For many a savy internet user The Onion News Network, a "parody news organization", is one of the most consistently funny destinations on the web. The Onion mimics the look and presentation of a CNN-like organization while publishing articles, videos and blog posts which satirize both real and fake events. The comedy is not vulgar or explicit, and manages to stay consistently clever while skewering many a public figure and societal irritation.
Like actual news organizations, The Onion's content is comprised of photos, "editorials" and video broadcasts. The typical Onion post is delivered with a deadpan seriousness to portraying the topic in as absurd of a sense as possible, as with this hilarious and timely Father's Day piece.
If the humor on The Onion's main site starts to wear thin on you, take a look at the Onion A.V. Club, which is perhaps better described as nerd heaven. The AV Club extensively covers most entertainment media, whether film, television, music, gaming, even contemporary fiction. In addition to the expected news and reviews sections, which seem to be constantly updated, the site features regularly features engrossing interviews with people involved in the entertainment industry.
Recent posts worth checking out include a great discussion with comedian Stephen Merchant (Ricky Gervais' pal) where he humorously discusses the possibility of being in a buddy-cop film, as well as an extremely detailed rundown of the most recent Parks & Recreation season with that series' show-runner, Michael Schur. The latter link should give you an indication of just how deep into the minutiae of a show/film/record/game that AV Club writers will go: a five-part analysis of a very-recently finished sitcom season with one of the unheralded "grunts" on the set of the show? Leslie Knope fans are drooling.
There are two specific sections on the AV Club that are worth checking out while browsing the site. First off, my favorite feature on the website, Gateways to Geekery. This section tries to provide an entry point into a niche artist or genre, whether it be experimental musicians The Velvet Underground, highly influential comic strip The Adventures of Tintin, the goatee-laden Beat Poetry movement or the massive Discworld novels of Terry Pratchett. These features are an interesting way of engaging readers with entertainment that may be outside their comfort zone initially.
Also, for anyone who is interested in gaming on the cheap, there is Sawbuck Gamer. This is a monthly feature which brings focus to a swathe of games which can be purchased for either a few dollars or free of charge, usually from independent developers. Most of the games are available via an internet-capable device, whether PC, console or mobile phone. So cheap gamers (and parents) can't go wrong by taking a look.
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