The Onion asked to peel presidential seal from site

Globe and Mail ^ | October 26, 2005

[EveningStar]

The White House is not amused by The Onion, a on-line newspaper that often spoofs the Bush administration, and has asked it to stop using the presidential seal on its website. The seal was still on the website yesterday at the spot where President George W. Bush's weekly radio address is parodied.

[EveningStar]

I have laughed myself to tears over Onion articles in the past. However, when they refused to allow FR to even link to their site, they showed their true leftist colors.

[King Prout]

I dunno... from my limited perusals, I'd say the Onion seems to hammer everyone

[RexBeach]

Yup. Sure are. I think it's published in the Chelsea section of Manhattan.

[Khepera]

How can they stop someone from linking to their site?

[Sthitch]

Not only that, but you would think that they would parody the seal. But I am sure that would take too much work.

[linear]

I've enjoyed the Onion also - I get a huge kick when someone posts an article from their site here and people don't realize it is a parody.

That said, they have gotten a lot more anti-Bush and a lot less funny in recent months. I noticed it happened about when they redid their site - I wonder if there was a change in management.

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

They call their lawyer.

[Androcles]

However, when they refused to allow FR to even link to their site, they showed their true leftist colors.

How is it being leftist to defend your copyright? I think they lost a lot of readers with the action, but given their revenue model and their heavy ad-intensive website, it was an understandable action.

[VoiceOfBruck]

I dunno... from my limited perusals, I'd say the Onion seems to hammer everyone

I read an interview with one of the writers. He said they try to be balanced but the creative staff is all liberal therefore they do beat on repubs more. At least he was being honest about it, and frankly, is it reasonable to expect a humor magazine to be objective?

[RightResponse]

The funniest thing I've ever seen in print was a profile picture of a horse with the Onion's headline: "Area Horse Hung Like Horse!"

[drew]

See, this is where I think Republicans do themselves a disservice. It makes the Bush administration look like a bunch of tight-assed, humorless jerks. Lighten up, Francis.

[Heyworth]

He said they try to be balanced but the creative staff is all liberal therefore they do beat on repubs more.

It's also just a lot easier to make fun of the party in power. They mocked Clinton plenty back when he was in office: "President Feels Nations Pain, Breasts"

[drew]

And suddenly I can't get the Onion's website. DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN! (Cue foreboding music).

[oldleft]

My favorite was "Death Rate Still 100%."

[Heyworth]

The one that keeps coming to mind for me is "Googly Moogly. Great?"

[adamsjas]

How is it being leftist to defend your copyright?

How is preventing linking in any why related to copyright?

A link occurs only on the source site, and does not affect, steal, copy, or reproduce the target site.

The SC has ruled that you can not prevent linking, except when the content linked to is itself in violation of some copyright/patent.

[oldleft]

Try deleting your FR cookies, I think that'll do it.

[Constitution Day]

Absolutely right.

[Androcles]

Linking isn't illegal. I presumed you meant their excerpt only policy - My comment on copyright relates to the fact that their initial objections were from when we had full Onion articles up on FR. As far as I know we can still link back to them, it's just more irritating and less pleasant to do it via FR.
Are you saying they have fromally requested a no link policy from FR?