The President V. The Onion

[kumquatq3]

LINK

 

You might have thought that the White House had enough on its plate late last month, what with its search for a new Supreme Court nominee, the continuing war in Iraq and the C.I.A. leak investigation. But it found time to add another item to its agenda - stopping The Onion, the satirical newspaper, from using the presidential seal.

 

The newspaper regularly produces a parody of President Bush's weekly radio address on its Web site (www.theonion.com/content/node/40121), where it has a picture of President Bush and the official insignia.

 

"It has come to my attention that The Onion is using the presidential seal on its Web site," Grant M. Dixton, associate counsel to the president, wrote to The Onion on Sept. 28. (At the time, Mr. Dixton's office was also helping Mr. Bush find a Supreme Court nominee; days later his boss, Harriet E. Miers, was nominated.)

 

Citing the United States Code, Mr. Dixton wrote that the seal "is not to be used in connection with commercial ventures or products in any way that suggests presidential support or endorsement." Exceptions may be made, he noted, but The Onion had never applied for such an exception.

 

The Onion was amused. "I'm surprised the president deems it wise to spend taxpayer money for his lawyer to write letters to The Onion," Scott Dikkers, editor in chief, wrote to Mr. Dixton. He suggested the money be used instead for tax breaks for satirists.

 

More formally, The Onion's lawyers responded that the paper's readers - it prints about 500,000 copies weekly, and three million people read it online - are well aware that The Onion is a joke.

 

"It is inconceivable that anyone would think that, by using the seal, The Onion intends to 'convey... sponsorship or approval' by the president," wrote Rochelle H. Klaskin, the paper's lawyer, who went on to note that a headline in the current issue made the point: "Bush to Appoint Someone to Be in Charge of Country."

 

Moreover, she wrote, The Onion and its Web site are free, so the seal is not being used for commercial purposes. That said, The Onion asked that its letter be considered a formal application to use the seal.

 

No answer yet. But Trent Duffy, a White House spokesman, said that "you can't pick and choose where you want to enforce the rules surrounding the use of official government insignia, whether it's for humor or fraud."

 

O.K. But just between us, Mr. Duffy, how did they find out about it?

 

"Despite the seriousness of the Bush White House, more than one Bush staffer reads The Onion and enjoys it thoroughly," he said. "We do have a sense of humor, believe it or not."

[Cantousent]

I agree with the office. It's not a matter of Bush, but if the Administration didn't take action, then it amounts to tacit agreement with the articles in question. ...And someone, somewhere, will cite the Onion as a reliable source for quoting the President. Just look at the nut-jobs we have around here touting conspiracy non-sense as it is.

[kumquatq3]

I agree with the office.  It's not a matter of Bush, but if the Administration didn't take action, then it amounts to tacit agreement with the articles in question.

 

No, it really doesn't. Unless you think that Bush agrees that Pittsburgh is vunerable to zombie attack (the onion headline).

 

 

And someone, somewhere, will cite the Onion as a reliable source for quoting the President.  Just look at the nut-jobs we have around here touting conspiracy non-sense as it is.

 

If I'm Bush, I wanted my enemies citing the Onion as evidence

[Cantousent]

hahaha. very good, Kumquat.

[taks]

agreement with obviously fictitious premises doesn't really matter... what matters is that if they let the onion use the seal without permission, it's an open door for anyone else to do so as well.

 

taks

[kumquatq3]

agreement with obviously fictitious premises doesn't really matter... what matters is that if they let the onion use the seal without permission, it's an open door for anyone else to do so as well.

 

taks

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

the seal "is not to be used in connection with commercial ventures or products in any way that suggests presidential support or endorsement."

 

so it's just a open door for obvious jokes

[Invoker]

Doesn't Bush have something better to do than with his time than fret over a satirical newspaper? It's scary if he doesn't. :/

[Reveilled]

Doesn't Bush have something better to do than with his time than fret over a satirical newspaper? It's scary if he doesn't. :/

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Hmm...I would say that if George would rather fret over The Onion than run the United States, that's okay with me.

Mind you, there's very few people in American politics who I would like to see running the United States. The more of them fretting over the Onion, the better. At least that way, things could hardly get worse, right? "

[Invoker]

Doesn't Bush have something better to do than with his time than fret over a satirical newspaper? It's scary if he doesn't. :/

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Hmm...I would say that if George would rather fret over The Onion than run the United States, that's okay with me.

Mind you, there's very few people in American politics who I would like to see running the United States. The more of them fretting over the Onion, the better. At least that way, things could hardly get worse, right? "

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Good point.

[SteveThaiBinh]

At least that way, things could hardly get worse, right? "

The next stupid war is officially Reveilled's fault.

 

Using the 'People vs. Larry Flynt' defence, the President can't complain because no-one would seriously believe that he was endorsing The Onion. If you put it on a regular product like a packet of biscuits or, say, a barrel of oil, genuine confusion might indeed arise. As it is, it's obviously satire, so ought to be protected.

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

The next stupid war is officially Reveilled's fault.

 

Using the 'People vs. Larry Flynt' defence, the President can't complain because no-one would seriously believe that he was endorsing The Onion.  If you put it on a regular product like a packet of biscuits or, say, a barrel of oil, genuine confusion might indeed arise.  As it is, it's obviously satire, so ought to be protected.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That would be Syria..

 

Is it still treason here to deface a coin of the realm ?

[Invoker]

The next stupid war is officially Reveilled's fault.

 

Using the 'People vs. Larry Flynt' defence, the President can't complain because no-one would seriously believe that he was endorsing The Onion.  If you put it on a regular product like a packet of biscuits or, say, a barrel of oil, genuine confusion might indeed arise.  As it is, it's obviously satire, so ought to be protected.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

That would be Syria..

 

Is it still treason here to deface a coin of the realm ?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I think so. I'm not entirely sure how it is here in Sweden but most countries get... well, upset with you if you do such a thing.

[Reveilled]

At least that way, things could hardly get worse, right? "

The next stupid war is officially Reveilled's fault.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Declaring a war without anyone in government actually doing anything would be a mightily impressive feat. Would the president psychically transmit the order to attack?

[thepixiesrock]

Just look at the nut-jobs we have around here touting conspiracy non-sense as it is.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Was that directed at me?

 

 

It doesn't matter that The Onion is supposed to be a funny, unserious fake news site. They still don't have the permission to use it.

[metadigital]

I liek onion

[Gabrielle]

It sucks. Onion leaves you with bad breathe.

[metadigital]

You just don't like any of the garlic family ...

[Gabrielle]

You just don't like any of the garlic family ...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

They are the bane of vampires.

[kumquatq3]

Just look at the nut-jobs we have around here touting conspiracy non-sense as it is.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Was that directed at me?

 

 

It doesn't matter that The Onion is supposed to be a funny, unserious fake news site. They still don't have the permission to use it.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

You smell of donkies, signed

 

"

Edited October 27, 2005 by kumquatq3

[thepixiesrock]

PWOT is better.

[Atreides]

That would be Syria..

 

Is it still treason here to deface a coin of the realm ?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think you'd make a bigger statement by burning 1000 pound notes.

[Judge Hades]

I didn't think music can get that heavy.

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

I think you'd make a bigger statement by burning 1000 pound notes.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Quite likely.

 

When I was playing Warhammer I used to make my own trees and base them on 1p coins. Someone told me it was treason to super glue a tree to the queens face and I never did find out whether or not they were joking.

 

So no political motive on my part, 1p pieces just happened to fit the requirements.

[Walsingham]

Defacing coins is actually treason. Is in most countries. But noone cares.

[Calax]

It's all about the bills.