June 7, 2002

6:38 AM

Subtleties of American Satire Lost on the Chinese. Bejing's most popular newspaper runs an article from The Onion as fact.
posted by crunchland (56 comments total)

You mean their stories aren't true? My world is shaken.
posted by adampsyche at 6:42 AM on June 7, 2002

A few weeks ago, the newsreader on the Bob and Tom syndicated morning radio show unwittingly re-reported an Onion story that said South Dakota was "seriously considering" putting Mount Rushmore on its state quarter. It was obvious that she didn't realize the story was parody.

For our non-Yank friends, the United States is honoring its 50 states by minting quarters whose tails-side honors a particular state. The quarter honoring North Carolina, for example, has the usual portrait of Washington on the front, and a picture of the Wright Brothers' first plane on the other side because Wilbur and Orville Wright built the plane in their hometown of Dayton, Ohio, traveled to a dune in North Carolina, flew the plane briefly, then headed back home to Ohio. North Carolina is very proud of this achievement, which is portrayed on its license plates, too. The quarters of other states portray rock formations, big trees, and so on. Five quarters are issued annually in the order of the states' admission to the Union.
posted by Holden at 6:53 AM on June 7, 2002

How did they work out who was first among equals for the original thirteen?
posted by vbfg at 7:10 AM on June 7, 2002

How did they work out who was first among equals for the original thirteen?

By the order in which they ratified the constitution.
posted by andrewraff at 7:12 AM on June 7, 2002

North Carolina, a bunch of lazy, opportunistic, ne'er do wells! I can't believe they keep taking credit for flight, rather than giving credit where credit is due.

Bastards.
posted by insomnyuk at 7:17 AM on June 7, 2002

Holden - can you point to that Onion story? I've searched for it at their site and can't find it. I'm asking, since I haven't seen the story, because I don't understand the nature of the parody. Mt. Rushmore is in South Dakota and unless that's not the point of the parody, is certainly believable. If you meant to say North Dakota, then I get it totally.
posted by cowboy at 7:23 AM on June 7, 2002

Really, insomnyuk. Ohio has so little to be proud of, other than it's excellent and abundant supply of fresh water, North Carolina, with its beautiful beaches, history, and proximity to interesting cities, should let poor old Ohio have something.
posted by Faze at 7:26 AM on June 7, 2002

cowboy -- i think the idea is that there is NOTHING ELSE that south dakota could possibly even begin to think about putting on the quarter. if i remember correctly, it was one of the short news pieces on the front page. i could be wrong, though.
posted by pikachulolita at 7:26 AM on June 7, 2002

you mean Ohio isn't the Heart of it All?
posted by Mick at 7:29 AM on June 7, 2002

Well, it didn't take long for this to get derailed, did it?
posted by crunchland at 7:29 AM on June 7, 2002

Ohio got back by using the slogan "birthplace of aviation." Their quarter shows an astronaut and an airplane. (As it is the birthplace of the Wright Brothers, John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, and 22 other astronauts..)
posted by jennak at 7:29 AM on June 7, 2002

Right you are, pikachulolita. BTW, that would make a great band name. It would really freak out parents.
posted by Holden at 7:29 AM on June 7, 2002

Oh come on, crunchland....how long can we have a conversation about a Bejing paper reporting an Onion article as fact? There's only so many times you can say "amazing!"
posted by jennak at 7:30 AM on June 7, 2002

Let's pick on crunchland and derail this discussion into yet another direction!
posted by Holden at 7:32 AM on June 7, 2002

Yeah. Coins are much more interesting. I should have figured out how to work that angle into the opening post. My mistake.
posted by crunchland at 7:32 AM on June 7, 2002

there is NOTHING ELSE that south dakota could possibly even begin to think about putting on the quarter.

isn't tom brokaw from SD? :) two headed coin!
posted by kliuless at 7:35 AM on June 7, 2002

there is NOTHING ELSE that south dakota could possibly even begin to think about putting on the quarter.

Don't forget Wall Drug
posted by keli at 7:43 AM on June 7, 2002

Hey! I had a good time in SD!

