Outrage After The Onion ‘Reports’ Gunfire & Hostage Situation Involving Kids on Capitol Hill
- Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:37pm by
Liz Klimas
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The Onion created this photoshopped image of Representative John Boehner (R - OH) holding a gun to a little girl's head. (Image: The Onion)
DC resident — and others –are none too happy about The Onion’s satirical tweets (as first seen on the blog) about gunfire in the U.S. Capitol building today, which has caused some to question if the fake news site has gone too far:
The Washington Post blog reported that this tweet, naturally, caused alarm, especially for those inside the Capitol:
The Capitol police issued a statement saying The Onion’s claims were indeed false. And others did not find the satire tasteful:
With quite a few Twitter hacks in past months, including NBC News and Fox News, the Washington Post confirmed with The Onion this was not in fact a hack:
“This is satire. That’s how it works.”
Trying to hammer the humor home, The Onion has continued to tweet about the “situation” and posted the story about Congress taking over schoolchildren on its website:
It also developed a movie in which one of the “gunman” says, “Hey, Boehner, this kid’s got a phone” before the sounding of a gunshot:
What do you think? Satire or shocking?
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Comments (173)
olddog
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 3:12pmThis is like Americans felt when the Dem. Leftists went behind closed doors and passed obamacare.
Report Post »I can’t honestly refer to democrats as democrats anymore, leftists, socialist marxists are all appropriate but democrat nope not any more. If the little girl Boehner has the gun on is young nancy pelosi, why is it taking so long to pull the trigger..
kindling
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 3:22pmI wonder if this is the kind of scary stuff Polosi was saying the Republicans were doing in San Francisco when a gay elected offical was shot and killed, you know, after the shooting in Arizona and the Reps were being blamed?
Report Post »RemasteredBastard
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 3:34pmThe Onion is usually an equal-opportunity satirist, and I have often laughed out loud at their skewering of both parties. This, however, is mystifying: What were they thinking?
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 3:09pm“So you‘re telling me that you think John Boener is capable of kidnapping school children and thus this obvious joke is much less obvious because it’s plausible? Seriously?” – GhostOfJefferson
Exactly, that is why it is so not funny.
But they did mange to gin up more hate for the Republicans so they scored some points. That is all they care about.
Report Post »EqualJustice
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 3:05pmWOW, that is SICK and NOT funny at all…. I’m all for a good LAUGH, but this just doesn’t cut it.
Report Post »Michael61
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 3:04pmHere is an example of good satire:
Poll: 1 In 5 Americans Believe Obama Is A Cactus
http://www.theonion.com/articles/poll-1-in-5-americans-believe-obama-is-a-cactus,18127/
That joke was funny, it had meaning.
What is the point of this stupid idea? What is the joke about?
Report Post »SoiledDove
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 3:13pmReally? You can’t see it? Congress has a nasty habit of figuratively holding groups (such as schoolchildren) hostage with certain legislative demands. All the Onion did was create a satirical literal hostage situation.
Report Post »Michael61
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 3:54pmOK, see your point. Yes, from your stupid democrat point of view Congress holds poor people hostages. From normal Americans point of view Congress is trying to cut unnecessary government spendings (exactly what they were elected to do), and Obama is blocking the way because he wants to give more $ billions to his cronies-millioners.
Report Post »Michael61
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 4:05pm“Holding hostage with demands” is called “democratic process”, as opposed to “rubber stamping”. If you want people to vote “Yes”, you have to either convince them, or to COMPROMISE.
Saul Alinsky, Rules for Radicals, page 59:
“A society devoid of compromise is totalitarian”
Report Post »SREGN
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 3:04pmAnybody who would take an Onion tweet seriously is an imbecile. It’s a humor magazine/website. Round them up and send them somewhere where there is no humor. Like France.
Report Post »rockstone
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 3:12pmSome people with twitter accounts DON’T know who The Onion is?
Report Post »Ex-Democrat
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 3:29pmRockstone is right. MOST people do not know what the Onion is. It was irresponsible. As for humor, The Onion hasn’t been funny for over 10 years now. They did earn a place on the corporate DNS blacklist today and I’m sure that many IT departments have been ordered to do the same all over the country.
