Friday, January 14, 2011

The Borowitz Report

By Jack Simony

I think we can all safely agree that there's no better source for televised fake news than "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" on Comedy Central.  And who doesn't love the periodical "The Onion" (which now also boasts the hilarious "Onion Sports Network", also on Comedy Central).  You laugh (we all do, actually), but by lampooning real news sources and skewering those in the news, these satirical venues provide an important outlet for the rest of society, an opportunity for catharsis as we recognize the absurdities that accompany the troubling aspects of these difficult times.

So who is the as-of-yet unsung hero of the faux media?  In my humble opinion, that title goes to Andy Borowitz.  In his "Borowitz Report", updated nearly daily, he prints little absurdist gems -- fake news articles that always serve to shine spotlights directly on those areas of hypocricy, inconsistency and downright outrageousness that our political leaders and other newsmakers are hoping we somehow won't notice.

Samples of recent headlines (and sub-headlines):  

Would Create ‘Giant Hole’ in Program Schedule

Place of Birth ‘Negotiable,’ President Says

The articles are invariably even more clever than the headlines.  They don't disappoint.

Borowitz's website:   http://www.borowitzreport.com/   

You can "friend" Borowitz on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.  Enjoy!

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