There's Woonsocket (you like watermelons dontcha?), all those Wall Drug signs, the good ol' Sturgiss Rally, a petrified forest, , The Badlands and of course the aforementioned big ugly heads ;-)

I fell in love with America in SD *sigh*

Go SD!
posted by i_cola at 7:55 AM on June 7, 2002

and crazy horse! oh and custer's last stand. what was his first name again? :)
posted by kliuless at 7:59 AM on June 7, 2002

That's Sturgis BTW.

(Actually, I fell in love as I flew in over Long Island but why let that get in the way?)
posted by i_cola at 8:01 AM on June 7, 2002

And don't forget the Pine Ridge Reservation, where Leonard Peltier is accused of killing FBI agents.
posted by keli at 8:08 AM on June 7, 2002

Ohio is the birthplace of more presidents than any other state. Of course, none many are modern presidents...you guys are going to want me to prove that aren't you. I guess I'll have to find a source.... here's one ... and apparently I'm wrong although I thought William Henry Harrison was from ohio. He's buried here anyway.
posted by srw12 at 8:18 AM on June 7, 2002

Nope. I'm sorry. The Corn Palace should grace the quarter's backside. Er, so to speak.
posted by billder at 8:19 AM on June 7, 2002

This motto should go on the State of Ohio quarter: "Ohio, a comfortable easy place to live."
posted by Faze at 8:21 AM on June 7, 2002

This motto should go on the State of Ohio quarter: "Ohio, a comfortable easy place to live."
posted by Faze at 8:21 AM on June 7, 2002

I feel obliged to point out that the subtleties of American satire are often lost on the Americans. Falling for an Onion spoof has a lot more to do with weak fact-checking than with cultural differences...

...still, it is evidence of their influence that my first thought on reading the Reuters story was "this is just silly - it sounds like something the Onion would print".
posted by Mars Saxman at 8:34 AM on June 7, 2002

"Ohio: round on both ends and high in the middle!"
posted by straight at 8:35 AM on June 7, 2002

Falling for an Onion spoof has a lot more to do with weak fact-checking than with cultural differences...

Yes and no. I might have to do a fact check if you told me the Chinese government wanted to move to a bigger building and that various regions of the country were competing for the opportunity to build the new government seat. But there's no way I would believe that Congress was seriously considering that. Not necessarily a cultural difference as my own ignorance of the way the Chinese feel about their government buildings.
posted by straight at 8:39 AM on June 7, 2002

Isn't Ohio the state with the highest no. of smokers & the highest rates of heart disease? Altho' someone from Wisconsin told me that & they may have been trying to deflect some flack ;-)

I phreaked a payphone in Ohio...
posted by i_cola at 8:40 AM on June 7, 2002

(michigan wants toledo back)
posted by clavdivs at 8:43 AM on June 7, 2002

Mars:

I feel obliged to point out that the subtleties of American satire are often lost on the Americans. Falling for an Onion spoof has a lot more to do with weak fact-checking than with cultural differences...

Nicely put, Mars. I think, though, that if you are a Murrican, then it should likely not even *get* to the fact checking stage; you ought to trip out on it instantly...

In fact, "that sounds like something from the Onion" has become widespread enough an observation that they're on the verge of becoming a cultural institution, as the Harvard Lampoon was a couple of decades back...
posted by baylink at 8:47 AM on June 7, 2002

clavdivs:A snip at £450.00 ($630.00)
posted by i_cola at 8:49 AM on June 7, 2002

kliuless: The Battle of Little Bighorn, a.k.a. (George Armstrong) Custer's last stand was near Crow Agency, MT so cross that one off the list.
posted by jacobsee at 8:51 AM on June 7, 2002

(to clavdivs: hell no, we won't go)
posted by GeekAnimator at 8:52 AM on June 7, 2002

i_cola: New York has the highest rate of heart disease, but Kentucky, including parts of southern ohio, and parts of west virginia, is nicknamed Coronary Valley. So maybe it is the heart of it all.

(michigan wants toledo back)

Just try and take it, punk.

And straight, thanks for that, it reminds me of elementary school.

