James daSilva
Editor trying to figure it out. Amateur historian of The Onion from 20 years ago (onion20.substack.com and @onion20.substack.com).
Mostly on social to talk basketball.
- Reposted by James daSilva20 years ago this week, The Onion mentioned Roger Federer for the 1st time. Also, The Onion jokes that e-mail takes up 30% of the workday — 6 years before McKinsey confirmed this! Much more in this look at The Onion’s web-only jokes from early February 2006. open.substack.com/pub/onion20/...
- Reposted by James daSilva20 years ago today, @TheOnion.com imagined a federal Department of Corruption. Plus, we learn about the dangers of network-TV violence invading our real lives, black boxes for balloons, BlackBerry’s legal troubles, and much more from Feb. 1, 2006! onion20.substack.com/p/2006-the-o...
- Reposted by James daSilva20 years ago, The Onion created a Department of Corruption. Plus, jokes about TV causing violence, Michael J. Fox, Al-Qaeda No. 2s, BlackBerry, rival "dead kid foundations" and the idea of a wife. onion20.substack.com/p/2006-the-o... #theonion #satire
- Reposted by James daSilva20 years ago, The Onion redesigned its sports section. Let's look at the web-only jokes from Jan. 25-31, 2006! onion20.substack.com/p/reviewing-... #theonion #satire
- Reposted by James daSilvaThe internet's memory isn’t a cloud—it’s heat, power, and hard drives 🔥💾 Inside the Internet Archive’s trillion-page fight against digital forgetting, from PetaBox servers to legal battles over memory itself ⚙️📚 ➡️ hackernoon.com/the-long-now... #InternetArchive #DigitalPreservation #WebHistory
- Reposted by James daSilva20 years ago in The Onion, snowmen protested global warming. Plus, jokes about never retiring, Bush's ag secretary, Ariel Sharon, Fidel Castro, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, zombies and more. onion20.substack.com/p/january-20... #theonion #satire
- Reposted by James daSilvaAs many of us await this apparently massive winter storm, it's funny to see that this Onion article turns 20 years old on Sunday. We'll cover it in the next newsletter. theonion.com/nations-snow...
- Reposted by James daSilvaWelcome to 2006 in The Onion! 20 years ago in @TheOnion.com, Sean Penn was enraged because he couldn't register his name with Gmail. Plus, jokes about the federal budget deficit, "Call of Duty," "The Most Dangerous Game," Brangelina and more. onion20.substack.com/p/2006-the-o...
- Reposted by James daSilva20 years ago in The Onion, Sean Penn raged at Gmail. Plus, the U.S. holds "going-out-of-business" sale and jokes about "Call of Duty," "The Most Dangerous Game," Brangelina and more. onion20.substack.com/p/2006-the-o... #theonion #satire
- Reposted by James daSilva20 years ago this week, @TheOnion.com was still on holiday vacation. So they published this review of 2005 in Sports. I’ve included a few images from this issue. Plus, @avclub.com interviewed Fred Armisen.
- Reposted by James daSilvaWhat was 2006 like? I'm sharing 50 great jokes that @TheOnion.com published in 2006 Plus, I preview The Onion's redesigned print newspaper and reflect on how American politics, culture and life have changed over the past 20 years. #theonion onion20.substack.com/p/preview-50...
- I know sports announcers aren't journalists, and increasingly employees of the teams ... but the Unrivaled announcers are truly unmatched in their groveling before the league's sponsors. You'd think Sephora and Samsung owned the league and employed them directly as PR reps.
- Reposted by James daSilvaPreview: 50 great jokes The Onion published in 2006. The Onion redesigns its print edition! Plus, 2006 kind of sucked? Let's explore what I'll be covering from a year where seemingly everything got worse. onion20.substack.com/p/preview-50... #theonion #satire
- Reposted by James daSilva20 years ago today, @TheOnion.com published an issue of old stories under the banner “Re-Breaking News.” Here are a few of the pages from that print issue. #theonion
- Reposted by James daSilvaReviewing The Onion's website: Jan. 4-10, 2006. Bush defends NSA wiretapping, plus jokes about veal, venison, Olympic skiers and Kwanzaa sales onion20.substack.com/p/revisiting... #theonion #satire
- Struggled to find much analysis of the Unrivaled jerseys, but this is a helpful comparison. Liked last year's but these are mostly an upgrade. buzz.uni.edu/designinthep...