Report Post »AvengerK
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 4:10pmI assure you if you went on the street asking “what’s The Onion” most people would say it’s an ingredient in meals. Most people don’t follow politics closely, and certainly “boutique” lefty magazines. Good satire is clever and witty…this was neither. In an environment of heightened awareness of terrorism, this was simply not necessary.
Report Post »Locked
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 6:43pm“Most people don’t follow politics closely, and certainly “boutique” lefty magazines.”
Most people on the street don‘t follow The Onion’s twitter feed either. It’s pretty safe to assume that if you do, you likely know what The Onion is!
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 3:03pmThe school age children of Congressmen being taken hostage by a leftist group. That is likely with probability approaching 100%.
More than 1 Congressman taking schoolchildren hostage. Probability = 0%.
Report Post »ChiefGeorge
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 3:01pmThis is dangerous as playing with a match and a gasoline filled container. People today have their minds seared raw with these kinds of things. What has happened to civility in this country since the Giffords shootings is an absolute travesty and it has all been perpetrated by the LEFT.
Report Post »GhostOfJefferson
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 3:10pmNo, in fact it is not dangerous at all. You have to be utterly and completely disconnected from anything approaching reality to think that Congress et. al. went out and took kids hostage at gun point.
Geez people, get a sense of humor. You don’t have to think this is funny, but for goodness sake, if you saw this tweet would you even think it was anything *except* satire?
Report Post »scotthalo76
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 9:00pmthis is funny I don‘t care you are and BTY the way they make fun of both parties and its a joke don’t read and get caught up in the onion’s fake news
Report Post »scuba13
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:57pmDid your friend tell you his mom is actually running an on-line porn site?
Report Post »scuba13
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:57pmDid your friend tell you his mom is actually running an on-line porn site.
Report Post »gmoneytx
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:56pmYa know they call it the Onion cause it makes one want to cry!
Report Post »bhelmet
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:54pmI think they are mad b/c they were fooled.
Report Post »GhostOfJefferson
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:59pmDing! You win the thread! Do you want the prize to be a cookie or a brownie? :)
That’s exactly what it is. People who are not sharp enough to exercise even *basic* common sense, who apparently cannot read with anything approaching comprehension, and whose grasp of reality is so tenuous that they actually think that Congress would go out and take kids hostage at gun point. They are mad that they were fooled *by their own lack of awareness of reality*.
Report Post »bhelmet
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 3:10pmBrownie, please.
Report Post »gmoneytx
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:54pmRemember what happened when War of the Worlds aired!
Report Post »OniKaze
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:51pmAnd by the way, as someone who is familiar with Photoshop… That is one of the worst photoshop’d photos I have ever seen… It looks like Boehner’s head is floating on his shoulders, and not connected to his neck….
try harder liberal fools..
Report Post »sbenton
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:57pmCome on, if you saw that photo, and went screaming to your co-workers about gunfire, you need to be put in a muzzle.
Report Post »chuckn8481
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:58pmI think everyone is looking at this the wrong way. This satire is something we should be doing more of not condemning. Conservatives could do all of the absurd things that we’re trying to get people to pay attention to, a satire of Steven Lerner and the Occupy Wall Street by Conservatives, a “pastor” calling for a one world Christian government like the Islamists with the Kalifa conference are doing, The Nazi party in Egypt, etc. This all goes to the discussion of the Dems talking about how Republicans are “holding the government hostage” This video shows how absurd that is….ITS BRILLIANT and we need to catch on.
Report Post »GhostOfJefferson
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 3:05pmExactly Chuck.
Report Post »Constructionist
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:50pmI blame the people who read The Onion. Any thinking progressive who bases his world view and political opinions on fake news and satire should be watching The Daily Show and Colbert.
Report Post »IAMMADDOG
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:48pmIt might have been funny had they said Liberal protesters were attacking republican politicians with super soakers filled with beer…….after they drank it. Like happened here in Wisconsin. ( A beer was dumped, not urine, but some liberal leader said they should drink it first)
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:47pmHey Onion, aside from scare tactics and the defamation of character attacks; there may be many a criminal law actually violated for the reporting of a false terrorist-hostage situation this way. For some reason you expected massive panic to erupt — in my opinion, and thus you are playing into the hands of the administrations socialist policies. So are you working with Mr Obama?
