Retro Yakking

The more I use it, the more I realise the web is literally full of websites parodying current affairs Onion-style. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it’s the in-thing amongst Internet trendy types looking to make a quick buck or two off the back of popular culture’s, erm, popularity.

It seems we can’t get enough of them, however. Fresh ones are springing up seemingly by the day, and older ones are crawling back out of the woodwork for a bit of a smoke in the web’s lunch hour. Things are becoming so competitive it can often be hard to separate the real truth from the glorious fabrication, evidence the web is continuing the proud tradition of such red-tops as The Daily Sport and The Dandy.

Here’s a selection of some of my favourite such websites that parody some of the more established news outlets.

Where better to start than The Spoof, which prides itself on its status as “one of the leading satire newspapers on the Internet”. There are separate sections for the US and the UK, plus pages for International stories people can actually care about. You can even write your own stuff: go and check it out.

NewsARSE is an obvious visual parody of BBC News that’s so successful you could easily forget it has nothing to do with Auntie Beeb. Its dedicated team of writers ensure only the highest quality stories for your daily delectation and make it a must-read for parody fans alike. Oh, I must point out that ARSE stands for A Remarkable Special Event - and you thought it was something much ruder.

Speaking of BBC News parodies, Sodall’s attempt is worth a mention here. It isn’t really a true spoof news site, rather a one-page parody in the vein of The Parrot Bay. You could say it’s a cynical one-linerfest, but it certainly looks the part and may well raise a smile.

If you’re feeling hungry, why not try The Daily Mash? Its UK-centric take on the world from the World famous(?) Mash Productions. I must point out, as they do on their website, that this one’s meant for over 18s… in fact, I wouldn’t recommend any of this list to your kids unless they’ve been really good and eaten their sprouts. Because they’re not just for Christmas.

The Anorak is more than just your typical news website: its commercially satirical tone sets it apart from the crowd. Rather than all out parody, it pokes fun at current affairs in much the same way Have I Got News For You might if it were juiced up on special lemonade.

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That concludes this run through of some of the best parody news sites in the UK. None of them quite compare to Retro Yakking, but come yak recommended and are worth a visit if this blog goes offline for any reason.

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