The Onion Now Owns Infowars, Because Reality's Ridiculousness Finally Outpaced Satire
With this acquisition, The Onion takes aim at misinformation from the inside out.
The Onion now owns Infowars.
Yes, the satirical masterminds behind headlines like “‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens” now own the conspiracy factory that brought us tales of government mind control and—because irony is dead—the despicable claim that the Sandy Hook massacre was a hoax. If you’re experiencing a blend of shock, amusement, and a dash of existential dread, well, that’s just 2024 for you, baby.
Infowars, the site that has spent years peddling lies about everything from mass shootings to water that supposedly “turns the frogs gay,” is now under the control of The Onion. In a twist that’s almost too perfect, satire has literally swallowed the very absurdities it once parodied, creating a loop of irony that could short-circuit reality itself.
Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion’s parent company, Global Tetrahedron, told The New York Times, “We thought this would be a hilarious joke. This is going to be our answer to this no-guardrails world where there are no gatekeepers, and everything’s kind of insane.” Well, mission accomplished, Ben.
But don’t get lost in the punchline. This isn’t just a corporate prank. It’s poetic justice. For years, platforms like Infowars have been ground zero for some of the most harmful lies and conspiracies, many of which fueled real-world harm. The Onion taking control isn’t (just) funny; it’s an act of media accountability and a reminder that traditional media often fails to hold figures like Jones accountable.
Robbie Parker, whose daughter Emilie was tragically killed in the Sandy Hook shooting, expressed his relief in a statement to the Times: “The dissolution of Alex Jones’s assets and the death of Infowars is the justice we have long awaited and fought for.”
By taking over Infowars, The Onion is doing more than just mocking conspiracy theories from afar—they’re seizing the very platform that amplified them, turning a megaphone for lies into a satirical soapbox, and bringing scrutiny to the types of bizarre and harmful narratives that used to flow freely on Infowars.
Maybe it’s fitting that a satirical outlet stepped in to highlight just how absurd things have become. We’ve all had that moment of double-checking whether a ridiculous headline is from The Onion or a legitimate news source, only to find—nope, that’s real. The lines have blurred, not because satire has gotten wilder but because reality itself has gone off the rails.
This moment didn’t happen in a vacuum. We’re living in an era where people regularly mistake Onion headlines for actual news, and it’s not because The Onion has become more outrageous—it’s because the real world has. So, when satire becomes an effective tool for exposing truth, it’s a sign that traditional media needs to do some serious soul-searching.
John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, told the Times, “This was an opportunity for us to give The Onion the facts, the storytelling, the data, and the research that’s at our fingertips. And for them to give us the creativity of how to turn all of that information into new messaging to a new audience.”
In an ideal world, we wouldn’t need a satirical publication to bring attention to the realities of gun violence. But here we are, relying on humor to cut through the noise of misinformation.
The Onion’s acquisition is more than a clever corporate publicity stunt; it’s a form of accountability. Alex Jones built an empire on fear, lies, and the suffering of others. By stripping him of his platform, the families and The Onion are performing a public service. Transforming Infowars into a tool for exposing the absurdity of such lies might be one of the most effective ways to combat the spread of harmful misinformation.
Chris Mattei, attorney for the Sandy Hook families, told the Associated Press, “Our clients knew that true accountability meant an end to Infowars and an end to Jones’ ability to spread lies, pain and fear at scale.”
So, where does this leave us? For one, it highlights the need for responsible journalism and a more media-literate public. When satire serves as an accountability tool, traditional media needs to step up its game. If we’re looking to The Onion to keep people honest, it’s probably time for serious news to take a hard look at itself.
More accurate news coming from The Onion and The Babylon Bee than the NYT these days.
When I saw the news (from Ben Collins on bsky) my first thought was about the justice for the Sandy Hook families. And then I started thinking about how this could be a really interesting opportunity, and I'm looking forward to seeing what they decide to do with it.