Report Post »GhostOfJefferson
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:51pmSo you‘re telling me that you think John Boener is capable of kidnapping school children and thus this obvious joke is much less obvious because it’s plausible? Seriously?
Report Post »Perspective
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:53pmObviously they are in Obama’s camp if you look at all the congressmen they named in their story. Sad indeed.
Report Post »SoiledDove
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 3:20pmHave you ever heard of this first amendment? Please tell me what it is about the Onion and its history that would lead ANYONE to believe ANYTHING said by the Onion is true. It is a satirical newspaper. It has NEVER reported “true” information. Why would they start now.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 3:30pm@GhostofJefferson — Plausible for the causing of mass panic? Yes it could be used that way, look back to the original radio broadcast of the War of the Worlds on radio, and the panic it caused.
The fact is, only one person doing such a staged event on twitter or other social media can use it to stir up mass hysteria and trouble given half a chance. Just think upon it, there are enough people out there who feel the internet news and media and social systems are “honest news” even if used for false and misleading information dissemination.
Report Post »GhostOfJefferson
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 3:36pmPeople are responsible for their own behaviors and reactions. If they are that plumb stupid and go out and start panicking, then they are the ones to blame, not some fool website (or radio show) that is clearly and obviously fake.
It’s one thing if it was reported as some random group in some random place. But c’mon, look at that ‘shopp of Boener and tell me you think that’s real or that you think anybody could believe that the entire Republican wing of Congress would take school children hostage with guns.
No, this whole conversation, this whole thread, is absolutely absurd. I cannot believe that people are wound this tight, or that they go to such lengths as to call for imprisonment, prosecution and other such nonsense when their ox gets gored in a clear exercise in satire.
Report Post »sparta48
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 4:08pmhey ghost be glad you are no where near me u make me sick and if i wasnt trying to be peacefull i’d kick your f&%&ing A$$
Report Post »GhostOfJefferson
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 4:34pmSparta, you poor man, you really need to stop letting anger over some random guy on the internet get the best of you. Or, you could be chucking satire. Either way, you made me giggle. Thank you!
Report Post »OniKaze
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:47pmWhat a bunch of dip-sticks… What point do they “think” (which is a term I use lightly with libs, seeing how thoughts constantly seem to escape them) they are making? This is dumb, and will cause nothing but deliberate misconceptions… I think that the people responsible and involved should be arrested for trying to cause a wide-spread panic.. I am sure there is a law about the somewhere.. Fools who cry wolf…
MORONS.. Thats all these people are…
Report Post »Norm D. Plume
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 3:02pmWelcome … to … the … POINT!
Report Post »NJTMATO
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 3:05pmI think it’s all part of the plan……..causing panic that is. It won‘t be funny when we can’t figure out what‘s truth and what’s fiction….will we be able to “believe” anything?
Report Post »blazingaway
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:46pmjust the sickness of liberalism who believe in nothing but their own self seeking pleasures and perversions
Report Post »Krutch
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:45pmAfter hearing the CBC and other $h*t stirrers these last few weeks, it would be more likely those idiots doing such crap. I would expect it to be the likes of jackson-lee and her ilk to really do the acts described above.
Report Post »Big Mickey
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:43pmI doubt it would meet all of the legal tests necessary, but isn’t this much the same as filing a fictitous police report? There ought to be some way to prosecute these idiots.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:48pmI believe it is; there may be massive violations of such an event being fabricated for the sole reason of causing panic and such in DC.
Report Post »GhostOfJefferson
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:49pmGood lord, what’s wrong with you? This is satire, clearly satire, blatantly and patently clear that it’s not true. Prosecute people or organizations who are registered in the public as known jokers, for jokes that harmed nobody? Are you kidding me?
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:52pmSomething else to consider; with the ongoing series of “Day of Rage” protests and up-the-ante events for the causing of chaos and discord in the nation, what would happen if someone started doing such false reporting to the media and the different blogs and twitter, or say a half dozen people…
Propaganda usage to cause chaos via the social networks of such sights indeed is easy and very noticable for a short time unless quickly caught and dealt with.
Report Post »MHP
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 3:13pmSnow
These creeps need to be jailed NOW
Report Post »kikibirdie
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 4:35pmThere is a difference between satire (which the Onion’s tweets are NOT) and yelling “FIRE!” in a crowded theater.
