The Onion co-founder talks satire at Purdue Fort Wayne

Scott Dikkers understands humor can be a great coping mechanism in times of tragedy, having served that role through The Onion, the satirical news platform he co-founded 35 years ago.

“It’s been around long enough to kind of know its role,” Dikkers said Thursday while visiting Purdue University Fort Wayne. “Even though it really just does seem silly, it takes that little job seriously – that, hey, we have to be funny and silly.”

On campus for the Omnibus Speaker Series, Dikkers spoke to more than a dozen students in Helmke Library before addressing a larger audience in Auer Performance Hall on Thursday evening.

The Omnibus season ends April 25 with actor and social justice activist George Takei. Free tickets are available two weeks before series events.

Dikkers described his presentation, “The Funny Story behind the Funny Stories,” as a cross between an hourlong stand-up special featuring amusing anecdotes about The Onion and a journalism lecture.

Dikkers, who left The Onion about six years ago, said the platform began as an unprofitable passion project that was published on newsprint because it was the cheapest material available. The humor newspaper took a few years to gain popularity as readers started to understand its purpose.

Now, some people see The Onion headlines in their social media feeds assuming the stories are real. Dikkers said he understands the confusion because news outlets write more sensational headlines and stories to attract clicks and views.

He wants students to know there’s an upside to the “post-truth world of fake news.” It should teach educated people to think critically about everything they read, he said, adding that’s the hidden message of The Onion.

“If it’s achieved anything in its 35 years,” Dikkers said, “I hope it’s taught people to just not believe every word they see in print.”

Creating a humorous publication wasn’t always easy. For example, Dikkers said, he and his coworkers would have to write jokes after such calamities as mass shootings. It was a horrible position to be in, he said, but a writer eventually crafted a headline that has been reused repeatedly – “ ‘No Way To Prevent This,’ Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens.”

Recycling the headline has done more than save staff the grief of having to think of new jokes, Dikkers said.

“Every time it comes out, it pushes the point further. It propels the satirical message deeper into the culture to the point where I think everyone pretty much agrees that we all know how to fix this,” he said, describing public support for tighter gun control.

“It’s the paralysis among lawmakers and the money from the NRA that keeps anything from changing,” Dikkers said. “I like that we’re continuing to pound that point home at The Onion.”