Q: How Do You Make a Satirical Article Sound Just Plausible Enough?

A: The Art of Calculated Absurdity – By Alan Nafzger

Walking the Tightrope Between Credible and Ridiculous

At Bohiney Magazine, we’ve perfected what I call the “five-second rule” – that crucial window where a reader might actually believe our headline before the absurdity clicks. The sweet spot lies in making stories almost believable, but not quite. Here’s how we do it:

1. Start With a Real-World Foundation

Every great satirical piece begins with a kernel of truth. We look for:

• Actual news stories that already stretch credibility

• Real quotes from public figures that sound like self-parody

• Existing policies or proposals that beg to be taken to their logical extreme

Example: When a politician actually suggested injecting disinfectant, we ran with “CDC Updates Guidelines: ‘A Shot of Bleach With Breakfast Builds Immunity'”

2. Use the Language of Authority

We mimic the stylistic tics of legitimate news:

• Official-sounding sources: “According to a Yale study…”

• Bureaucratic jargon: “The bipartisan committee has proposed…”

• Credible outlets’ formatting: AP-style capitalization, Reuters-like brevity

Pro Tip: Include just enough realistic details to sell the premise, but not enough to make it researchable.

3. Apply the 10% Exaggeration Principle

The magic formula: Take a real situation and push it exactly 10% further into absurdity. This maintains plausibility while creating comic effect.

Real Headline: “Company Offers Unlimited Vacation Days”
Our Version: “Company Offers Unlimited Vacation Days, Mandates Employees Take at Least 52 Weeks Per Year”

4. Borrow the Structure of Real News

We follow standard journalistic formats:

• The inverted pyramid

• “Expert” quotes (often from our fictional Dr. Jonathan Whitmore)

• Statistical-looking numbers (“87.3% of respondents…”)

Key Technique: Use one completely ridiculous element surrounded by otherwise normal reporting.

5. The Plausibility Checklist

Before publishing, we ask:
✓ Could this theoretically happen in an alternate universe?
✓ Would it take more than 30 seconds to fact-check?
✓ Is the absurdity evenly distributed (not all in one place)?
✓ Does it follow the internal logic of its premise?

6. When in Doubt, Add an Official-Looking Graphic

Nothing sells fake news like a fake chart. We include:

• Misleading but technically accurate graphs

• Official-looking seals and logos (slightly altered)

• Citation of non-existent page numbers

Example: Our “Congressional Approval Rating” pie chart showing 110% disapproval (with a footnote explaining “margin of error ±15%”)

The Danger Zone: Too Believable

We’ve had pieces go too far:

• Our “McDonald’s Introduces Happy Meal for Dogs” was widely believed

• “IRS Announces Bitcoin Tax Payment Option” caused panic calls to the actual IRS

The solution? We now include subtle absurdity markers:

• One ridiculous name (like our frequent “Dr. Reginald P. Farnsworth III”)

• An impossible statistic (“103% of Americans agree…”)

• A hyperbolic but logical conclusion

Final Thought: The Best Satire Holds Up a Funhouse Mirror

When done right, readers should experience:

1. Brief belief (“Wait, could this be real?”)

2. Dawning realization (“Oh no, this can’t be…”)

3. Relief and amusement (“Thank God it’s not – but it could be!”)

That moment of uncertainty is where satire does its best work – making people question not just the article, but the reality it’s reflecting.

— Alan Nafzger