📖 Overview
Scott Dikkers co-founded The Onion in 1988 and served as the satirical newspaper's editor-in-chief for over two decades. He transformed the publication from a University of Wisconsin campus paper into a national comedy institution known for its deadpan fake news headlines and articles.
Dikkers wrote and edited countless Onion pieces that became cultural touchstones, helping establish the publication's signature style of treating absurd scenarios with journalistic seriousness. His work at The Onion influenced a generation of comedy writers and changed how Americans consume satirical news.
Beyond The Onion, Dikkers has written comedy books, screenplays, and other humor projects. He authored several books compiling The Onion's content, including collections of the publication's mock historical headlines spanning the 20th century.
His comedy writing approach focuses on finding humor in everyday situations and societal contradictions through exaggerated but believable scenarios. Dikkers continues to work in comedy writing and has taught humor writing workshops.
👀 Reviews
Readers consistently praise "Our Dumb Century" for its clever historical satire and authentic newspaper format. Many reviewers describe the book as hilarious and note how The Onion's headlines capture the absurdity of different historical periods. Readers appreciate the attention to detail in recreating newspaper layouts and advertisements from various decades.
The humor resonates with readers who enjoy satirical takes on American history and culture. Many reviewers mention specific headlines that made them laugh out loud and note the book's replay value. Readers often comment on how the fake headlines feel believable despite their absurdity.
Some readers find certain jokes dated or note that humor from different time periods doesn't always land with contemporary audiences. A few reviewers mention that the book works better as a coffee table item for browsing rather than reading cover to cover. Some readers wished for more variety in the types of content beyond headlines and brief articles.
Overall, readers view Dikkers' work as smart comedy that successfully parodies both historical events and newspaper journalism conventions.