It’s important to stay up-to-date on the news. But with so many depressing headlines out there it can be just as important to find some time in your day for a laugh.
These websites offer funny political news and commentary, satirized reporting, and weird news stories from real life.
We’ve tried to compile a broad selection of options here. Some are intended to create thought-provoking discussions, while funny news sites just give you the chance to see what the cute pandas of the world have been up to lately.
I do want to issue a disclaimer before the list begins—many of the websites listed below feature comments that may not be your cup of tea or headlines that might not be work appropriate! Satire’s intent is generally to spark a discussion, but do proceed cautiously through these websites if you are easily offended by language or content.
The Classics
If you don’t know these odd news websites, then I am honored to be the one who gets to introduce you to them for the first time. That being said, if you enjoy satire, you’ve probably been following these websites (or their Facebook posts) for a long time.
1. The Onion
The Onion is the biggest satire website on the Internet right now. Chances are you’ve seen more than one of your Facebook friends read an Onion article fully believing that its headline is true.
The Onion offers a huge range of headlines in a variety of categories, and its subtle hilarity is second to none.
Sample headline: “Pedestrians Passing Each Other on Sidewalk Stop to Let Children Sniff Each Other”
2. Cracked
Cracked is more of a general humor site than a site with funny news stories. But many of its articles are relevant to current events or provide insight into an area you may be interested in (such as technology, history, or entertainment).
In any case, Cracked is too popular not to be mentioned in a list like this and it will definitely provide you with a laugh or two!
Sample headline: “Media Scandals From Around the World (That Make America Look Sane)”
3. Snopes
I can’t in good conscience continue with the rest of this list until I include Snopes. Again, Snopes isn’t truly a satire news source, but it is one of the best fact-checking sites.
Snopes can lead you to the satire articles that inspire outrage on social media, and honestly, seeing the kind of articles that have to be debunked because people believe them is basically satire in itself.
Sample headline: “Is This Lawmaker Drinking From a Chocolate Syrup Bottle?”
4. ClickHole
ClickHole focuses less on real news and more on satire. You’ll find hilarious articles that you can relate to, with topics ranging from everyday life, celebrities, and social media.
Keep in mind that this site is called ClickHole for a reason—once you start browsing through stories, you’ll quickly find yourself clicking on others that pique your interest too.
Sample Headline: “Kinda Taking a While: This Woman Is Clearly Still Scrolling to Find an Acceptable Picture of the New Guy She’s Dating to Show Her Friends”
Smaller Satire Sites
5. The Borowitz Report
The Borowitz Report, which has been written by Andy Borowitz since 1998, is a satirical component of The New Yorker that offers a different perspective on political happenings in the United States.
There may be less of these articles than on larger sites, but the quality is consistent and Borowitz’s insights are hilarious.
Sample headline: “El Chapo Outraged That His Trial Included Witnesses”
6. Fark
Fark is a little different than the rest of the websites featured on this list because it highlights user-submitted headlines for real news stories happening around the world. Users submit a local news story, add a custom headline highlighting the bizarre event being described, and then other Fark users can comment on the article.
The worst thing about Fark is the fact that most of the submitted headlines and news stories really seem like they should be satire!
7. Huzlers
Huzlers posts a mix of satirical blog posts, trending stories, and interesting news. While not all articles on the site are fake, you can assume that the majority of them aren’t real—any truthful article will include a link to a reliable source.
That said, it’s still a great funny fake news site that revolves around pop culture, hip hop, and bizarre happenings.
Sample Headline: “Bill Nye the Science Guy Arrested for Manufacturing and Selling Illegal Drugs”
8. Reductress
On Reductress, you’ll find fake news stories from a woman’s perspective. Although most stories have to do with problems that women face, you can still have a laugh at most of these articles whether you’re a man or woman.
Sample Headline: “Woman’s Financial Plan Just Patiently Waiting for Parents to Die”
Video
If you’re looking for a replacement for watching the news, these comedic (but insightful) video commentaries may be more your style.
9. Last Week Tonight
Last Week Tonight is hosted by John Oliver and generally focuses on one large cultural phenomenon or news story that has happened over the last week. John Oliver mixes comedy with research to articulate important points about the news story in a humorous and often-sarcastic way, which gives you some intelligent insight into at least one current event per week.
10. Comedy Central’s Daily Show
Comedy Central’s The Daily Show is a satirical news show that has been running consistently since the ’90s. Currently hosted by Trevor Noah, this show offers commentary on current events in the news (jumping off from actual news footage) with a focus on humor.
Many of the clips are available online either on YouTube or on Comedy Central’s website (if you live in the United States).
Outside the United States
Many of the sites included on this list are based in the United States (even if they include a ‘World News’ section). Full disclosure, this part of the list only includes ‘International’ news satire websites from Canada, Australia, and the U.K., but I’d love to hear about any similar sites from other countries or in other languages in the comment section!
11. The Beaverton
The Beaverton is a Canadian satirical news site that tends to be more political and subtle. This site does veer into American topics as well but tends to focus primarily on topics of interest in Canada.
Sample headline: “Trudeau Slides Into African Union’s DMs”
12. The Daily Squib
The Daily Squib offers political satire on world news, technology, business, sports, and health. The website doesn’t shy away from commentary on controversial topics, but many articles veer towards the ridiculous as well.
Sample headline: “Remainer Tears to be Used to Generate Electricity for Britain”
13. The Daily Mash
The Daily Mash is another UK-centric site that offers a lot of commentary on current happenings. It also has plenty of ridiculous articles about commonplace events and Internet fads that can easily be shared across borders.
Sample headline: “It Sounds Completely Insane, But I Genuinely Like My Kids”
14. The Poke
The Poke divides its content between satirical U.K. commentary and more traditional Internet humor, such as cat videos and reaction photo compilations.
Sample headline: “12 Things This Close-Up of the Sun Looks Like—And It’s Mostly Tasty Treats”
15. The Beetoota Advocate
Aussies can get their source of satirical news from The Beetroot Advocate. Here, you’ll find bizarre fake news, as well as hilarious takes on Australia’s government.
Sample Headline: “Twist: Great Barrier Reef Apparently on Fire Now Too”
What’s Your Favorite Website for Weird News?
At least one of these funny news websites is bound to become your next favorite source for satire. They ought to give you a different (and more comedic) perspective on current events, and will hopefully brighten your day.
Looking for more weird news stories, hilarious memes, and outrageous videos? You’ll definitely want to check out these funniest websites for the best humor on the web.
Read the full article: These 15 Enjoyable Funny News Websites Could Save Your Day
