First they were a satirical newspaper. Then they created a parody of Buzzfeed called ClickHole. Next was a take on VICE with EDGEtv. Now, The Onion is taking on TMZ with StarWipe, its new gossip site. The site proves to “stand out amongst the throng of shallow-minded, insolent, Hollywood-obsessed reporting” by being just like the sites it mocks. Interestingly enough StarWipe reads more like a reference piece than a satire. Articles link to real websites and other publications indicating a more tongue in cheek aesthetic than a parodic website. "Pink Opens Up About Eating Meat Again And, By God, We’re Going To Squeeze 400 Words Out Of It" is just an example of the type of humor one is bound to see when perusing the StarWipe. The Onion's other ventures are very popular so there's hope for this one too.
The Onion to peel away at 'VICE'
After being successful in their take on clickbait driven site Buzzfeed with equally clickbait driven site ClickHole, The Onion is ready to capitalize on its next great venture: VICE, an HBO documentary series derived from the website that looks at the impoverished regions of the world and other serious topics. The Onion is calling its new in-house Onion Studios parody series EDGE. According to The Hollywood Reporter, most of the series was shot in May and the first few episodes are due out next week. The Onion's VP of production, George Zwierzynski Jr., says the company is highly competitive when it comes to satirical media: "VICE is wrought with a distinct self-confidence, which of course gets our writers salivating." Not only does EDGE join the likes of ClickHole, the two are in the company of other comedically driven parodies such as Onion Sportsdome (Sportscenter), Onion News Network (CNN), Onion Talks (TED Talks), Sex House (Big Brother) and others.