White House asks spoof Web site to stop using seal
Wed Oct 26,12:34 PM ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House is not amused by The Onion, a newspaper that often spoofs the Bush administration, and has asked it to stop using the presidential seal on its Web site.
The seal was still on the Web site www.theonion.com on Tuesday at the spot where President George W. Bush's weekly radio address is parodied.
With headlines like "Bush To Appoint Someone To Be In Charge Of Country" and "Bush Subconsciously Sizes Up Spain For Invasion," The Onion is popular with readers looking for a little laughter with their politics.
White House spokesman Trent Duffy said people who work in the executive mansion do have a sense of humor, but not when it comes to breaking regulations.
"When any official sign or seal is being used inappropriately the party is notified," Duffy said.
"You cannot pick and choose where to enforce that rule. It's important that the seal or any White House insignia not be used inappropriately," he said.
Duffy said while he does not personally read The Onion, he admitted knowing others in the White House who do. "Like everyone else, we like a good laugh."
Scott Dikkers, editor-in-chief of the satirical newspaper, said its lawyer disagrees with the White House assessment.
"I've been seeing the presidential seal used in comedy programs most of my life and to my knowledge none of them have been asked not to use it by the White House," Dikkers said.
"I would advise them to look for that other guy Osama (bin Laden) ... rather than comedians. I don't think we pose much of a threat," Dikkers said.
― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Thursday, 27 October 2005 03:31 (twenty years ago)
That's pretty funny actually, because it definitely sounds like retaliation, and yet it's this totally impotent, sour grapes kind of retaliation that doesn't actually have an effect on anything. "Meh, you can't use my symbol!"
― Hurting (Hurting), Thursday, 27 October 2005 03:43 (twenty years ago)
I saw this article in the paper and my first thought was hardly outrage at the fascist White House, but rather, oh, yeah...the Onion. I used to have a subscription in HARD COPY. Does anyone read it anymore? This is the best thing that ever could have happened to them. Moving away from Madison killed them in my eyes.
― EComplex (EComplex), Thursday, 27 October 2005 04:00 (twenty years ago)
Moving away from Madison killed them in my eyes.Eh... Look at it as Wisconsin infiltrating the rest of the world, not the reverse-- maybe you'll feel better about it then. "This is the best thing that ever could have happened to them"-- sorry, that's condescending bullshit and you know it. (And you get no cool points from this Wisconsin native for owning a subscription to it in hard copy. Why the fuck weren't you picking it up every week for the ads like everybody else, if you're so hot on bigging up Madison? I've been amused to go through several waves of people around me discovering the shit for themselves-- when did you come into the picture, anyway?) E.g., the A.V. Club still has the most solid film reviews of any paper anywhere, even though I'm not always sure about Tasha Robinson in that regard, I must admit.
― Chris F. (servoret), Saturday, 29 October 2005 07:44 (twenty years ago)
One of my fave reviews was for
Jackass: The Movie, where I got the idea that the guys on the staff deliberately sent Tasha to review it just to get a chick going on about how she didn't get it.
...After the first half-hour of Jackass: The Movie drones by, and the none-too-novel novelty of uncensored swearing wears off, audience members are likely to feel like they're right there in the picture, suffering for no reason and trying to pretend it's funny.
― kingfish orange creamsicle (kingfish 2.0), Saturday, 29 October 2005 15:24 (twenty years ago)