Faze: either you really like Ohio, or you are jealous of our high living standards, fresh water, and lack of earthquakes, hurricanes, and shark attacks.
posted by insomnyuk at 8:57 AM on June 7, 2002

Michigan wants Toledo more than Ohio wants Toledo. The General Assembly in Columbus takes great pleasure in shafting Toledo -- that is, when they're not ignoring Toledo. Frogtown should secede!
posted by Holden at 9:12 AM on June 7, 2002

"Holy Toledo, Dad!"
posted by straight at 9:41 AM on June 7, 2002

So, the Germans just moved their capital/capitol in the last couple years right? And based on some of what I've seen of new European architecture, I can imagine a capitol with a retractable roof. Probably expressing some neat environmental principles, though also presenting unique security risks. I vote plausible.
posted by Wood at 9:47 AM on June 7, 2002

A recent CNN story had an almost-an-Onion headline: Monkey Brains Move Cursor. The story of the internet ....
posted by dhartung at 9:51 AM on June 7, 2002

how do the chinese seriously think they can take over the world if they fall for this baloney over and over?

nukes arent enough, knuckleheads!
posted by tsarfan at 10:02 AM on June 7, 2002

What if monkey brains could launch Chinese nukes at the U.S. Capitol after it was moved to Toledo? That would be something!
posted by Holden at 10:14 AM on June 7, 2002

Now, if only you could work in the quarters, I think you'd really have something.
posted by crunchland at 10:20 AM on June 7, 2002

thanks jacobsee! i guess MT and SD weren't even states then. huh.

i was just looking at xenia's website, pretty bitchin' :)
posted by kliuless at 10:21 AM on June 7, 2002

Would they be launching the nukes at the new Toledo Capitol, or one of the original capitols in Philadelphia, New York City, or Washington D.C.?

This article is especially ironic/funny/timely, since we are talking about The Onion and journalism.
posted by insomnyuk at 10:22 AM on June 7, 2002

Bah, Xenia's got nothing on my hometown. They're like, 15 minutes east, in the middle of nowhere. If Toledo goes, I say send Xenia with them. (and their tornado problems)
posted by insomnyuk at 10:24 AM on June 7, 2002

heh. just noticed my hometown. these ci.city.state.us sites are great :)

send 'em over i say!
posted by kliuless at 10:37 AM on June 7, 2002

If the reporter believed the Capitol story, did he or she also believe
Sexual Tension Between Arafat, Sharon Reaches Breaking Point and CNN Graphic Designer Asked To Combine Dollar Sign, Syringe, Fighter Jets, Panda?

Weak. Although the last one isn't too far off.
posted by swift at 11:38 AM on June 7, 2002

Ohio is the birthplace of more presidents than any other state [but] apparently I'm wrong

Not wrong by much, srw12. Ohio has given us 7 presidents, and Virginia 8. But Virginia's include 7 of the first 12, so I would give Ohio the edge since we got past the Civil War. And Taft (#27) alone probably weighed more than any two Virginia presidents put together.
posted by lelilo at 11:39 AM on June 7, 2002

(michigan will settle for the triumph toledo)
posted by clavdivs at 12:08 PM on June 7, 2002

The Bush Administration’s campaign of disinformation must be working.
posted by Bag Man at 2:22 PM on June 7, 2002

quarters + nukes = . They're not bombing Toledo, but you could pretend pretty easily.
posted by zpousman at 2:26 PM on June 7, 2002

(charge, check or cash sir?)
posted by i_cola at 4:16 PM on June 7, 2002

(taft counts for 3 presidents, easily)
posted by epersonae at 5:15 PM on June 7, 2002

(let see, 6 million in booze sales for toledo mainly from detroiters when michigan went dry over a year before the volstead act, the booze was worth roughly a million ((gets abacus)) ok, You guys buy the triumph, give us back Kindall and we will not 'tail-gate naked' to Columbus...will toss in a BBQ at Charelton Hestons house. (BYOG)
posted by clavdivs at 5:30 PM on June 7, 2002

I think the real problem here is that the origional artical was completly unfunny, thereby causing confusion.
posted by delmoi at 6:33 PM on June 7, 2002

a-r-t-i-c-l-e

that's twice now, and I will tolerate nothing less than excellence in a thread where Ohio is mentioned in the same breath
posted by insomnyuk at 9:52 PM on June 7, 2002