- Really enjoy Unrivaled, but the court design this year is boring and the lighting is very strange, at least on camera.
- Reposted by James daSilvaAn instrument will allow people to hear and see each other over long distances
- Reposted by James daSilvaA List of Predictions Made in 1926 About 2026 🧵
- Reposted by James daSilva30 year ago this month, apropos of nothing: “For a long time, we have said we don’t need another Viet-nam,” Clinton told a joint session of Congress. “But now, more than ever, America needs to be divided. We need another Vietnam.” theonion.com/u-s-invades-...
- Reposted by James daSilvaWith the power of additional YouTube audio tracks, I have now added a COMMENTARY TRACK with behind-the-scenes secrets and details. Enjoy!
- Our holiday special is now up on YouTube! Please enjoy an hour of surreal sketch comedy from a TV station that doesn’t exist. We worked really hard on it. youtu.be/potW-zQLlgY
- Reposted by James daSilvaThe Onion's website ended 2005 by going on vacation. The Onion published very few jokes between Christmas 2005 and New Year's 2006. But we get President Bush's preview of 2006, "a year of great terror and pain." onion20.substack.com/p/the-onion-... #theonion #satire
- Rob Reiner in 1986 on friendship and how he pointedly differered from his father. Intriguing interview overall. www.interviewmagazine.com/film/how-rob...
- "I don’t think depression—or any emotional problem-makes you creative. I think people create despite anxiety and depression, not because of it. I think you have to experience pain ... but I don’t think you have to be in pain in order to create. In fact, it makes it more difficult."
- Reposted by James daSilvaTV Network Refuses To Air ‘Miracle On 34th Street’ For Outdated Depictions Of Hope, Joy theonion.com/tv-network-refuses-…
- Reposted by James daSilva20 years ago, @TheOnion.com shared President Bush's Christmas message for kids: Beware of Osama Bin Claus!
- Reposted by James daSilvaWarm yourself by the virtual fireplace in this cosy 16-color EGA #Christmas scene. No MS-DOS or floppy 💾 drive required. Thanks to software preservation, it's still crackling on the Internet Archive. ✉️ Open the full 1986 Sierra On-Line "A Computer Christmas" card ⤵️ archive.org/details/sier...
- This image is from a completely different joke but I love the idea of this turtleneck guy discussing Bin Laden somberly. open.substack.com/pub/onion20/...
- James L. Brooks is a legend, but his last two films (15 years apart!) show there's a hard age limit on understanding the zeitgeist. Contrast with Scorsese and Eastwood, where experience is good because they're mining what they already know. collider.com/ella-mccay-f...
- I saw "Broadcast News" a few years ago at a screening with his Q&A after. Amazing film, clearly reflecting *something* about the late '80s culture. He was great, too. But I'd never want him to try and make a new version of that now.
- Tough for Brooks because his oeurve was always, roughly speaking, "understanding the culture," and he was a master of it for ~25 years.
- Reposted by James daSilva20 years ago in The Onion, Karl Rove compounded his Valerie Plame leak by revealing Santa's identity to Highlights for Children! Plus, Jean Teasdale, the troops in Iraq, stuntmen, "loose women," Gov. Rick Perry, holiday pop-ups, home-heating costs and more! onion20.substack.com/p/the-onion-...
- Reposted by James daSilvaArea Dad Botches 'Princess Bride' Quote theonion.com/area-dad-bot...
