The Onion angers George W
p2p news / p2pnet: White House bares teeth at The Onion and Onion bites back at White House are but two of the headlines inspired by the Cheney/Bush administration’s anger over an item in The Onion which, in turn, has been know to carry its own headlines, such as CIA Asks Bush To Discontinue Blog, Bush Begins Hunger Strike To Protest Human-Rights Abuses In Nepal and Bush To Appoint Someone To Be In Charge Of Country.
The latter story leads to, “In response to increasing criticism of his handling of the war in Iraq and the disaster in the Gulf Coast, as well as other issues, such as Social Security reform, the national deficit, and rising gas prices, President Bush is expected to appoint someone to run the U.S. as soon as Friday.
” ‘During these tumultuous times, America is in need of a bold, resolute person who can get the job done,’ said Bush during a press conference Monday. ‘My fellow Americans, I assure you that I will appoint just such a person with all due haste’.”
“The Cabinet-level position, to be known as Secretary of the Nation, was established by an executive order Sept. 2, but has remained unfilled in the intervening weeks.”
But what really upset Dick and George was The Onion’s use of the presidential seal which promoted a White House missive, says Doug Moe in The Capital Times, going on to quote it:
To Whom It May Concern:
It has come to my attention that The Onion is using the Presidential Seal on its Web site,” it continues.
I write to inform you that use of the Presidential Seal is governed by Section 713 of Title 18, United States Code and Executive Order 11649. In accordance with these authorities, the Presidential Seal is not to be used in connection with commercial ventures or products in any way that suggests presidential support or endorsement. While certain exceptions are applicable to these policies, an organization must seek approval from the Office of Counsel to the President. We have no record of your company seeking such approval.
Therefore, please remove the Presidential Seal from your Web site immediately. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Moe says The Onion, “took the White House letter seriously enough to have its Madison lawyer, Rochelle H. Klaskin of La Follette, Godfrey & Kahn, write a letter back, though she addressed it ‘Dear Mr. Dixon’ (the White House guy’s name was Dixton), perhaps a shot back at ‘To Whom It May Concern.’ Klaskin wrote: ‘Readers of The Onion know that its incidental use of the Presidential Seal and its complementary parody of the president’s weekly radio address are not meant to convey sponsorship but, on the contrary, to serve as political commentary.’
“Klaskin wrote that no one could think the president sponsors or approves The Onion, pointing to the lead headline in the Oct. 13-19 Onion as proof: ‘Bush to Appoint Someone to Be in Charge of Country.’
“Dikkers, the editor, wrote the White House lawyer too, also getting his name wrong.
Dear Mr. Dixon,
I greatly appreciate your comments regarding my Weekly Radio Address parody. But I’m surprised the president deems it wise to spend taxpayer money for his lawyer to write letters to The Onion.
If you have a lot of extra money lying around that you don’t know what to do with, here are some better ideas for spending it:
1. How about a tax break for satirists?
2. With indictments in ‘Plamegate’ forthcoming, perhaps a nice going-away present for Karl Rove, Scooter Libby, Vice President Cheney, or whoever the president may be firing. I recommend a subscription to The Onion.
3. It has recently become obvious that there is need for some sort of federal organization to administer the management of emergencies – a hypothetical ‘Federal Emergency Management Administration,’ if you will. You could spend the money on that.
4. Harriet Miers could really use a scholarship to some kind of rudimentary judge school.
“In the event there’s any extra money left over after all these projects, then perhaps the president could justify paying lawyers to protect him from comedians,” adds The Capital.
“It’s not a lifelong feud yet, but it’s a start.”
The pic at top right is from The Onion’s Bush To Appoint Someone To Be In Charge Of Country story and is captioned, Bush presents his shortlist for the Secretary of the Nation post.
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See:-
latter story – Bush To Appoint Someone To Be In Charge Of Country, October 12, 2005
The Capital Times – Onion bites back at White House, October 25, 2005
October 27th, 2005 at 3:11 pm
Well maybe the Onion could use a dic… when talking about Clinton, no that would be too obvious.
It is against the LAW to use any government seal or symbol for other than official reasons. Obvious to those that have a brain why this is.
October 27th, 2005 at 4:40 pm
Uh… yeah, something’s obvious all right. Calm down there scarecrow.
October 27th, 2005 at 4:43 pm
get over yourself. get a sense of humour.
the presidential seal, the american flag, $100 bills, purple heart medals, and quite a few national monuments, buildings and symbols are used throughout these 2 popular jibjab films:
This Land
http://www.atomfilms.com/af/content/this_land_af
Good to be in DC!
http://www.atomfilms.com/af/content/goodtobeindc_af
i don’t recall jibjab being threatened.
jay leno, letterman and conan – and countless others – have used the seal in parodies, sitcoms and satires without being threatened.
October 27th, 2005 at 8:03 pm
Who doesn’t love The Onion? At rare times, The Onion is a quoted source seen in many places. In spite of its biting satire, it is so well written as to be quoted in many places on the net. Despite its outlandish claims that could only be taken in jest, some will actually believe whatever the topic of the day is, that it is not parody or satire but “the facts and nothing but the facts”. I have seen this time and again till someone goes and checks The Onion or does a search that shows it up. That isn’t a mark against The Onion, that is a mark against stupidity. Apparently, Bush fears stupidity far more than the facts.
That he lashes out at The Onion by gracing it with a threat of legal action (however veiled) is telling in and of itself.
One is that in the process of sending the legal missive, he has acknowlegded The Onion as a place that is paid attention to. Be sure that others will flood the site to see what all the foo-fa-raw is over. If The Onion was ever popular, it is no where as popular as it will be.
Another is that it leads one to the idea that the office of the presidency is looking for an attention diverter. With all time low approval rates and public disagreement over his policies, it is felt that this sort of diversion into bread and circus routine is nothing short of that. The Onion holds the place of innocent bystander with target of oppurtunity ranking. Bush has no one to blame for his policies but himself and his advisors. He holds public office, as such he has no right nor claim to privacy as a public figure. He has long shown that he chaffs at that idea. So much so that he considers nothing wrong with putting protesters off in a protest zone where they will neither be seen nor heard while supporters are on the front line to see him go by. No self-respecting terrorist would ever claim to be a protestor and be put away out of reach and sight of his proclaimed target. It only makes sense to the paranoid adminstration.
October 27th, 2005 at 10:04 pm
Good post! I disagree with one point.
“Bush fears stupidity far more than the facts.”
That dawg don’t hunt. Amazing stupidity on the part of “moral” conservatives, particularly the poor ones (and a heapin’ helpin’ o’ greed from the blue-blood and wanna-be-blue-blood camp) is what put georgie in office. Facts are what are shattering his administration and presidency as we “speak”. It is not stupidity that has come home to roost. Well, perhaps it never left…
October 27th, 2005 at 10:12 pm
3. It has recently become obvious that there is need for some sort of federal organization to administer the management of emergencies – a hypothetical ‘Federal Emergency Management Administration,’ if you will. You could spend the money on that.
That is freaking hillarious!!!!
October 28th, 2005 at 8:46 am
Hear Hear!
Well said ;o)
October 28th, 2005 at 8:53 am
yeah…and even dramas like west wing and commander in chief; movies like airforce one, dave, and many other use the seal and other symbols.
the set of west wing was designed by people who worked in the white house. is that infringement?
and don’t forget “that’s my bush!” – although we know king george got that canceled shortly after 911.
October 28th, 2005 at 8:57 am
They don’t honestly expect anyone to believe Dubya actually read and understood those articles, do they?
As if!