Christine Wenc's 'Funny Because It's True' calls 'The Onion' "the original fake news"

Summary

NPR's Book of the Day: Summary of "Christine Wentz's 'Funny Because It's True' Calls 'The Onion' the 'Original Fake News'"

Episode Title: Christine Wentz's 'Funny Because It's True' calls 'The Onion' "the original fake news"
Host: Andrew Limbong
Guest: Christine Wentz, Author of Funny Because It's True: How the Onion Created Modern American News Satire
Release Date: March 31, 2025

---

Introduction to The Onion and Christine Wentz

In this episode of NPR's Book of the Day, host Andrew Limbong delves into the satirical world of The Onion with Christine Wentz, the author of Funny Because It's True. Wentz, a former member of The Onion's original staff, provides an insider's perspective on the publication's evolution and its impact on modern news satire.

"The Onion has been around for nearly 40 years now, but where did it come from? And how did it become so influential?"
— Christine Wentz [01:53]

---

Early Days of The Onion in Madison, Wisconsin

Christine Wentz recounts the humble beginnings of The Onion in Madison, Wisconsin. Initially a small newspaper newsletter, it served as an alternative weekly with a mix of absurdist humor and slapstick comedy, heavily influenced by the local improv scene and popular shows like David Letterman.

"In the beginning, it was really just a tiny newspaper newsletter almost in Madison, Wisconsin... supported by advertisements, and the rest was all made up pretty much."
— Christine Wentz [03:19]

Madison's affordable living conditions provided young creatives the space and freedom to experiment, fostering a unique environment that nurtured The Onion's distinctive voice.

"It was cheap to live in Madison. You could get by on a minimum wage job and still have time for projects and a social life."
— Christine Wentz [04:01]

---

The Onion's Unique Sense of Humor

The early Onion writers were characterized by their Gen X sensibilities, blending irony, absurdism, and multi-layered humor. This period emphasized writing concise, impactful headlines that could encapsulate entire stories in a single line, showcasing their mastery in maximizing comedic effect with minimal words.

"There weren't really [pitch meetings]. It was more loose... lots of irony and multi-layeredness."
— Christine Wentz [04:27]

"Winner didn't even know it was a pie eating contest."
— Christine Wentz [03:05]

---

Transition to a Political Voice

As The Onion matured, so did its content, shifting from pure absurdism to incorporating a more defined political standpoint. This transition was marked by pivotal moments where the publication chose to take a side on contentious issues, thereby infusing their satire with progressive viewpoints.

"The Onion sort of picked up the mantle of fighting Bob La Follette. Right. And became often, I think, a progressive voice."
— Christine Wentz [05:17]

This strategic move allowed The Onion to not only entertain but also engage in socio-political commentary, solidifying its role as a significant player in news satire.

---

The Onion's Response to 9/11: A Defining Moment

A critical moment in The Onion's history was its first issue post-9/11. The team grappled with the appropriateness of satire during a time of national tragedy. Their decision to proceed with humor provided relief and a sense of normalcy to readers, significantly elevating the publication's reputation and readership.

"They were very apprehensive about the response that it was going to get. And luckily it actually made people feel very much better."
— Christine Wentz [06:43]

This bold move not only demonstrated The Onion's commitment to its mission but also showcased the therapeutic power of humor in times of crisis.

"Their readership apparently doubled in response to that, and they got a lot of attention, for sure."
— Christine Wentz [07:20]

---

Modern Relevance and Satire in the Age of Misinformation

Christine Wentz draws parallels between The Onion's satirical approach and the current landscape of misinformation. She emphasizes that while both involve "fake news," their intentions starkly differ. The Onion aims to illuminate truths and provoke thought through satire, whereas malicious fake news seeks to disrupt truth and sow chaos.

"The Onion is good fake news. Right. The Onion is trying to make the world a better place."
— Christine Wentz [07:56]

Wentz advocates for the positive role satire plays in society, especially amidst the challenges posed by today's intense news cycles and the erosion of shared realities.

---

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Christine Wentz's Funny Because It's True serves as both a historical account and a tribute to The Onion's enduring influence on American satire. Through her insightful commentary, listeners gain a comprehensive understanding of how The Onion navigated cultural shifts, embraced political commentary, and maintained its relevance in an ever-evolving media landscape.

