TOW #11 - Onion Explains: International Drug Trade

For my TOW this week, I analyzed a visual text authored by The Onion in the form of a video.  This video dealt with explaining how international drug trade works.

The international drug trade is one of the most complex and layered problems facing America today.  Respected news agency The Onion recently released a video explaining the multifaceted issue to a wide audience.  Of course, The Onion is a satirical magazine that satirized the stereotypes of the international drug trade and the politicians who propose often-ridiculous ideas on how to limit this behavior.  Through the use of allusions to pop culture, and a serious tone in a professional manner, The Onion effectively satirizes this current event.

In the opening few seconds, the authors put up a picture eerily similar to the scenes of TV’s smash hit Breaking Bad in order to create a relatable form of satire for the large audience.  If The Onion used very advanced, wonky satire, no matter how clever or funny it may be, the audience will not understand and thus will be rendered ineffective.  The authors must use clever and creative ways to make fun of this issue, but it also must be somewhat ubiquitous so that at least most of their audience will understand the jokes presented.  By satirizing the stereotypes about the drug trade, many of which come from America’s obsessive viewing of Breaking Bad, from the platform of a television show, The Onion creates an effective and powerful satire that the entire audience can appreciate.

Throughout the 3 minute long clip, the narrator uses a professional-sounding tone and the images to go along with it are realistic and serious-looking.  By making the appearance as such, The Onion avoids making their satirical piece seem petty, silly, or goofy.  Yes, they are producing a fake story in order to elicit laughs, but they also understand that this is a serious issue and there is some merit to the message behind the video.  The video at one point states something along the lines of “in order to combat the drug trade, the US government should simply let American’s know of all of the household products that can get them just as high as commercial drugs.”  This satirizes some politician’s views that legalizing more drugs will slow the illegal drug trade and be a benefit to society as a whole.  So while The Onion developed this piece jokingly and with jovial intentions, they also were prudent enough to not make the entire issue a joke.  They had substance behind their humor.