Reality sponsored by The Onion
 

Am I the only one who now feels like he is living in a universe depicted by The Onion, now that Donald Trump is the Republican frontrunner in the tarnished country of my birth? The Hindutva Fascists over here are nuts, but The Donald seems to be trolling the human race.

Be assured, you are not alone. The idea that Trump is just a bad dream that will go away is easily trumped by Berlusconi.

Oh come, Andrew. Silvio was lots of fun. And he got up the nose of the Great Frau, surely one in his favour. Who is Italy's present Prime Minister? Does anyone know? Or care?

I mentioned this to a friend of mine who said "I agree, and we in India unfortunately don't have a proper version of the onion. Even our satirists are partisan hacks."

Also before reading this article I didn't realize how short Vladimir Putin was. Somehow this does nothing to make him any less terrifying.

As long as John Whitworth is amused, who cares if the whole world goes to hell.

Nemo

Oh come, Nemo. What has Silvio ever done to you. And is Italy better off now? Or was Italy better off before? But you are an American and I don't suppose you know.

The tragedy of Europe is not Silvio Berlusconi. It is the euro. And the euro is the EU. And the EU is the German hegemony.

I know what AZ means. From here it feels like living in a topical sketch show, where people come up with tabloid-based one-liners and everybody goes hoo-hoo-hoo and points are scored on some diabolical clapometer.

Will it ever get real again? I hope so, because this cynical, money-driven mess is hardly worth breathing for.

When a movement or worldview becomes impossible to parody in a way that would be at all distinguishable from the genuine article, this is a sure sign that it itself has also become as absurd as even the most riotous parody, and the time for scornful mockery is at hand. The only thing more laughable than somebody who literally could not be more ridiculous if they tried, is somebody else trying to take them seriously.

Speaking of parody, the Republican debate...

Bad Lip Reading

The Latino news media couldn't agree more

more confusion between Onion and real events...
 

Speaking of the Onion stories being indistinguishable from reality, has anybody posted this one, about the author promoting her book? http://www.theonion.com/article/auth...ther-its-19985 I have a friend who did a 8-city national tour but the published failed to do any promotion for it. Nobody showed... And I expect all of us have had at least one reading that was mighty slim in the audience department.

Years ago, I was in a Barnes & Noble bookstore and noticed a folding table right near the escalator. Sitting behind the table was Lauren Bacall, promoting a book. No one was taking note of her at all. No line had formed. No one was even trying to talk with her, other than a young woman I took to be the publicist who had escorted her there (but apparently neglected to tell anyone she'd be there). Bacall was muttering to her publicist and was not happy. And this is, by anyone's reckoning, a major superstar. So if it can happen to her, it can certainly happen to someone with a book of poetry.

Indeed! Or a novelist. A reading room can be just as empty as the heart of an onion if people don't prepare for a reader. And, sometimes, even when they do.

Trump is unelectable at the national level. As long as Trump leads the GOP; they are unelectable. Every dark cloud...

Also before reading this article I didn't realize how short Vladimir Putin was.

Putin is just Rasputin without the long legs.

I'm so glad all I do is blog

I have to say I love the Onion and have subscribed in the past. Those guys are absolutely nuts and they make me laugh just about every time. Kudos to the Onion staff!

Mr Slater,

You were there for a reason. If you haven't written the poem yet, please let me see it when you do.

TIA.

Bill