'Not just talking the bullshit, but actually living the bullshit'

Here's a US general election report from The Onion that mocks the public as much as it does pandering politicians, making for a vicious and heartfelt piece of satire:

‘When it comes to electing the leader of the free world, voters look to issues like a candidate's relationship with their ex-wife, did they ever smoke, where do they vacation, what's their exercise regimen. These are the kind of core bullshit issues that people really care about.’

New standard set for video satire

For those who think that Mad TV is the height of satire, this year the New York print and online publication The Onion has once again moved the satire goalposts: it has set up the Onion News Network video news site.

Viral videos frequently use satire or ironically post laughable ‘serious’ clips from news programmes putting forward extreme viewpoints, but ONN's excellent production values and actors are the best I have seen, extending perfectly the deadpan style of the long-running print and online editions.

The joy of watching is when you reach that particular point after the first few seconds of each story at which the starched suits, stern expressions and searching interview questions are revealed to be acting under some insane logic.

This beats the hit-and-miss humour of Burbank and has only been exceeded by Brass Eye to my knowledge. Let's hope they keep this venture going.

Inheritance stacks

The piling up of the post-conference reporting on the two leading parties' to-ing and fro-ing on inheritance laws is now likely to have an impact on another financial issue that could affect the Tories before they get anywhere near No 10.

One wonders whether today's loss of £8m from the Tory piggy bank was judged in favour of the benefactor's family largely on account of one particular "delusional" statement he made about Margaret Thatcher, who he called

‘the greatest leader of the free world in history.’

The judge's ruling may then be even more political than you might first assume - not only did the ruling lose £8m of what could be a much-needed future election fund, but recent Tory policy makes an appeal against the ruling unlikely. Which party would want to be seen to be attempting to prise money out of the hands of a dead man's family, just at a time when it has pledged to raise the tax threshold so that

‘In a Conservative Britain you will not be punished for working hard and saving hard.’

No, that would never do.