It's supposed to be funny and tongue-in-cheek... but in reality, it's just sad. Probably because people actually DO this.

HOUSTON—With the challenges accompanying his developmental disorder widening the already vast gulf between his parents, autistic child Evan Thomas, 3, continued this week to destroy the failing marriage he was brought into this world to save.

 

Evan, who through the very act of being born was entrusted with the task of resolving lingering conflicts, soothing deep-seated contempt, and restoring intimacy to Mark and Sharon Thomas' long-strained relationship, has thus far utterly failed in his assigned duties, sources reported Monday.

Here: http://www.theonion.com/content/news/autistic_child_ruins_marriage_he

Some of the humor over at the Onion, I find extremely sadistic and unempathetic.

The world is already laughing out loud at REAL suffering. Why do we need to invent fake suffering to laugh at, too?

GregG:

Some of the humor over at the Onion, I find extremely sadistic and unempathetic.

The world is already laughing out loud at REAL suffering. Why do we need to invent fake suffering to laugh at, too?

All humor is "wrong" in some way. Satire can be an effective way to bring light to real problems - granted  it is accompanied by serious discussion of the issue either by the the creators or the audience. The writer of this piece, to me, seems very empathetic toward children who get forced into their parents' dysfunctional relationships, which is why he is calling out such parents and demonstrating the "wrongness."

The baby is the seal on the marriage contract, for many. I suspect myself of being one such seal. Ah well, there's a bit of politics in all relationships. I found the article at the Onion made me laugh, though it scraped with the edges of disagreeable truths. Abandon seriousness, all ye who enter . . . the Onion.

I have to say thanks to Charlotte for introducing me to The Onion. I got at least 4 legitimate belly laughs from some of today's features listed below. Maybe I read too many Mad magazines when I was a twisted youth, but I find their humour so enjoyable! Just watching "Breaking News" relieved much of the pain I've felt over the years of watching straight network TV newscasts. And the send-up of the typically moronic media panel-discussion in the "End of Print Journalism" one was about perfect. The sufferings I have undergone through trying to give the mainstream media their due . . . these Onions revenge me! Shweet. 

Breaking News: Some Bullshit Happening Somewhere 03.08.10

and 

How Will The End Of Print Journalism Affect Old Loons Who Hoard Newspapers?

and, of course, 

12-Year-Old Boy Scouts Volunteer To Give Women Breast Exams

The Onion has always had the best comedy writing staff on the planet.  Their expansion into video is equally awesome.  More truth can be found in their satire than can be found in all the other legitimate media sources combined.

I used to read the onion a lot, though I have grown to find its "humor" incredibly insensitive, thoughtless and often cruel, especially towards children and I have lost most of my interest in it.  I just can't laugh at that kind of thing anymore.