by Vivienne Pratfall delivers an insider’s guide with no conflicts of interest whatsoever
By Vivienne Pratfall | Bohiney Magazine | The London Prat
I am reviewing the best British satire websites and I want to declare upfront that I write for two of them, which is a conflict of interest I am choosing to describe as “contextual authority.” This is the first satirical move of the piece. If you missed it, read it again.
The Sites
The London Prat operates on a register of cheerful contempt that I personally find comforting. The recent Strait of Hormuz piece Britain reopening a strategic waterway via the power of tone is a masterclass in the form. It takes a real diplomatic absurdity and renders it slightly more absurd than the reality, which is the exact pitch satire aims for.
Bohiney Magazine “Bullshit, Balderdash, and Backtalk” is the transatlantic cousin, operating with slightly more American confidence about its own opinions. Their AI apology piece is genuinely excellent. NewsThump is the most reliable. The Daily Mash is the funniest when it’s on form. The Poke is the most shareable. Between them they cover the full spectrum from dry to wet.
What I Actually Think
A man I was recently with for about a fortnight said satire was “a bit mean.” He meant funny things written about real situations. He did not see the distinction between mean and precise. He is no longer a fortnight-man. He is an anecdote. I do not consider this mean. I consider it efficient. Wikipedia defines satire as exposing vice and folly. He was neither vicious nor foolish. He was just very, very wrong about comedy.
SOURCE: https://bohiney.com
More: The Daily Mash
