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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: satire

satire stories: 42 news summaries

1 - 20 of 42 Stories | 1 2 3 Next >>

FIRST AMENDMENT 1, GLENN BECK 0

Beck Loses Fight Against Satire Site

Owner gives up domain name suggesting rape, murder anyway

(Newser) - Glenn Beck came out on the losing end today in his attempt to shut down a satirical website the Fox News host alleged was defamatory and infringed on his trademark. And though an arbitrator ruled that “even a ‘moron in a hurry’ would not likely conclude that Complainant... More »

MOVIE REVIEW

 Goats Fun But Unfocused 

Clooney turns in top performance in military farce

(Newser) - The Men Who Stare at Goats, a farce loosely based on a non-fiction book about the US military's '80s effort to form a psychic unit, is wildly uneven but often hilarious, say critics.
  • The "over-the-top, absurdist satire" will be "inevitably likened to Dr. Strangelove," Owen Gleiberman
... More »

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satire Jeff Bridges movie review George Clooney Ewan McGregor Kevin Spacey

 How the Onion 
 
Writes Headlines 

New book Our Front Pages explores the evolution

(Newser) - The Onion's writers have a backward way of generating stories: They come up with the headlines first. The staff devotes the first two days of each week to rejecting headlines like “Quick and Painless Overthrow of Taliban Enters Eighth Year” in favor of “US Continues Quagmire-Building Effort in... More »

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media newspaper satire The Onion headlines

THE NEXT BESTSELLER?

 Lampoon Lampoons 
 Twilight With Nightlight 

Edwart's no vamp, he just has nosebleeds, but don't tell Belle

(Newser) - She's a klutzy transplant to the Oregon town of Switchblade who falls for a computer geek with nosebleeds named Edwart. “Looking into his eyes I felt waves of electricity, currents of electrons charging towards me. Was this how it felt to be in love ... for robots?” Yes, it's Belle,... More »

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film parody satire publishing book movies sequel Twilight Harvard University Harvard Lampoon

 Catholics 
 Rip Larry for 
 Whizzing 
 on Jesus 

Urine taken for 'miraculous tears' by Curb characters

(Newser) - The US Catholic League has complained about an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm that shows Larry David accidentally urinating on a painting of Jesus hanging in a bathroom. Other characters then think the painting is miraculously crying. "Was Larry David always this crude?" asked angry league president Bill Donahue.... More »

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parody satire Larry David Curb Your Enthusiasm comedy Catholic League Catholic Jesus Christ

OPINION

 Balloon Boy 
 Another Blow 
 to Trust 

Politicians are the ones most lost in forest of fakery

(Newser) - The Falcon Heene fiasco sums up the dilemma facing a society riddled with fake news, Photoshop fakes, and even fake Rush Limbaugh quotes, writes Daniel Henninger. "Reality TV" is the perfect metaphor for a world where you need to routinely "ask yourself whether what's in front of you... More »

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reality TV satire health care reform hoax Falcon Heene balloon boy hoax

Glenn Beck's Lawyers Fight 'Defamatory' Domain Name

Joke site says Fox host raped, murdered a girl

(Newser) - Can a domain name be defamatory? When that domain name is GlennBeckRapedandMurderedaYoungGirlin1990.com, maybe it can be, Ars Technica reports. Beck’s lawyers were on the case within 2 days. They’ve both pressured its host to give up the name of the site’s anonymous proprietor, and filed a... More »

(Newser) - Think impersonating the president is a joke? For the professional actors trying to scratch their way to the top—to become First Impersonator—it's serious business, Slate reports. "I see this as a chance to grow as a dramatic actor," says one faux Obama. "Besides, it can... More »

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entertainment satire comedy actor George W. Bush impersonator President Obama

(Newser) - Satire just doesn't translate well. Two Bangladeshi newspapers have apologized to readers after breathlessly reporting a US scoop: Neil Armstrong thinks the moon landing was a hoax! Problem is, the story appeared in the Onion. "We've since learned that the fun site runs false and juicy reports based on... More »

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NASA satire Bangladesh The Onion moon landings Neil Armstrong

movie review

 In the Loop Is Bloody Good Fun

British political satire tells of path to war

(Newser) - In the Loop is a blistering, satirical tale of unsavory characters in the British and American governments pushing their nations to war in the Middle East.
  • “While In the Loop is a highly disciplined inquiry into a very serious subject, it is also, line by filthy line, scene
... More »

