"The Onion" Inspiration

It's kind of surprising that a website as well-known as The Onion would get inspiration from the area, and at the same time it's not. I mean, really. The posts on this blog alone are often a chronicle of stupidity and ridiculousness. The Herald-Standard crime section often reads like The Onion. Related: I most unfortunately had to turn down a position doing crime reporting over there. That was really upsetting.

For the past six years, The Onion has been getting hints of Southwestern Pennsylvania thrown into it thanks to new head writer and 2001 Connellsville graduate Seth Reiss.

Among Reiss' contributions?

...tales like the Uniontown Area High School history teacher who has silly answer options on his multiple-choice tests. In Reiss' 2008 story, the teacher delights in saying he included comedian Billy Crystal in a question about Paul Revere's "Midnight Ride."

Brownsville, Connellsville, and Mill Run have been featured, as well as fake quotes from Uniontown mayor Ed Fike.

As for Reiss himself, he has a pretty impressive resume that includes internships with "The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn," "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart."

I shouldn't be as surprised as I am that this area has spawned so many writers.