SatireWire
Encyclopedia
From 1999 to 2002, and restarted in 2010 SatireWire is one of the most popular news satire
websites on the Internet. Based in Connecticut
and founded by Andrew Marlatt, the site aimed its satire
at politics
, business
, the media
, and current events, and spawned Marlatt's 2002 book
Economy of Errors (Random House
), which was a parody
of the rise and fall of the Internet
economy
and the stock market
.
During its initial run, SatireWire, like its peer The Onion
, was regularly nominated for the Webby Awards
, and its stories were continuously emailed around the Internet, most notably a story entitled "China
, Libya
, Syria
form Axis of Just as Evil" in response to President
George W. Bush
's "Axis of Evil
" speech. This story was also included in Salman Rushdie's 2002 book Step Across This Line. Many SatireWire pieces were also published by magazines and newspapers such as the Washington Post, Fortune, and the National Post
. While its subjects were wide-ranging, SatireWire is perhaps best remembered for its business
humor, including the 2001 story "Sally Struthers
Begs You to Save the Dot-Coms" http://www.satirewire.com/features/savedotcoms/sally.shtml, written in response to the collapse of Internet
stocks, "Remaining U.S. CEOs Make a Break for It," about a band of roving CEOs who plunder their way to the Mexican
border
, http://www.satirewire.com/news/june02/ceonistas.shtml and "Religious Merger Creates 900 Million Hinjews." http://www.satirewire.com/news/may02/hinjews.shtml
Marlatt left SatireWire to write comedy
for the BBC
, among others. In January 2006, he served as a member of the judging panel for the HumorFeed
Satire News Awards.
In 2010 Marlatt brought the site back and began writing new content.
News satire
thumb|right|220px|[[The Daily Show with Jon Stewart]] is a news satire program.News satire, also called fake news , is a type of parody presented in a format typical of mainstream journalism, and called a satire because of its content...
websites on the Internet. Based in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
and founded by Andrew Marlatt, the site aimed its satire
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
at politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
, the media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
, and current events, and spawned Marlatt's 2002 book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
Economy of Errors (Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
), which was a parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of the rise and fall of the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
economy
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and the stock market
Stock market
A stock market or equity market is a public entity for the trading of company stock and derivatives at an agreed price; these are securities listed on a stock exchange as well as those only traded privately.The size of the world stock market was estimated at about $36.6 trillion...
.
During its initial run, SatireWire, like its peer The Onion
The Onion
The Onion is an American news satire organization. It is an entertainment newspaper and a website featuring satirical articles reporting on international, national, and local news, in addition to a non-satirical entertainment section known as The A.V. Club...
, was regularly nominated for the Webby Awards
Webby Awards
A Webby Award is an international award presented annually by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences for excellence on the Internet with categories in websites, interactive advertising, online film and video, and mobile....
, and its stories were continuously emailed around the Internet, most notably a story entitled "China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
form Axis of Just as Evil" in response to President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's "Axis of Evil
Axis of evil
"Axis of evil" is a term initially used by the former United States President George W. Bush in his State of the Union Address on January 29, 2002 and often repeated throughout his presidency, describing governments that he accused of helping terrorism and seeking weapons of mass destruction...
" speech. This story was also included in Salman Rushdie's 2002 book Step Across This Line. Many SatireWire pieces were also published by magazines and newspapers such as the Washington Post, Fortune, and the National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
. While its subjects were wide-ranging, SatireWire is perhaps best remembered for its business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
humor, including the 2001 story "Sally Struthers
Sally Struthers
Sally Ann Struthers is an American actress and spokeswoman, best-known for her roles as Gloria Stivic on All in the Family, for which she won two Emmy awards, and as Babette on Gilmore Girls.-Personal life:...
Begs You to Save the Dot-Coms" http://www.satirewire.com/features/savedotcoms/sally.shtml, written in response to the collapse of Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
stocks, "Remaining U.S. CEOs Make a Break for It," about a band of roving CEOs who plunder their way to the Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
border
Border
Borders define geographic boundaries of political entities or legal jurisdictions, such as governments, sovereign states, federated states and other subnational entities. Some borders—such as a state's internal administrative borders, or inter-state borders within the Schengen Area—are open and...
, http://www.satirewire.com/news/june02/ceonistas.shtml and "Religious Merger Creates 900 Million Hinjews." http://www.satirewire.com/news/may02/hinjews.shtml
Marlatt left SatireWire to write comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, among others. In January 2006, he served as a member of the judging panel for the HumorFeed
HumorFeed
HumorFeed is a satire and humor news aggregator website founded in 2003 by Bill Doty and Uncle Sharky, who brought together a group of around 20 news satire webmasters. It displays headlines submitted by its members in a list generated daily in an RSS feed which many members also include on their...
Satire News Awards.
In 2010 Marlatt brought the site back and began writing new content.