ClickHole

Last updated

ClickHole
FoundedJune 12, 2014;9 years ago (2014-06-12) [1]
PurposeTo parody content shared on media sites. [2]
Fields Satire, clickbait, surreal humor
Official language
English
Owner Cards Against Humanity LLC
Key people
Bruc (Editor in chief) [3]
Staff
5 members
Website clickhole.com

ClickHole is a satirical website that parodies clickbait websites such as BuzzFeed and Upworthy. It was launched on June 12, 2014 by The Onion, [4] [5] [6] [7] in conjunction with that publication's decision to stop its print edition and shift its focus exclusively to the internet. [8] According to ClickHole's senior editor, Jermaine Affonso, the website is "The Onion's response to click-bait content" and serves as "a parody of online media". [9] Critics noted that, on a deeper level, ClickHole illustrates the shallow nature of social media content and media sites' desperation to share such content. [10] [9]

Contents

On February 3, 2020, the website was acquired by the team behind Cards Against Humanity. After the purchase, the website's employees became its majority owners, and retain complete creative control. [11]

Background

ClickHole aims to mock content posted on media sites, using satire, and tries to make its content shareable. According to its website, ClickHole wants "to make sure that all of [its] content panders to and misleads [its] readers just enough to make it go viral". [12] In most of its posts, ClickHole tries to convey an underlying message, usually poking fun at social media users or societal behaviors. [1] [6]

The website aims to publish content frequently, setting a target of 7–10 new posts daily. [9]

Content

ClickHole publishes content in the form of articles, videos, quizzes, blogs, slideshows, and features. [13]

Since being founded in June 2014, ClickHole has published parodies of nostalgic content, advice, motivational quotes, sport analysis, life hacks, fashion, and think-pieces (all of which mimic the style and tone of content posted by media sites such as BuzzFeed and Upworthy). [14] [10] Another popular feature is "oral histories" of TV shows, websites, and other usually very recent pop culture phenomena. [15]

The ClickHole team meets frequently to brainstorm about new ideas and topics that can be written about. The team uses social media feeds as inspiration for topics to satirize, based on the clickbait that is shared most often. [10] ClickHole ensures that its employees put detail into how each topic should be addressed from a satirical point of view, so that its ideas are conveyed successfully. It also was revealed that the team is still at a stage where it is experimenting with ideas to see what is best received by its audience. [16]

Content posted on ClickHole also is shared on social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, and Pinterest. [12]

In February 2015, ClickHole began posting interactive fiction adventure games called ClickVentures. [17]

On February 23, 2017, ClickHole temporarily changed its name to Cruft. The change was unexplained, and the name was changed back the following day. [18]

On May 17, 2017, ClickHole was changed to PatriotHole, declaring itself to be "the only viral media site brave enough to SCREAM about REAL Americans" and "the internet’s last stand against the tyranny of the Leftist Media." [19] As PatriotHole, the site's journalistic style shifted to resemble fringe right wing news websites such as Breitbart and InfoWars . [20] [18] The site's logo was changed from an orange spiral pattern to a white eagle with orange lines spanning between its wings. Two days later, the site changed back to normal, although PatriotHole was spun off into its own section. [21]

On August 29, 2017, PatriotHole introduced Doug Baxter as the host of its eponymous web video series which premiered on September 6, 2017. [22] The show features Baxter as a parody of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, parodying Jones's views on subjects like Hillary Clinton, [23] globalists, [24] 9/11 conspiracy theories, [25] and products sold through the InfoWars website. [26]

On May 9, 2018, ClickHole launched a new liberal-themed site called ResistanceHole, which has a similar theme to PatriotHole but targets liberal news media in its satire, and 'attacks' figures like Donald Trump and Mike Pence (as opposed to PatriotHole, which targets ones like Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders). [27]

From January 31, 2022 through February 3, 2022, the website rebranded itself as KidHole and removed all of its previous content to replace it with more childish articles. [28]

