Unveiling Reality's Curtain: The Art of Crafting Satire from Everyday Life

One of the channels I hold dear on YouTube is The Onion, especially their Onion News Network segment. They make up fake parody stories about real people, places, and things. However, they tweak it just enough that it barely rides the line of being something that wouldn’t surprise you to see in the real world.

15 years ago, they released a video mocking the release of the new MacBook Air.

Nevertheless, the channel ceased producing satirical content in 2016, leaving me nothing but their classic videos to revisit.

I speculate that concerns over the proliferation of misinformation on social media prompted the publication company to pull the plug. It seemed a preemptive move to prevent potential public uproar over their articles in the interest of national and global safety.

Instead of inundating the internet with daily reminders that its content was purely fictional, The Onion chose to halt its satire production. This led to instances like the one where a politician fell victim to internet ridicule nearly a year after the article was published.

One of their publications was titled “Planned Parenthood Opens $8 Billion Abortionplex,” even though it was fake. One Congressman believed it was real, pushing his Facebook followers to read it.

But today, in the 2020s, I found a new creator who took that same premise and put his creative spin on it. This time, it has a narrow focus on tech.

Whenever I see in my inbox another email from "Soren's Newsletter," it brings me some joy. I know that I am certainly about to have any of the following reactions:

• slight chuckle

• mumble to myself, “Ooo, not that’s a good idea.”

• pondering to myself, “In what situation did he get inspired by this idea?”

The Soren’s Newsletter provides a refreshing interlude from reading my fair share of business or industry-related newsletters. It's consistently a short read, allowing me to return to what I was doing previously without any significant interruptions.

One of my favorite things about the items that Soren designs is that they come from a place of frustration or sheer curiosity.

For example, one of his recent posts was a “United clap to deboard," as I am sure we have all been on a plane where some people begin to celebrate by clapping.

Just last week, when I was flying back from Ireland to California, a couple of people clapped when the plane landed on both of my flights. Thankfully, it did not continue past a few people. In contrast, one time, when flying to Hawaii shortly after the COVID restrictions were lessened, nearly the entire plane clapped when it landed.

And I was proud to be one of those people who joined the fun then.

Instead of serving as a celebratory function, Soren decided that the clapping would need to reach a specific decibel requirement to allow deboarding to begin. Of course, this would anger many passengers, but that is the beauty of Soren’s newsletter.

I imagine he has been taking a real-world experience that frustrated him. Instead of keeping the idea in his head, he acts upon it, giving us all an idea of how he perceives the world.

Regardless, particular creations delve into real-world features of tech products. This prompts readers to rely on their worldly knowledge to discern whether the latest newsletter is grounded in reality or fiction.

As a creative individual myself, encountering Soren's creations fuels my creativity. Though they may be graphic illustrations, they inspire me to bring my ideas to life.

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