The Onion: Satirizing The Consumer Society

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The next big thing is always just around the corner! Adults and kids alike lined up to get the newest latest and greatest invention ever . . . MagnaSoles. Oh, wait, theses are not real. But The Onion does an excellent job of satirizing the consumer based society in America today. While satire and humor may be their specialty, this one seems to be uniformed to the ever growing, hundred year-old American consumer society quite well. The Onion uses irony, obvious falsehoods, and humor to satirize the American consumer society. Irony plays a major role in strengthening the argument of The Onion that America's society has gone ballistic over consumption. This article cites Helen Kuhn, a citizen of New Jersey, saying," I twisted my ankle something awful a few months ago, and the pain was so bad, I could barely walk a single step," and she goes on to say," But after wearing MagnaSoles for seven weeks, I've noticed a significant decrease in pain and can now walk comfortably." This statement contradicts itself in a few ironic ways. MagnaSoles are designed to be walked in, but with "barely walking a single step," Kuhn …show more content…

Humor can often be vulgar or ridiculous, but in this case it is slightly ambiguous as well. Another impressed consumer of MagnaSoles, Geoff DeAngelis, states," Why should I pay thousands of dollars to have my spine realigned with physical therapy when I can pay 20$ for insoles clearly endorsed by an intelligent looking man in a white lab coat." This statement is down right ridiculous, which helps to convey the authors thesis that much more. The audience cringes at the though of an unauthorized," intelligent looking man in a white lab coat," handing out any kind of treatment for disease or pain. This statement also conveys how any easy looking path is better than a long endured, hardship driven path to real comfort. While laughable, this statement brings out how consumers really want to just have an easier

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