Today, millions of social media users will post links to vaguely satirical websites. The link, which drops you onto a pop-up demanding that you "like us on Facebook NOW! You WILL buy one of our fucking T-shirts. Or BOOK. OR ELSE!!!" and which otherwise obscures an article that, once the X button to dismiss is located, barely raises a smirk.
Pun Name who represents a long established fortnightly satirical magazine claimed these sites would "hasten the death of paid-for satire". "Our corporate sponsors demand circulation. If this declines due to the easy availability of free satire, then where else will hedge funds and investment bankers advertise? People simply don't realise the human consequences of clicking a link to The Daily Spud or The Bunion".
Another commentator warned the unregulated proliferation of such sites meant global satire reserves were on the brink of "exhaustion". "We've already seen this happening to the comedy market, where resources are now so scarce, even people like Andy Parsons and Sarah Millican have been able to eke out successful careers as stand-ups"
On the news, irony announced it had postponed building its long promised bypass.
