The Onion went too far

Okay, I may just be overreacting, but I am an avid reader of the Onion online, but today this article really upset me.

They made light of a very serious problem about starvation in Africa.

With this photograph and accompaning article, I can't help but be really pissed that they would do this. They may have meant to make readers laugh, but they went too far to make fun of starving children, and them eating "the accompanying flowers, foliage, ribbons, dirt and flower pot, as well" from a gift the supposed spokesperson sent after the death of the child in the picture.

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/29705

World hunger isn't funny, but the imagery of starving children consuming a gift basket in its entirety was, frankly, hilarious...

So what's the point of this thread?

edit: and after people get done laughing...maybe they'll start to think about these issues a little more. There are all kinds of ways to raise awareness to issues and this is definitely one of them.

i just read the article, and i really dont think they are making light of it are they. I actually believe that some of those kids said that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by patthesnakeman

i just read the article, and i really dont think they are making light of it are they. I actually believe that some of those kids said that.

---

Pat, The Onion is a fictitious news journal.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by slartibartfast

Pat, The Onion is a fictitious news journal.

---

I know but think about it, those kids prolly would eat the dirt and whatnot, they do believe in nutrients that help plants help them, thats why they eat roots n' stuff

(not trying to belittle the situation)

who know it might spark a crapload of donations over there

Like I said, I could probably be overreacting to it, at the moment of reading it, I was ticked off. But, the onion is known for doing that, I guess they just hit my button.

"When I think of the millions of dollars in airfare, equipment rental, camera-crew salaries, and editing and technical-support facility costs that went into making this endorsement, only to have Nwangi die because late-night television viewers failed to respond by opening their hearts and their wallets, I am filled with shame for the society in which we live," said Children's Miracle Fund president Dave Shurmur. "Where are our priorities?"

...i think that this article, like all of their stuff, is satire intended to get people to examine the idiocy that runs rampant in our so-called advanced civilizations. It's "dark humor" - it's nothing to get upset about as they clearly don't think it's all that funny either.

Tragic, really. :hugs:

The Onion usually goes for the slam dunk so yeah they can go overboard sometimes. Bunch of crazy people writing stuff up over there.

I think if you're reading the Onion, you have to discard sensitiviities. They make their point and drive home their satire by making the most obscene statements. One of the reasons I like them. I have never seen them shy away from potentially explosive political issues.

The not so subtle sub-text is always in support of what they appear to be mocking by exposing all those that exploit, and benefit from such ventures.

Uhm, yeah... you might be overreacting a bit. But if they touched a nerve, then it is still a genuine response.

bruce

I think that starving children is a terriable thing. That being said handing a food basket with wrapped items to children that are starving and may never have seen food that is wrapped was a huge oversight. Now as to the problem with the mass stravation occurring world wide is that it's stemming form over popultion of area's of the world that can't and never have been able to support the volume of people living there.As long as we insist on putting a bad aid on the problem it will continue.There are several was to cure the problem insist that all food based aid is linked to a birth controll policy. Combine that with education in the most viable ways to make the local land produce sufficent food to support the local population once it has stablized and been lowerd to a level that that area has a viable chance to support.The poorest most inhabital places on this planet seem to be the places where the population is booming we need to correct the root cause of the problem and improve the quality of life for everyone on the planet before the rest of the world becomes like those places.That not global warming is the greatest threat facing the continued existance of mankind on earth. I know this may offend some of you I'm really moved by starving children but untill we do somthing to change the root cause to the problem lack of sufficant food in the area to support indiginous life in that area we will keep seeing it.

"That being said handing a food basket with wrapped items to children that are starving and may never have seen food that is wrapped was a huge oversight."

------------------------

That didn't happen. As noted, the stories on the onion are fake newstories.

Bruce