The Onion began life as a cult website, feeding satirical spoofs of news stories to bored office workers in the know.
Billed as 'America's Finest News Source', it quickly became one of the most hyped sites on the web and, naturally, gained a reputation as a sellout.
The fans laud it for the acidic lampooning of American and world culture, whilst former fans hate it for watering down the content to pump up the quantity.
So, can the new podcast start winning back the original Onionfans?
They say:
iTunes customer reviews:
"One of the funniest podcasts out there. Choice satire delivered beautifully."
"An exceptional commentary on the craziness of the world."
"Extremely funny. You have to get it."
We say:
The podcast is typical Onion. Every episode is delivered in a deadpan spoof of a radio bulletin, with stories about a new tank designed to defend marriage and the horrors of a SatNav that starts directing drivers to the Danger Zone after hearing the Top Gun soundtrack.
However, it doesn't break any new ground. The faux news stories do bring an occasional laugh, but they're all delivered in exactly the same manner and style, without deviation or innovation, and the content is near identical to that of the website.
The audio format doesn't add anything to the humour and you can't help feeling that this is a half hearted attempt to jump in on the podcast revolution.
It's a useful free timewaster though and about one in five episodes will raise a genuine chuckle. However, it will mostly appeal to die hard fans looking for more Onion, as there's precious little for anyone looking for something new.
PRICE
Free
POSTED...
Sat 5 Aug 2006 at 8:48pm
