www.theonion.com
The Onion
www.theonion.com
Most people read the paper to get the news, the facts. For
readers of “The Onion,” however, the truth is one of
the last things you’ll get. According to its Web site,
“The Onion” (www.theonion.com), is the most
popular humor periodical in the world and after one look at the
opening page, it’s no wonder why. Full of pop cultural
parodies, the stories contained on site deal with issues in the
media today, but not in the same manner of other publications. For
instance, the first story of their “News In Brief”
involves the Olympics, something very timely, considering the
recent games in Australia. This story, however, does not list the
newest gold medal winners, or latest gymnastics drama. Instead, Web
viewers get a comical story on how the International Olympic
Committee is launching an investigation into the accusations that
Olympic viewers are using various narcotics to enable them to sit
through the games ““ not quite what might be expected. It is
important for viewers to remember that these stories are far from
the truth, at least theoretically, and are more like April
Fool’s jokes. The authors of these tall tales make up the
content of their stories, giving the issue a pop cultural
sarcastic, cynical twist that provides laughs for just about
anyone. Not all stories on the site are up to date. Some are just
plain funny, such as one titled, “Bathroom Smells Like
Shit.” Coming to readers from Galena Park, Texas, this
article focuses on a supposed incident in which someone takes a
foul dump in the men’s rest room of an office building.
“The Onion’s” main Web site has links to
locations where their actual newspaper can be purchased, like
Barnes and Noble and Borders. It also lists radio stations where
some of their 30-second newscasts are broadcasted. Onion fans can
also sign up for a subscription for $50 for a year, which includes
46 issues, as well as various Onion merchandise. “The
Onion” published its own book, “Our Dumb
Century,” a New York Times No. 1 best seller, as well as
winner of the 1999 Thurber Prize for American Humor, that you can
buy off the site. T-shirts, mugs and bumper stickers are also
available. Not recommended for viewers under 18 years of age,
www.theonion.com is great for laughs when the seriousness of the
world is just too much.
Barbara McGuire Rating: 8
Pop Gossip on the Net
www.popgossiponthenet
Gossip is a staple in the world of the rich and famous, fueling
tabloids like Star and sometimes even boosting the popularity of
the stars in the headlines. At www.popgossiponthenet.com, a
viewer can catch up on all the latest star gossip without even
leaving their home to go to the grocery store for the newest
tabloid. Though containing stories that are not as flashy as some
tabloids, this site features quick, short articles on music stars,
namely regulars on MTV’s Total Request Live. The articles are
short, easy to read and seem to feature more factual information,
as opposed to rumors heard from a mother’s cousin’s
best friend’s dog. The news is updated daily and consists of
stories dealing with what various stars are up to. For instance, a
viewer can find a story on how *NSYNC is going to make an
appearance on “The Simpsons” later this season, which
seems not too gossipy. Then you can learn about how Moby is
attempting to stop the release of a porn film called
“Porno” which he shot with once good friend Paul Yates,
a story that screams rumor. After clicking on the title of an
article, visitors are also provided with additional links to other
articles the site has run on that artist. After clicking on the
latest Eminem drama, one can find an array of other stories the
site has run on him, such as how his wife filed a $10 million
lawsuit against him, as well as how he may play a cop killer in an
upcoming Denzel Washington movie. Besides having up-to-date stories
on the happenings in famous music artists’ lives, the site
also has two other categories. “Regulars” features
listings of the Billboard Top 10, as well as “Artists A to
Z,” where a listing of many popular artists can be found with
links to their Web sites. The second category,
“Profiles,” features biographies on various pop stars.
Provided with the profiles is a photo, corresponding information
and tidbits fans may like to know about their favorite star, such
as sign, birthday, etc., as well as a short story of the
artist’s past. A teenybopper obsessed site,
www.popgossiponthenet.com may not be for everybody. The scope of
music stars featured is limited to the pop genre and many of the
stories seemed to be dedicated to the current and late members of
the Spice Girls. Regardless, the site holds true to its name,
providing inside information on musical stars that you won’t
find in the local paper.
Barbara McGuire Rating: 5
Vibe
www.vibe.com
Vibe supercedes its printed version as a site so comprehensive
that a viewer could spend hours investigating just one link.
Stories on any hit hip-hop artist can be found here, as well as
movie and sports information. The site’s opening page is full
of scrolling story headlines which viewers can click on to get
transferred to the story. This page contains photos of various
artists who are featured on the site and has so much going on that
it’s easy to become lost. “Vibewire” is the first
listed link and is useful in providing links to what the vibe
considers “Today’s Headlines.” Stories here are
newsy as well as entertainment related, ranging from a story on how
Boston Celtic Paul Pierce was stabbed at a club, to a feature on
“Urban Legends: The Final Cut.” Another interesting
link is “Virtual Revolutions,” which contains reviews
of the latest CDs released by hip-hop artists as well as sound
clips of a few of the songs on the actual CD. Artists such as
C-Murder, KRS-One and Wyclef Jean are just a few of the
comprehensive listing. The site also features more than just a text
for its feature stories. Under the link “Vibe A/V,” a
viewer can find not only an interesting story on hip-hop artists
such as LL Cool J and Lil’ Kim, but also video clips from the
actual interview the writer had with the artist. Such perks are
what seem to make this site worth looking at over the actual
magazine. Featuring articles and information on today’s most
popular African American stars, www.vibe.com is a useful site,
providing interesting stories, as well as photos, sound and video
clips. Web viewers get a taste of just about every bit of
entertainment media on www.vibe.com.
Barbara McGuire Rating: 8