Reception

Within the first week of release, some readers criticized ClickHole for what they saw as a lack of originality. It was accused of using Upworthy, The Huffington Post and BuzzFeed for inspiration for its headlines, slideshows, and quizzes respectively. [1] One hundred days after its launch, Fast Company praised the site, saying it was "earning praise from just about every corner of the Internet", [29] with 36% web traffic generated via sharing on Facebook. The format established by ClickHole is being emulated by some campus satirical newspapers, such as The Michigan Every Three Weekly [30] and The Georgetown Heckler with their spin-off.[ citation needed ]

Various writers predicted that the website will be a long-term success because its content has consistently been creative and targets a wide audience. [1] They assumed this to be the case as long as ClickHole's audience understand that the website parodies clickbait, and is not clickbait in itself. [10] Sam Parker of The Guardian said it was unclear whether ClickHole is "a satire of clickbait, or good satire done as clickbait". [1]

Many users of social media have taken ClickHole articles to be literally true (especially those addressing controversial topics), and have expressed their anger and confusion online. [31]

Celebrity recognition

Actor and director George Takei mentioned the website on his official Facebook account after the ClickHole team published an article dedicated to him ("10 Things We Hope George Takei Likes Enough To Share This List") and repeatedly tried to contact him through social media. [16] [32] In another instance, the Facebook account of Robert Downey Jr. posted a link to the article "What Robert Downey Jr. Would Look Like Today," which had the satirical premise of the actor having died several years ago and stating, "I always try to defy expectations." [33] [34]

Writer and comedian B. J. Novak tweeted in March 2018 that the writers at ClickHole "are doing brilliant work." [35]

After falling for a fake quote attributed to him on ClickHole, Anderson Cooper dedicated the "Ridiculist" segment of the May 20, 2015, episode of Anderson Cooper 360° to the website. [36]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>The Onion</i> American satire news organization

The Onion is an American digital media company and newspaper organization that publishes satirical articles on international, national, and local news. The company is based in Chicago but originated as a weekly print publication on August 29, 1988, in Madison, Wisconsin. The Onion began publishing online in early 1996. In 2007, they began publishing satirical news audio and video online as the Onion News Network. In 2013, The Onion ceased publishing its print edition and launched Onion Labs, an advertising agency.

News satire or news comedy is a type of parody presented in a format typical of mainstream journalism, and called a satire because of its content. News satire has been around almost as long as journalism itself, but it is particularly popular on the web, with websites like The Onion and The Babylon Bee, where it is relatively easy to mimic a legitimate news site. News satire relies heavily on irony and deadpan humor.

<i>The A.V. Club</i> Online newspaper and entertainment website

The A.V. Club is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. The A.V. Club was created in 1993 as a supplement to its satirical parent publication, The Onion. While it was a part of The Onion's 1996 website launch, The A.V. Club had minimal presence on the website at that point.

The Daily Mash is a British satirical website providing parodic commentary on current affairs and other news stories. Neil Rafferty and Paul Stokes, created the website in 2007 and remain the lead writers. Both writers earn salaries from the enterprise and also employ freelance contributors. The publication has garnered praise for its absurd, scatological humour and insightful political satire. The current editor is comedy writer and former BBC journalist Tim Telling. The Daily Mash has often been compared to the US publication The Onion.

BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City, BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John S. Johnson III to focus on tracking viral content. Kenneth Lerer, co-founder and chairman of The Huffington Post, started as a co-founder and investor in BuzzFeed and is now the executive chairman.

<i>The Michigan Every Three Weekly</i>

The Michigan Every Three Weekly, also known simply as The Every Three Weekly, is a student publication at the University of Michigan modeled after the satirical news publication The Onion. Named as an homage to student newspaper The Michigan Daily, The Every Three Weekly contains fictional news articles that satirize local, national, and international events and public figures. The Every Three Weekly is funded by the University of Michigan's University Activities Center and began regular publication in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Upworthy</span> Positive left-leaning website

Upworthy is a left leaning storytelling website with a focus on positive aspects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clickbait</span> Web content intended to entice users to click on a link

Clickbait is a text or a thumbnail link that is designed to attract attention and to entice users to follow ("click") that link and read, view, or listen to the linked piece of online content, being typically deceptive, sensationalized, or otherwise misleading. A "teaser" aims to exploit the "curiosity gap", providing just enough information to make readers of news websites curious, but not enough to satisfy their curiosity without clicking through to the linked content. Clickbait headlines often add an element of dishonesty, using enticements that do not accurately reflect the content being delivered. The "-bait" suffix makes an analogy with fishing, where a hook is disguised by an enticement (bait), presenting the impression to the fish that it is a desirable thing to swallow.

