"The Onion's Call for Healing." by Daniel J. O'Rourke

O'Rourke, Daniel J., and Pravin A. Rodriguez. "The Onion's Call for Healing." Society 42.1 (2004): 19-27. Web. 1 Jul 2010.

http://ezproxy.gsu.edu:3081/content/xdngxbxmudkevxcw/fulltext.pdf

http://www.ashland.edu/faculty/communication-arts/orourke-daniel

http://www.ashland.edu/faculty/communication-arts/rodrigues-pravin

O’Rourke and Rodriguez, in this exploratory article, examine what Time magazine columnist Richard Rosenblatt called “The Age of Irony,” and the challenges that the consistent use of irony creates in the modern world. Their study focuses primarily on the effects of irony in the wake of 9/11, which seemed to upset the seemingly untouchable stability of the American self-perception as supported by the media. The authors explore Rosenblatt’s assertion that the threat of terror would deflate the bubble of pop culture and his prediction that America would take a swing toward traditional values. They deem the post 9/11 climate as “The End of the Age of Irony,” when there was so much worry over whether or not any good could come out of that horrible moment. But, ironically (it comes in so many forms), it is on the heels of this stagnant moment that The Onion takes the reality of the heinous acts into an unexpectedly new direction: parody. Their analysis of the website’s satirical elements shows that irony does not need to conceal or change reality, but it can actually use realism as a means for healing.

The analysis of the healing qualities of humor extend from a look at past uses for humor in troubling historical periods to an analytical approach to the rhetorical constructs of irony itself. Using Aristotle’s rhetorical theories and referencing the work of Wayne C. Booth, they discuss the possibility of an elitist edge involved in creating a new interpretation of humor in the wake of tragedy. They then examine the history, creation and significance of The Onion as a satirical take on the post-9/11 media climate. Their careful analysis of subject matter, word choice, and context and their role in the creation of irony gives ample support for my examination of the construction of the site’s humor.

pop culture
satirical elements