- Reposted by James daSilvaVirginia Heffernan wrote this shortly after the 2016 election and it still holds true
- Reposted by James daSilvaHighly recommend this episode of @andyrichter.co podcast with @samreich.bsky.social, especially if you read my Onion newsletter and want to know some past and present comedy influences. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
- Reposted by James daSilvaFritolaysia Cuts Off Chiplomatic Relations With Snakistan. “Relations between the two countries grew stale in 1994, when Fritolaysian rufflelutionaries crossed zestablished borders and forced Snakistan to dispatch cheesekeeping forces.” [theonion.com]
- Reposted by James daSilvaReviewing The Onion's website: Nov. 30-Dec. 6, 2005. A free recipe from President Bush! A MacGuffin joke! Plus, Jennifer Garner, Annika Sorenstam, John Daly, Michael Irvin and more. onion20.substack.com/p/reviewing-... #theonion #satire
- Reposted by James daSilvapresented without comment
- Reposted by James daSilvaLooking to buy one of @TheOnion.com's old books? Want to read the 2 very good histories of The Onion that published in 2025? I’ve collected the best of the bunch here. onion20.substack.com/p/how-to-buy...
- Reposted by James daSilvaI revisit The Onion's past each week in two newsletters covering the print and web-only archives. Please support my work by subscribing at onion20.substack.com or at ko-fi: ko-fi.com/jamesdasilva. Thank you!
- 21 years ago, The Onion reported on the Bush administration's unlawful detention — of the Thanksgiving turkey 🦃 Plus, John Kerry can't escape the Swift Boaters! open.substack.com/pub/onion20/...
- Reposted by James daSilva20 years ago in The Onion, Satan wrote a column. Plus, the FCC, Bush's hope-based plan, parking lot attendants, cats and mice, the Xbox 360, "glitter lung" and much more. onion20.substack.com/p/november-2... #theonion #satire
- Reposted by James daSilvaRevisiting The Onion's website: Nov. 16-22, 2005. The Onion remembers WWE wrestler Eddie Guerrero and debates the world's best dictator. Plus, AOL's TV downloads service, injured athletes and more. onion20.substack.com/p/the-onion-... #theonion #satire
- Reposted by James daSilvaLadies, Gents and all between and beyond. Desert Bus 2025 is now departing for fun, joy, hijinks and a whole lot of hope! Let’s prepare to get silly for a good cause! desertbus.org
- Reposted by James daSilva20 years ago, an Area Baby had no friends. Plus, beers with President Bush, Delta Airlines cancels flights, Animal Planet's reality show, Navy recruiting commercials, and much more. onion20.substack.com/p/2005-onion... #theonion #satire
- Of all the words about Nico Harrison, it's probably as simple as this: "A non-basketball executive who made his way over from a shoe company, Nico never shoulda been hired." www.kdonhoops.com/the-wo/?ref=... (Also, great deep dive into garbage GMs)
- Reposted by James daSilvaReviewing The Onion's website, Nov. 9-15, 2005. Remembering Tim Duncan's 1st Onion mention, Anderson Cooper, the 2005 NYC Marathon, the Panthers cheerleaders scandal, and more. onion20.substack.com/p/reviewing-... #theonion #satire
- His bio reads like he lost custody
- Reposted by James daSilva20 years ago, The Onion buried Rosa Parks — and civil rights. Plus, jokes about NYT reporter Judith Miller, metal legends, Iraq, Cameron Crowe, and people who love half-baked theories onion20.substack.com/p/november-2... #theonion #satire
- Reposted by James daSilvaReviewing The Onion's website for Nov. 2-8, 2005. The Onion jokes about Michael Bay, Bush eulogizing Rosa Parks, weather-related gambling, Samuel Alito's nomination and much more onion20.substack.com/p/reviewing-... #theonion #satire
- Magic Johnson taking over this post-game show lol. But lovely praise for Freddie Freeman, who is appropriately shy about compliments.
- Reposted by James daSilvaFor the 6th year in a row, a player named Will Smith has won the World Series 2020 - Will Smith (C), Dodgers 2021 - Will Smith (RP), Braves 2022 - Will Smith (RP), Astros 2023 - Will Smith (RP), Rangers 2024 - Will Smith (C), Dodgers 2025 - Will Smith (C), Dodgers
- Love this psychotic interview with Blake Snell from 2016. About his nickname:
- Reposted by James daSilva$18 Mocktail Satisfies Craving To Waste Money theonion.com/18-mocktail-satisfi…
- What a headline
- Kings are not a great defensive team, but it's amazing to see Reaves command so much attention that much lesser offensive players are getting wide open.