The Libs are clearly desperate as they turn to these sorts of tactics to divert our attention from their owned problems: 1) Obama down among ALL voters, not just conservatives; 2) Raging protesters on Wall Street who have been caught being bussed in from Mommy & Daddy’s house in the Hamptons; 3) SOLYNDRA, SOLYNDRA, SOLYNDRA and another $1 billion is STILL going to “green energy” companies even after that scandal; 4) Fast and Furious — another serious scandal that’s not going away anytime soon – thank GOD for the whistleblowers; 5) Jewish voters in the U.S. are p.o.‘d at Obama’s desired policies on Israel; 6) a “generic” Republican candidate (name anyone) could beat Obama right now; 7) insert one of your own here and keep it going……
Don’t be fooled America! Pay attention to what is REALLY going on, not these fabricated stories in the media and this administration.
Report Post »kickagrandma
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:43pmINexcusable!
Report Post »GhostOfJefferson
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:42pmThat’s a hoot! Anybody in these united States, ANYBODY, who does not know that The Onion is, was, and will always be 100% pure satire, is a flaming moron. Look at the freaking tweet signature for goodness sake “fakenewsscares”. Look at the subject matter, Congressmen kidnapping school children. What low IQ mouth breathing “person” would ever, ever think this was real? Good gravy.
Report Post »atechgeek
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:49pmWell .. there are all kinds. I thought it was funny. Maybe people are taking it seriously because maybe they think the wacko elite’s are capable of such an atrocity. Vote them out !!! Hire a conservative .. fire a liberal.
Report Post »OniKaze
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:49pmNow, Now… I had no idea who these fools are (the Onion), because I never look for “junk” or Phoney news stories… But I agree, anyone who would believe this is a complete moron…
But I am sure I am not the only one who has never heard of “The Onion”…
Report Post »Riponpundit
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 3:00pmObviuosly you don’t recall Orson Welles radio program on “War of the Worlds”. Many people believed it was actually happening. There are many people that beleive if it was on the Internet, it must be true. Our education system has failed our children. Just look at the education systems in our large democratic contolled cities and you can see why some people believe anything the see.
Report Post »Perspective
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 3:06pmIsn’t it funny though how their “satire” only named Republican congressmen? I realize the onion is fake but obviously some don‘t and let’s face it, it was done intending to put Republicans in a bad light.
Report Post »GhostOfJefferson
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 3:12pmWho cares why it was done or who it put in a bad light? The best thing to do is shrug it off. But look at this thread, we have calls for legal prosecution, we have people sneering and others insinuating “this is dangerous/serious”. I mean good gravy, how much more ammo can you give to the satirists on *any* side than this, by being so uptight. Like a bunch of crotchety 70+ year old church ladies on this thread today, jinkies!
Report Post »woodyl1011fl
Posted on September 30, 2011 at 8:25amJust reveals how pathologically and wickedly sick the democrat/liberal/progressive mind is!
Report Post »Obama Snake Oil Co
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:41pm********….you just have to live with them and their libterdial ways….
Report Post »Monfang
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:40pmHey, Onion, that line about a mile away? You crossed it.
Report Post »War_Eagle
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:55pmIn all fairness, we’ve had one Congressman who killed his secretary, another who ran a gay brothel out of his house, and one who was suspected in the disappearance of his secretary, and one who was an officer in the KKK. And this is only the last ten years!
So we’re not exactly talking about paragons of morality here.
Report Post »NJTMATO
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 3:08pm@ WAR EAGLE…..You are sooooooooooooooooo right! Your post made me spit my iced tea all over my desk laughing! Too bad it’s all true! Thanks for reminding me that truth is crazier than fiction!
Report Post »Joisey
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:40pmWhat, exactly, is the Onion satirizing? What is the joke? I see no humor or wit here.
Report Post »Shotgun167
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 2:52pmA bunch of ******** (the REALLY dumb liberals) keep talking about the Tea Parties taking things hostage. Maybe they are just trying to capitalize on the insanity that’s already out there?
Report Post »randy57
Posted on September 29, 2011 at 4:19pmwhat exactly do you see wit or humor in?
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