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.

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Ever wondered what Wikipedia would be like as a radio show? Well, me neither, but it’s certainly a concept you can’t help but feel drawn to.

Such is the appeal of Bigipedia, Radio 4’s new sketch show series that spoofs (almost) everyone’s favourite free online encyclopedia. Not a completely original idea by any means, but the radio format is somewhat unchartered territory for the Wiki spoof, carrying with it a whole new set of challenges to overcome.

Most importantly, how do you convert a plain, scientific Wikipedia article into audio format without making it sound rather boring and matter-of fact in manner that more befits BBC News circa 1950?

Well, you throw into the hotpot a healthy chunk of good old subtle understatement and very British sense of humour, along with some intuitive narration methods that create an aura that’s unmistakably Wikipedian. There’s [citation needed]s aplenty to appease the wikigeek, and some clever aural devices that make you feel as if you’re actually reading a wiki article.

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When people hear “wiki” they immediately think of Wikipedia, the world’s largest free online encyclopedia. However, the term has come to refer to any sort of online collaborative project that allows users to freely edit content pages.

Wikipedia has gained something of a reputation for being ‘unreliable’ and ‘inaccurate’. Comedians poke fun at it, deriding its free-for-all nature and pointing to the fact people can easily insert untrue facts and unfounded information about celebrities or authority figures. Ian Hislop sarcastically branded it “that reliable, accurate source for all of us” and Stephen Fry said he was startled to learn that he was once “in a ballet in China“.

However spurious these claims these may be, the fact remains that Wikipedia is the best we have for free. Or is it? What if there were some wikis that deliberately paraded nonsense as fact? Sites that set out to purposely mislead in the name of satire, parody and humour? Well, guess what? They’re out there, and have been misleading the public for years.

Trollpedia

I personally do not recommend ED, as it is distasteful and highly unsafe for work. Also, their logo is copyrighted so I can’t reproduce it here. 

The first, and some might say Grandaddy of them all was Encyclopedia Dramatica, a ‘Punkd’ style encyclopedia of trolling and internet memes. Revelling in controversy, it deliberately set out to cause ripples in the very fabric of internet culture, with a snarky, highly satirical and offensive style.

The UnWiki

However, Dramatica was more of an independent free spirit, and not technically the first Wikipedia parody. That accolade must go to Uncyclopedia, a full-on spoof complete with identical page layout and its own “misinformative” news source. Uncyclopedia had its origins within the pages of Wikipedia itself, and was born out of a “deleted facts and nonsense” section of The Free Encyclopedia.

The site continues to lampoon Wikipedia and its Wikimedia projects to this day, offering daily featured articles about such subjects as the Creepy guy who lives across the street, the Flying Spaghetti Monster and Midget cockpunching terrorists.

Unintended mirth

Meanwhile, other wikis hit upon comedy gold without even realising it. Conservapedia’s heavy right wing bias never set out to be funny, but its agenda-ridden, well-meant encyclopedia entries mean that, for a neutral outsider looking in, it is often regarded as very clever political satire. And who knows, maybe its irony is at such a level that the mere proletariat unquestionably accepts it as fact.

All-out nonsense

Fighting the case for the illogical, the Illogicopedia emerged from the Wikipedian stable to be the most successful Uncyclopedia spin-off to date. Focusing on the surreal and the nonsensical, it proved the most artistic Wikipedia parody yet, ensuring the Dadaist ethic lives on through the medium of collaborative wiki projects.

The just plain stupid

Stupidity is a way of life for some, and their bible is the Encyclopedia of Stupid. Glorifying the wonderfully elaborate complaint, this encyclopedia of enraging subjects prompts editors to argue why they think an item, person or random object is stupid. A novel twist on Wikipedia, it introduces a new level of mundane to the humble wiki.

Further reading

• Wikipedia parody wikis you may not have heard of - Illogiblog
  
• The best wikis on the web, from Wikipedia to Illogicopedia - Associated Content
  
• Hoax, Wiki-style: Internet encyclopaedia spoofs mock reality - Bad Salzufen

Meerkats are sick of being compared.
Edited from image by Muriel Gottrop.

Unlike other news ’sources’, Retro Yakking admits that their stories are all completely made up. Maybe. Come on, Daily Mirror! Be a man and admit that half the stuff you print in your so called ‘newspaper’ is completely fabricated. If the Daily Sport can do it, then why can’t you?

Anyway, one of my secret passions is parody websites, and a few weeks ago I brought you a list of my favourite spoof websites. Well, fakery fans, I am pleased to announce its triumphant return with Spoof Websites: The Sequel. This selection lists some more spoof websites I have found recently, as well as some submitted by you, the Retro Yakking readers.

An unofficial Google mirror, but not in the way you think

Elgoog was suggested by Maninthemoon. Of course, how could I forget? As you might expect with an organisation as large as this, Google parody websites aren’t just limited to Elgoog, oh no. Officially sanctioned ones such as Pigeon Rank can provide some mirth but a quick net search reveals a plethora of parody Googles; my personal favourite has to be Gizoogle, fo’ shizzle.

In fact, the spectrum of Google spoof sites reaches so far and wide that this may well be worth a post all of its own… watch this space.

Everything you ever wanted to know about meerkats 

The parody website is a powerful tool sometimes used by corporate businesses looking to expand their marketbase. Compare the Meerkat is a wonderfully satisfying pun on Compare the Market, the internet comparison service that commissioned the site.

As you might know by now, I’m a complete sucker for puns like this, even more so for the fact that the fun doesn’t just stop at the amusing name. Users can actually compare meerkats, inputting location, hobbies and size of the desired meerkat, which will take you to a cool information page about your selected meerkat. Weightskats, Camerakats and Knitkats, anyone?

Bottling air for cash

This is an oldie, but a goodie. It is possible to buy dehydrated water, it would seem; what a brilliant place this ‘internet’ is, eh? As you can imagine, I jumped at this opportunity and now my box of dehydrated water has pride of place on my shelf next to my inflatable dartboard. I have to admit it doesn’t taste that nice, really, but at least there are no artificial flavourings.

The sites featured in this post are copyright their respective owners, and are used here under Fair Use. – The Legal Eagle.