"Satire wants to help. It's trying to point out what's wrong."
— Christine Wentz [08:25]

Wentz underscores the essential difference between constructive satire and destructive misinformation, highlighting the enduring significance of The Onion as a beacon of insightful and meaningful humor.

---

Notable Quotes:

• "The Onion is good fake news. Right. The Onion is trying to make the world a better place."
  — Christine Wentz [07:56]

• "They were very apprehensive about the response that it was going to get. And luckily it actually made people feel very much better."
  — Christine Wentz [06:43]

• "Winner didn't even know it was a pie eating contest."
  — Christine Wentz [03:05]

---

This episode offers a deep dive into the mechanics and philosophy behind The Onion, providing listeners with a nuanced appreciation of its role in shaping modern American satire.

Transcript

[Andrew Limbong]

Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbong. I have this job in part because I love words. Right. I've always thought a lot about word order, how to structure a sentence in the exact right way to deliver the message you have in your head, which is why I've always been fascinated by the Onion, the satirical news site known for its pithy headlines. In a tay day, the writing staff there were masters at maximizing real estate, getting the biggest laughs in as few words as possible. Author Christine Wentz has got a new book out about the beginning of the Onion. It's titled Funny because it's how the Onion created modern American news satire and once knows a thing or two about it because she was there when it was founded. She talks to npr. Scott Detrow about how the Onion went from an absurdist sensibility, you know, laughs for the sake of laughs, to something with the political point of view. That's after the break.

[Scott Detrow]

This message comes from Pemco Mutual Insurance Company. You know that moment when things take an unexpected turn and you get that sudden sinking feeling that maybe it could have been avoided? Pemco Insurance wants to help you avoid that feeling by sharing prevention tips that empower you to prevent some of life's preventable pitfalls. Because Pemco's commitment to their customers goes beyond the moment of acclaim, it's about being with their customers every day. [e-mail] prevention. This message comes from NPR's sponsor, Shopify. No idea where to sell? Shopify puts you in control of every sales channel. It is the Commerc platform, revolutionizing millions of businesses worldwide. Whether you're a garage entrepreneur or IPO ready, Shopify is the only tool you need to start, run and grow your business without the struggle. Once you've reached your audience, Shopify has the Internet's best converting checkout to help you turn them from browsers to buyers. Go to Shopify.com NPR to take your business to the next level Today.

[Christine Wentz]

Here's some headlines for you. Kitten thinks of nothing but murder all day long. It everyone involved in pizza's preparation, delivery, purchase extremely high, Defiant Milosevic eats big sloppy sandwich during trial. Those are just three headlines from maybe millions to choose from that at one point or another have graced the front page of the satirical news outlet the Onion, America's finest news source, as it has long called itself and also a leading pioneer in modern news satire. Its headlines, as you can probably tell by now, are often a range of absurd spin on real news or goofy jokes or sly subversiveness. The Onion has been around for nearly 40 years now, but where did it come from? And how did it become so influential? That is the story that author Christine Wentz, who was a member of the Onion's original staff, writes in her new book, Funny Because It's True. How the Onion Created Modern news satire. Christine, welcome to All Things Considered.

Thank you so much for having me.

Before we get into the history, can I ask what some of your favorite Onion headlines from over the years are?

One of my favorites, I think, is Archaeologists Uncover Ancient Race of Skeleton people. I have a penchant for the silly ones. I like the raccoon headlines, too, but there are some good political ones also.

I was talking to Stephen Thompson, who works here now and worked for the Onion for a long time, and he said he loves the ones that can kind of write an entire story in one line. Like, winner didn't even know it was a pie eating contest.

Right? Yeah, that's a really good one. Yeah.

And the Onion now is something people. People consume on social media. It's a website, it's a video platform. It's a bunch of multimedia things. In the beginning, it was really just a tiny newspaper newsletter almost in Madison, Wisconsin.

Yeah. It was basically a form of the alt weekly, which was, you know, really having a resurgence around that time. I think it was probably, you know, eight to 30 pages long, something like that, most of the time supported by advertisements. And the rest was all made up pretty much.

And the book really gets to the fact, I mean, this is really in many ways a love letter to Madison, Wisconsin, where the Onion was founded.

Yeah.

Can you tell us about what made that place so special during the years we're talking about here when the Onion gets up and running?

When I think about that question, a lot of it is weirdly around economics. It was cheap to live in Madison. You could get by on a minimum wage job and still have time for projects and a social life. And, you know, rent was cheap, you know, so it was really a place where young people had the kind of space to try new stuff.

