The Onion is responsible for some of the most iconic satirical headlines of our time. From "Study Reveals: Babies are Stupid" to "Kitten Thinks of Nothing but Murder All Day," The Onion has managed to capture and speak to our cultural zeitgeist in ways traditional news media couldn’t dream of. And it all got its start right here in Madison. To get the details on the origins of The Onion and why it still strikes a nerve with folks today, host Bianca Martin spoke with Christine Wenc, author of “Funny Because It's True: How The Onion Created Modern American News Satire” and one of the original Onion staffers.

This show originally aired March 18. 2025.

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Unpeeling The Onion’s Madison Origin Story