ClickHole

ClickHole
FoundedJune 12, 2014; 10 years ago (2014-06-12)[1]
PurposeTo parody content shared on media sites.[2]
FieldsSatire, clickbait, surreal humor
Official language
English
OwnerCards Against Humanity LLC
Key people
Bruc (Editor in chief)[3]
Staff
5 members
Websiteclickhole.com

ClickHole is a satirical website that parodies clickbait websites such as BuzzFeed and Upworthy. It was launched on June 12, 2014 by The Onion,[4][5][6][7] in conjunction with that publication's decision to stop its print edition and shift its focus exclusively to the internet.[8] According to ClickHole's senior editor, Jermaine Affonso, the website is "The Onion's response to click-bait content" and serves as "a parody of online media".[9] Critics noted that, on a deeper level, ClickHole illustrates the shallow nature of social media content and media sites' desperation to share such content.[10][9]

On February 3, 2020, the website was acquired by the team behind Cards Against Humanity. After the purchase, the website's employees became its majority owners, and retain complete creative control.[11]

  1. ^ Parker, Sam (August 14, 2014). "Can The Onion's Clickhole learn from the viral-hungry websites it targets?". The Guardian. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  2. ^ Ingram, Mathew (June 12, 2014). "It's getting harder to tell what's satire these days, and The Onion's new site Clickhole isn't helping". Gigaom. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  3. ^ Notopoulos, Katie (February 3, 2020). "Cards Against Humanity Bought Clickhole". BuzzFeed News.
  4. ^ Oremus, Will (June 12, 2014). "Area Humor Site Discovers Clickbait", Slate. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  5. ^ Crouch, Ian (June 20, 2014). "Sucked into the ClickHole", The New Yorker, Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference nytimes was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Dewey, Caitlin (June 24, 2014). "The Onion Launched a Parody Site called Clickhole, and Not Everyone Got the Joke; What Happened Next Will Not Surprise You", Washington Post. Retrieved August 4, 2014.
  8. ^ Bellware, Kim (April 30, 2014). "The Onion Is Tired Of Click Bait, And What They're Doing Next Will Explain Everything". The Huffington Post. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
  9. ^ a b Soren, Emma. "Inside 'The Onion's New Click-Bait Parody, ClickHole.com". Splitsider. Archived from the original on October 15, 2014. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference slate was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ "Cards Against Humanity Bought Clickhole". BuzzFeed News.