Dylan Matthews is an American journalist. He is currently a correspondent for Vox, an online media venture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Plus (website)</span> News and entertainment website

A Plus is a digital media company based in New York City. The company produces original written, social, and video content, with a focus on positive journalism. The company states that it "strive[s] to deliver positive journalism to readers, with the intention of making a meaningful difference in the world by highlighting our common humanity, promoting personal growth, and inspiring social change."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Le Gorafi</span> Satirical French website

Le Gorafi is a news satire website. It was created in May 2012 during the French presidential campaign in the style of The Onion, a satirical newspaper of fake information. It has also been compared with Infos du Monde and L'Examineur.

<i>The Babylon Bee</i> Satirical website

The Babylon Bee is a conservative Christian news satire website that publishes satirical articles on topics including religion, politics, current events, and public figures. It has been referred to as a Christian or conservative version of The Onion.

<i>Reductress</i> American feminist satire website

Reductress is an American satire website that parodies the style, tone, and perspective of media targeted towards women, especially women's magazines. Founded in 2013 by comedians Beth Newell and Sarah Pappalardo, the site has received praise from reviewers for its satirical pieces including advice columns, news stories, and listicles.

Fake news websites target United States audiences by using disinformation to create or inflame controversial topics such as the 2016 election. Most fake news websites target readers by impersonating or pretending to be real news organizations, which can lead to legitimate news organizations further spreading their message. Most notable in the media are the many websites that made completely false claims about political candidates such as Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, as part of a larger campaign to gain viewers and ad revenue or spread disinformation. Additionally, satire websites have received criticism for not properly notifying readers that they are publishing false or satirical content, since many readers have been duped by seemingly legitimate articles.

<i>The Hard Times</i> Satirical news website

The Hard Times is a satirical website with a focus on punk, alt music, and millennial culture founded in 2014 by former SF Weekly music editor Matt Saincome, his brother Ed Saincome, and comedian Bill Conway. It has been compared to The Onion, ClickHole, and Reductress in style, and has received praise for its specificity and niche appeal.

G/O Media Inc. is an American media holding company that owns and operates several digital media outlets, including Gizmodo, Kotaku, Jalopnik, The Root, The Inventory, and Quartz.

Peter Lennon Koechley is an American writer and internet entrepreneur. He was the managing editor of The Onion and co-founded Upworthy.