- Austin Reaves. Wild to see him thrive when he has to be a No. 1 option
- Ayton is ... something to watch. Obviously skilled, puts up numbers but the experience is always worse than the box score suggests
- What an opening week of basketball. Also, lol, that familiar Aaron Gordon-Steph Curry shootout
- This is the Aaron Gordon the Magic dreamed about. Good lord
- Podz is perenially on my fantasy team, but man he really looks like Jeremy Allen White if his life was going badly
- "We freed George Santos, let's do that for C.J. [McCollum]" ~ Charles Barkley
- Pleasantly surprised at how unchanged Inside the NBA is
- why did NBC suddenly forget how to broadcast without the feed freezing every 5 seconds? Or is it an xfinity problem?
- Reposted by James daSilvaThe Wayback Machine’s snapshots of news outlets’ homepages have plummeted in recent months — Nieman Lab reporters @andrewdeck.bsky.social and @hanaatameez.bsky.social found they declined by 87% starting in May of this year. They decided to find out why. buff.ly/rhtRGcr
- I think the NBA on NBC show was fine? They can't be TNT but they also went more than 90 seconds without a commercial break, unlike ESPN.
- Why does this ring presentation feel like NBA2K? The pan across to robotic Adam Silver, the drone-like can over the arena, the competent but generic PA official? Maybe video games ARE real life now!
- Reposted by James daSilva20 years ago, The Onion warned of zombie attacks in Pittsburgh! Also, a local woman becomes America's trusted news source, plus Saddam Hussein, Harriet Miers, Pamela Anderson and the Ten Commandments. onion20.substack.com/p/2005-the-o...
- Reposted by James daSilva20 years ago, The Onion's website featured Jackie Harvey trying to sell used CDs, plus lots of jokes about baseball, new Chancellor Angela Merkel, President Bush, Chicago's love of Mike Ditka and much more. onion20.substack.com/p/reviewing-...
- Reposted by James daSilva20 years ago in @TheOnion.com, Jim Anchower got a girlfriend! Plus, President Bush seeks a Secretary of the Nation, afterlife drug sentencing, marriage counseling, friends with cancer and much more. Revisit the Oct. 12, 2005, issue with me! onion20.substack.com/p/2005-the-o...
- Reposted by James daSilva20 years ago, The Onion resurrected Bob Marley to save the frat bros. Plus, @TheOnion.com jokes about Hollywood, obesity, Cosmopolitan, Jimmy Kimmel, Halliburton and the CEO with the best handshake. Revisit the Oct. 5, 2005, print issue of The Onion! onion20.substack.com/p/2005-the-o...
- Reposted by James daSilvaGriffith was found guilty of failure to disperse and fined $50. That's unconstitutional -- even the DOJ recognizes journalists' right to cover how law enforcement disperses protesters. But it also shows what a giant waste of taxpayer funds it is to prosecute journalists for doing their jobs.
- Reposted by James daSilvaWild as it seems, the only reference by @TheOnion.com to Jane Goodall before 2017 (at least, that's still online) is this 2000 story about the fictional "cable comedy Monkey Honeymoon, starring Carrot Top and Jennifer Tilly." theonion.com/majestic-low...
- Reposted by James daSilvaWhat did @TheOnion.com publish online 20 years ago? • ESPN programming for women • Dick Cheney's health • Mickey Rooney simply being alive! • President Bush's weekly radio address And much, much more! Take a look at The Onion's website from 2005! onion20.substack.com/p/the-onion-...
- Reposted by James daSilvaThe Onion published its 9/11 issue 24 years ago today. onion20.substack.com/p/the-onions...
- Reposted by James daSilvaDid you know @TheOnion.com had a sports section? Well, it didn't, until 20 years ago this week. Let’s dive into 16 individual sports jokes featuring Terrell Owens, Tiger Woods and Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, the BCS playoff system and much more! onion20.substack.com/p/the-onion-...
