In the second issue of The Onion following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, the satirical newspaper forever nailed the shallowness of the American media by its headline: “A Shattered Nation Longs To Care About Stupid B___s___ Again.”
Granted, the main focus of the article was on the “many Americans [who] are wondering when their priorities will finally be in the wrong place again.” But the approach itself satirizes much of the Old Media’s approach to reporting, from the unstated assumption that people ought to value things as they do. The implication is (and it’s dead-on accurate): A Shattered Media Long to Care About Stupid Bull—- Again.
I was reminded of the Onion parody when I encountered this news article‘s headline and subhead: “PARIS INSISTS SHE AND BRITNEY ARE JUST FRIENDS / Plus: African boy?s father objects to Madonna?s plans to circumcise tot.”
