microplastics

Link to article

This article by the Onion satirizes microplastics, including the continued production of plastics and the view surrounding this subject. Also this is a slideshow format article, where each slide is a common question about microplastics and the Onion gives a satirical response to that question. Throughout the slides, The Onion uses hyperbole, perspective, and humor to produce the sarcastic and satirical tone. 

Responding to the first question of "What are microplastics?", the Onion replies with "Seventy-sixth at best at best on the list of existential threats currently facing the human race". In this slide, the Onion satirizes the view that because microplastics aren't an immediate threat, they aren't dangerous at all. Alongside, by not giving an expected answer of something like "small plastic debris" or "synthetic compounds under 5mm", they criticize the mindset of people who only base their judgement on a single metric or limited information. 

In a slide regarding the question of if "microplastic production can be slowed", the Onion responds with "not without slashing the profit margin of Dow Chemical by nearly 0.07%". This line is a hyperbole, exaggerating the minimal loss in profit from a reduction in plastic production. While the loss wouldn't actually be that small, the Onion is satirizing on the fact companies greed over money without care for the environment. Stopping the production of plastic would greatly benefit the planet, yet companies do everything to try and maximize profit. 

Also present, is the use of humor to convey a message. When asked "How do they [microplastics] get into the ocean?", The Onion states that it "can be attributed to the poor recycling habits of tropical fish". Through the obvious hypothetical and humorous situation, the Onion implies that people often ignore the severity of microplastics, always putting the blame on someone else. Society as a whole tries to put aside the situation, when in reality society itself is the only producer of microplastics in nature, and thus completely to blame.