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film satire movie review

Republicans Think Colbert's Serious: Study

Conservatives actually think comedian is conservative, too

(Newser) - If you’ve ever thought to yourself, “Geez, why do Republicans keep letting Stephen Colbert interview them?” some Ohio State researchers might have the answer: They don’t realize he’s making fun of them. According to a new study, conservatives “were more likely to report that Colbert... More »

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satire study conservative Comedy Central Stephen Colbert

(Newser) - Stephen Colbert has taken up the cause against gay marriage, the Huffington Post reports. A recent web ad from the National Organization for Marriage—which apparently was serious—featured a “rainbow coalition” of actors solemnly declaring, “A storm is coming.” That, and New York's move toward legalizing... More »

 Colbert Plans Persian Gulf Tour 

He'll film a week of episodes on USO tour

(Newser) - Stephen Colbert is putting on a flak jacket and heading to the Persian Gulf, Variety reports. The Colbert Report will film a week of shows on a USO tour, but no one is dishing out air dates or specific locations. Says Colbert, “I can’t tell you where I’... More »

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television Persian Gulf satire Comedy Central Stephen Colbert

Comic Fritzl 
Play Sparks 
Death Threats 

Director insists he's mocking media, not rape and incest

(Newser) - A comic play about accused rapist Josef Fritzl is set to open in Vienna, drawing the ire—and death threats—of Austrians who are not amused, the BBC reports. Director Hubsi Kramar stressed that the largely improvised piece, co-starring victims of abuse, is a commentary on media coverage of Fritzl’... More »

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theater satire comedy play murder trial incest media coverage Josef Fritzl Amstetten, Austria controversy

THEATER REVIEW
(Newser) - It’s not quite a landslide, but critics mainly agree that Will Ferrell gets his mission accomplished in lampooning the 43rd president with his Broadway show, You’re Welcome America. A Final Night With George W. Bush. Though Saturday Night Live viewers will see the “retread” in Ferrell’s... More »

 Obama 
 Already 
 Stressed 
 Out? 

Mad turns satirical eye on new president

(Newser) - Crises at home and abroad seem to be taking a toll on President Obama already—at least through the lens of Mad Magazine’s cartoonists. The current issue depicts a stressed-out president—ashtray full, antacid flowing—poring over screaming headlines and classified reports. “The only thing the artist missed,... More »

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Barack Obama satire smoking comics President Obama Mad Magazine

 Judge Tosses 
 Elton John 
 Libel Suit 

Satire emerges the winner after singer sues Guardian over spoof diary

(Newser) - Teasing Elton John doesn't breach libel laws, a British judge ruled yesterday. The notoriously testy singer sued the Guardian for publishing a satirical piece purporting to be a snippet from Elton's diary and poking fun at his lavish White Tie and Tiara Ball. Elton claimed it was defamation but the... More »

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newspaper Elton John satire libel celebrity lawsuit singer

Satirical Paper Thrives
in Tough US Market

The Onion feeds the public's need for
satiric news coverage

(Newser) - As newspapers lay off workers and struggle to survive, the Onion is adding staff and circulating in new markets, the Washington Post reports. Riding the crest of America's love for Jon Stewart-style satirical news, the 20-year-old paper pays writers well and holds down a New York City office. "It's... More »

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newspaper satire comedy The Daily Show The Onion

(Newser) - Lolcats are as funny as their fans believe, but it's the sadness of this kitty sub-genre that makes them special, Jay Dixit writes in Salon. On Icanhascheezburger.com, which attracts millions of hits a month, lolcats yearn and comfort each other, inspiring a teary eye in us human visitors. There... More »

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satire humor LOLcats nerdiness animal geeks

  Fox Cancels Mad TV 

Fox cancels comedy show after 14 years

(Newser) - Mad TV will bid adieu after 14 seasons of Saturday night sketches, the final nail in its coffin coming from a failure to boost ratings during the presidential campaign, reports Defamer. Fox's Saturday Night Live competitor, which has been on the chopping block for years, will finish up the season... More »

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Saturday Night Live television satire comedy Fox Mad TV

1 - 20 of 42 Stories | 1 2 3 Next >>