By buying a new monitor from LG.

I feel more consequential already (and totally HD’ed up, baby!).

Oh…never mind. It wasn’t Rush Limbaugh who did this.

highhopes on April 29, 2008 at 11:39 AM

Well, I disagree with your position that it disrespects the troops, but I can understand where you’re coming from.

The only reason I could laugh is because I knew it was satire, but the reason I felt so uncomfortable is because I knew this could be real.

Rogue Traveler on April 29, 2008 at 10:59 AM

Good for you. Still haven’t answered my point.

The Onion is using dead soldiers as comedic shtick to point out product placement in news… in order to make money for themselves in advertising. Notice that you don’t get to watch this Swiftian masterpiece of high satire, this brilliant and scathing indictment of crass commercialism in our news media without first watching a bloody commercial. So much for the moral high ground.

Laugh at it all you want, chief. I don’t care. You do better to go buy the products the Onion is hawking, though, so that they can continue to bring you hollow sermons wrapped as oh-so-dark satire.

Esthier on April 29, 2008 at 11:26 AM

Actually what you suggest has been my position.
Where I take exception is being told to “get off my high horse” because I don’t find any humor in the situation. It’s more than a simple disagreement here because, satire or not, it disrepects the real troops and their efforts by trivializing the deaths that have occurred in Iraq and Afghanistan.

And, it really isn’t the ONN that I am arguing about. I’m speaking out for the troops because unlike Danish I support them. I’m not going to stand by and let some loudmouth tell me to lighten up when I take the issue more seriously than he/she/it does.

highhopes on April 29, 2008 at 11:08 AM

So you’re angry at satire that insults a soldier who isn’t really a soldier, but you have no problem insulting a real soldier who happens to disagree with you about what constitutes humor?

This is a simple disagreement. Why not just say that you believe the skit is evil and allow that some don’t believe it is?

An Onion video just doesn’t seem worth the trouble of arguing over.

Rogue Traveler on April 29, 2008 at 10:57 AM

You are one sick individual. Satire that crosses the line shouldn’t be condoned. If you really are a vet (I seriously doubt it) you’d know better. And by the way, hanging out at the VFW bar drinking doesn’t count as “spending a great deal of time with veteran’s groups.”

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/how_can_we_raise_awareness_in

Rogue Traveler on April 29, 2008 at 10:59 AM

That one was a little better but still messed up.

“loud music to drown out the sound of gunfire.”

“And the sound of crying from starvation.”

They’ve done Darfur.

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/how_can_we_raise_awareness_in

Pray for a grasp on reality and fiction before you cry yourself to sleep tonight over a skit.

I proudly served and spend a great deal of my time with my Veterans groups. There is a huge difference between the real death of a soldier and satire.

Notice they aren’t using the genocide in Darfur or AIDS victims to make it work. Dead soldiers are safe fodder for that extra kick to a punchline, you see.

The ONN is dead on.

Rogue Traveler on April 29, 2008 at 10:18 AM

Sorry dude but your “lighten up” attitude doesn’t wash with this topic. That it wasn’t a “real” soldier is immaterial.

Mocking or using a real soldiers death is disgusting. They didn’t do that. They took the worst situation possible and mocked their characters/shows inability to relate with the (fictional) victim.