The Onion claims, with some legitimacy given the lack of competition, to be "America's Finest News Source." However, their AV Club section has an article this week -- "The Darrin Effect: 20 jarring cases of recast roles" -- that amazingly makes no mention of the most diabolically brilliant example of recast roles: Mr. Slate on the Flintstones originally was short with a mustache and then he become tall and clean shaven. I didn't really get the joke until years later -- when theSimpsons spoofed the opening of the Flintstones -- but clearly the Flintstones was mocking the "Darrin Effect" in cartoon form. True genius.
One of the better pieces from the Onion recently -- Latest Cheney Tape May Contain Evidence Of His Whereabouts -- bears some resemblance to a piece I wrote with Bob Jensen (though the idea came from a talk with Jon Schwarz) back in 2003, when Bush went to Iraq during Thanksgiving, "New Bush Tape Raises Fears of Attacks."
But the Onion did have a couple of priceless lines:
"That video's a fake," said Bethesda, MD citizen Blake Bresler. "This Cheney looks fatter, and his lip snarl is on the wrong side." ...[originally published at husseini.org on July 19, 2008]"The only reason that this madman is still out there is because the previous administration messed up," said Richmond, VA resident Curt Meredith. "Bill Clinton should have killed him when he had the chance."