What's the best way you would describe the sense of humor of the early group of writers? Was it an ironic place? Was it goofy humor? Like what was going for laps in those pitch meetings at the time?

There weren't really. It was more loose than pitch meetings even. You know, it's like it's a Gen X thing. So there's lots of irony and multi layeredness. There were local improv comedians writing, you Know, there were folks of that ilk, you know, kind of hanging around the office. So shows like David Letterman were really popular then. So there was a more absurdist, kind of tap, tabloidy vibe, I think, at the beginning. And later it turned into the more straight AP style that people think of the Onion for today.

Yeah. I guess for older listeners, a Letterman sense of humor from the 80s, you know, exactly what we're talking about.

Exactly. Yeah.

You write in your book about the early years when people working at the paper kind of realized, you know what, we can have a political point of view. We're going to express it when it makes sense to, and we're gonna have it kind of work its way into our humor. What was the touch point for that?

Well, editor Rob Siegel at the time, he remembered an abortion bumper sticker debate that they were going to put, and their impulse was to post two different sides of the abortion debate on the front cover. But then he thought, well, no, let's just pick a side here. And at that point, the Onion sort of picked up the mantle of fighting Bob La Follette. Right. And became often, I think, a progressive voice in a kind of they're in favor of the area men and area women. You know, they support them even though they sometimes make fun of them. And that's important for the Onion's kind of political point of view.

Glad you worked area man into this interview.

I think I had to do that. Yeah.

One moment in particular, and I am of the age that I remember physically seeing this issue and just the tension breaking, laughter that it brought me in a very tense moment. This is the first Onion to be published after 9 11. I'm gonna read just a few of the headlines. US vows to defeat whoever it is we're at war with American life Turns into bad Jerry Bruckheimer Movie not knowing what else to do. Woman bakes American Flag Cake Hijackers. Surprise to find selves in hell. This is ironically right as the creative staff had moved to New York City. This would have been the first issue they were putting out as a New York based publication no matter what. Then 911 happens. No one knows when and what is appropriate to make jokes. The Onion staff thinks it over. Pick up the story there and tell me how this iconic issue comes together.

You know, they write about things that they're thinking about themselves. That's what I would learned in like the million interviews I did. And of course, they had just gone through this situation in New York City along with all the other New Yorkers, and they were very apprehensive about the response that it was going to get. And luckily it actually made people feel very much better. And it gave people a lot of relief in their first laugh and really took a stand and went out there like before other people did and kind of made it okay to be funny. And I think a lot of comedy people in particular, like, really, really respect them for that.

And that really was a moment that elevated the Onions brand. Right?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Their readership apparently doubled in response to that, and they got a lot of attention, for sure.

A serious topic like that leads to just the constant onslaught of very serious news that our news cycles have put themselves into in recent years. And the fact that, you know, misinformation, I think, play such a key part in some of the stories that are consuming all of us. You wrote that this is part of the reason why you wanted to write this history of the Onion, that the very intense news of today and the question about truth ironically made you think of the satirical newspaper.

It did. Yeah. And the kind of conclusion I've reached on that is that the Onion is good fake news. Right. The Onion is trying to make the world a better place. I mean, that's ultimately the position of satire, even at its most cutting and sardonic. That's what satire wants to. It wants to help. It's trying to point out what's wrong. The bad fake news is trying to wreck the whole idea of truth and shared reality and sow chaos and all of that stuff. And it's a very, very different mission than what the Onion is doing.

That is Christine Wentz, author of Funny Because it's how the Onion Created Modern News satire. Christine, I feel like I should tell you before we go that the sports team from my area is superior to the sports team from your area.

Thanks, Scott.

Thanks for talking.

Thank you.

[Scott Detrow]

This message comes from Warby Parker. What makes a great pair of glasses at Warby Parker? It's all the invisible extras without the extra cost, like free adjustments for life. Find your [e-mail] or visit one of their hundreds of stores around the country. This message comes from Mint Mobile. Mint Mobile took what's wrong with wireless and made it right. They offer premium wireless plans for less and all plans include high speed data, unlimited talk and text, and nationwide coverage. See for [e-mail] Switch this message comes from tourism Australia.

[Christine Wentz]

No matter what you're into, Australia has something for everyone all year round. Like the Daintree rainforest this spring, Melbourne's music scene in the summer and the wineries of Barossa Valley in the winter. Come and say g'day [e-mail].