The Onion buys rightwing conspiracy theory site Infowars with plans to make it ‘very funny, very stupid’

Up for grabs at the auction were Infowars production rights and materials, the Infowars store, domain names, production equipment and other assets — including a Terradyne armored truck and a Winnebago motor home — that can be purchased in their entirety or in parts, according to the firm, ThreeSixty Asset Advisors. Jones broadcasts from the Austin, Texas, area.

I hope they own Jones' likeness to the point where they can give DJs the rights to remix his shouts into something of value.

One of the few good uses for generative AI I've seen.

Coming from a reformed conspiracy theorist, that was frighteningly good.

Big Essential Oil ruining the day again.

I thought Glenn Beck was satire. Watched it several times and then one day .. wait, that's not a joke?

"Do your swastikas send the right message to your neighbors? Maybe try this instead..."

A part of me actually wished that the Onion would have purchased InfoWars, but in secret, like maybe under a subsidiary corp that has a right-wing sounding name.

"Today we celebrate a new addition to the Global Tetrahedron LLC family of brands. "

don't change Infowars' branding

"Founded in 1999 ... InfoWars has distinguished itself as an invaluable tool for brainwashing and controlling the masses.

...

InfoWars has shown an unswerving commitment to manufacturing anger and radicalizing the most vulnerable members of society—values that resonate deeply with all of us at Global Tetrahedron.

No price would be too high for such a cornucopia of malleable assets and minds. ... a steep bargain: less than one trillion dollars."

I'm absolutely not disagreeing with you; I believe the onion will continue on doing "its thing" and keeping on-brand for both entities. Do exactly what you say and publish articles either believable or outlandish enough to break through to people

I don’t think they have to. People are going to consume it like it’s the same old. Inertia and assumption.

I still have OSINT on my podcast roll even though Bazzell quit. Maybe it’ll come back? I’m sure others have done the same.

Alanis Morrisette plays

Is that a Trump "Tim Apple" reference? I wouldn't have even noticed if you hadn't called it out.

OMG i can't stop giggling about it too

They're talking about the infowars desk.

I for one am excited to see what they are going to do with it.

"The rich intentionally causing global warming to make people have to use cars"

leftist themed nujob conspiracy mill

The Republican party is ripe for conspiracy theory targets.

Epstein had close ties with Trump and his attorney general Bill Barr (whose father hired Epstein to teach at a prestigious private high school without a college degree, where he was known for ogling the high school girls and showing up to parties where underage drinking was happening). The waitresses and hostesses at Trump's Mar a Lago were also regularly recruited to work at Epstein's island. Alex Acosta, the federal prosecutor who agreed to a secret plea deal where Epstein served a slap on the wrist in a local jail instead of real prison was later elevated to Trump's cabinet, as Labor Secretary.

Now, Trump has named another child sex trafficker as his nominee for Attorney General.

There are suspicious ties between the Saudi royal family and key members in Trump's orbit, including his son in law Jared Kushner. Elon Musk has been doing sketchy shit with the Saudis and the Russians, as well. Basically everyone in Trump's circle, including his nominee to be the director of national intelligence, has shady ties with foreign adversaries.

There's lots of other little things about financial profiteering by the Trump folks: an SBA COVID bailout that went to huge businesses, a move to privatize or sabotage the public postal service and the weather service to help the private competition, arbitrary or politically motivated regulations to help certain businesses while hurting others, etc.

I mean, it really wouldn't be hard.

Yes but slowly and using language they're familiar with. Lure them into it

I'm hoping for something similar to what The Colbert Report used to be.

That would be hilarious. I’d love for it to wind up just doing serious journalism

No idea. Maybe they'll keep it like the Gadsden Flag holdout libertarians? "We were here first" and all that.

Honestly, I was thinking about the people out there with tattoos. There has to be at least one.

I am waiting for the next episode to drop. Biggest episode ever.

Hasn't Trump appointed him head of media relations, or something equally as stupid?

like this?

and words too. Even words get to mean exactly their antonyms :/

And CNN

Memes come and go too fast for that.

Yeah, that's my point. The idiots visiting it won't get satire.

I’m glad you mentioned this, I just signed up for a year of print

Nah. They should just make sure the checks bounce.

You could accidentally create new conspiracies, that people legitimately believe.

it's when there are problems

Aside from the official licensing, you essentially just described Knowledge Fight.

Ok, but surgeon general would be hilarious

That's really amazing. Their joke article was hilarious even as a joke. But the fact that they really bought it is beautiful.

Their adherence to the technically correct is awe-inspiring.

One thing the headlines aren't mentioning is that the families actually even helped fund a portion of the Onion's bid.

In order to make the bid work, a lawyer representing the families told CNN that the families “agreed to forgo a portion of their recovery to increase the overall value of the Onion’s bid, enabling its success”.