Rage-baiting or rage-farming is internet slang that refers to a manipulative tactic to elicit outrage with the goal of increasing internet traffic, online engagement, revenue and support. Rage baiting or farming can be used as a tool to increase engagement, attract subscribers, followers, and supporters, which can be financially lucrative. Rage baiting and rage farming manipulates users to respond in kind to offensive, inflammatory headlines, memes, tropes, or comments.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Parker, Sam (August 14, 2014). "Can The Onion's Clickhole learn from the viral-hungry websites it targets?". The Guardian. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  2. ↑ Ingram, Mathew (June 12, 2014). "It's getting harder to tell what's satire these days, and The Onion's new site Clickhole isn't helping". Gigaom. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  3. ↑ Notopoulos, Katie (February 3, 2020). "Cards Against Humanity Bought Clickhole". BuzzFeed News.
  4. ↑ Oremus, Will (June 12, 2014). "Area Humor Site Discovers Clickbait", Slate. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  5. ↑ Crouch, Ian (June 20, 2014). "Sucked into the ClickHole", The New Yorker, Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  6. 1 2 Zinoman, Jason (July 15, 2014). "The Latest News That Isn't John Oliver and Clickhole Take Fake News in Opposite Directions". New York Times. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  7. ↑ Dewey, Caitlin (June 24, 2014). "The Onion Launched a Parody Site called Clickhole, and Not Everyone Got the Joke; What Happened Next Will Not Surprise You", Washington Post. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  8. ↑ Bellware, Kim (April 30, 2014). "The Onion Is Tired Of Click Bait, And What They're Doing Next Will Explain Everything". The Huffington Post. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
  9. 1 2 3 Soren, Emma. "Inside 'The Onion's New Click-Bait Parody, ClickHole.com". Splitsider. Archived from the original on October 15, 2014. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Oremus, Will (June 19, 2014). "Area Humor Site Discovers Clickbait". Slate. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
  11. ↑ "Cards Against Humanity Bought Clickhole". BuzzFeed News.
  12. 1 2 "What is ClickHole?". ClickHole. June 12, 2014. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  13. ↑ Etherington, Darrell (June 12, 2014). "The Onion's ClickHole Opens Its Traffic-Baiting Maw". Techcrunch. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
  14. ↑ Gallagher, Brenden (July 1, 2014). "A Look Back at ClickHole's First Month". Complex. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Oral History – ClickHole – Because all content deserves to go viral". clickhole.com. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
  16. 1 2 Gayomali, Chris. "THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF CLICKHOLE: HOW CREATIVITY (AND GEORGE TAKEI) KEEP THE ONION-Y SITE SIZZLING". Fast Company. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
  17. ↑ Muncy, Julie (March 26, 2016). "How ClickHole Crafts the Web's Most Hilarious Adventure Games". Wired .
  18. 1 2 Tiffany, Kaitlyn (May 17, 2017). "ClickHole becomes PatriotHole to parody howling right-wing blogs". The Verge. Retrieved September 13, 2021.
  19. ↑ "What Is ClickHole?". June 12, 2014. Archived from the original on November 1, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  20. ↑ Firozi, Paulina (May 17, 2017). "The Onion's Clickhole rebrands as PatriotHole to parody conservative sites" . Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  21. ↑ "ClickHole And PatriotHole Are Teaming Up To Profit Off A Fracturing America". May 19, 2017. Retrieved November 1, 2017.
  22. ↑ "Watch 'PatriotHole' Starting 9.6.17" – via www.facebook.com.
  23. ↑ "SHADOW MONEY: The Clinton Foundation Has Spent Billions Of Dollars To Discover A Way For WOMEN To Have Sex With EACH OTHER". ClickHole. September 20, 2017.
  24. ↑ "RED ALERT: GLOBALIST BILLIONAIRES Have Arranged A SECRET MEETING In Davos Where They're ALL HANGING OUT WITHOUT ME!". ClickHole. October 5, 2017.
  25. ↑ "DOUG BAXTER REVEALS THE TRUTH ABOUT 9/11". ClickHole. September 11, 2017.
  26. ↑ "PatriotHole Exclusive: Protect Yourself At Your Most Vulnerable With PatriotHole Toilet Armor". ClickHole. September 14, 2017.
  27. ↑ "ClickHole Joins the Fight Against Drumpf with the Launch of ResistanceHole". pastemagazine.com. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  28. ↑ Clark, Anne Victoria (2022). "KidHole Is Over, But Also, Long Live KidHole". www.vulture.com. Vulture.com . Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  29. ↑ Gayomali, Chris. "THE FIRST 100 DAYS OF CLICKHOLE: HOW CREATIVITY (AND GEORGE TAKEI) KEEP THE ONION-Y SITE SIZZLING". Fast Company. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  30. ↑ Flynn, Michael (February 11, 2015). "Unable to reach wider audience, Every Three Weekly featured in The Michigan Daily". www.michigandaily.com. The Michigan Daily . Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  31. ↑ Dewey, Caitlin (June 24, 2014). "The Onion launched a parody site called Clickhole, and not everyone got the joke. (What happened next will not surprise you.)". Washington Post. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
  32. ↑ "10 Things We Hope George Takei Likes Enough To Share This List". Lifestyle. September 16, 2014.
  33. ↑ "I always try to defy expectations. -Robert Downey Jr". Facebook . Retrieved June 21, 2015.
  34. ↑ "What Robert Downey Jr. Would Look Like Today". Lifestyle. January 12, 2015.
  35. ↑ "BJ Novak on Twitter" . Retrieved July 8, 2018.
  36. ↑ "Anderson Cooper fooled by satire site". CNN . May 20, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2015.

Further reading

Commons-logo.svg Media related to ClickHole at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.