Big Smile, No Teeth: Parody's dead, killed by the reality of 2020


Anti-vaxxers are accusing Bill Gates of wanting to pump them full of nanobots in the guise of a vaccine. You know, we couldn’t make this stuff up! Graphic: 123rf.com

I love satirical humour so I used to love reading headlines from the forerunner of parody Internet news The Onion. I’ve been reading The Onion ever since I first found out about it in the late 1990s in university. That’s well over 20 years. But in 2020, The Onion’s headlines just don’t have the same wit that they used to. Is it because the writers are slipping? No. It’s because 2020 is beyond parody.

We’re experiencing a year that most would agree is among the worst of our collective lives. The Covid-19 pandemic. The ensuing economic crisis. The repercussions of 2020 will be felt well past this cruddy year. And, just to twist the screw, 2020 has also laid waste to parody.

Subscribe or renew your subscriptions to win prizes worth up to RM68,000!

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month

Billed as RM148.00/year

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In Living

How Seoul city's gentrification threatens free meal centre
Heart and Soul: Remembering Lavania Baloo, our bravehearted soul sister
Malaysian chef Linn Yong champions sustainable Sabah ingredients
Heart and Soul: Climbing Mt Kilimanjaro, a journey beyond limits
RM1,530 for a coffee? Scottish farm sells Britain's most expensive cup of Joe
Glenfiddich Invites Malaysian Mavericks To Ask Themselves, ‘Where Next?’
Traditional Sabahan recipes get the spotlight at Oitom by chef Raphael Peter Lee
Meet Wanda, the machine that collects and separates trash for recycling
Hide KL takes you on a delicious modern Malaysian odyssey with its latest menu
How these US children with special needs got to 'walk on water'

Others Also Read