The Onion is officially taking over the Infowars brand with a new parody livestream, and they're not pulling any punches, starting with the immediate demise of Alex Jones himself.
The satirical outlet's new show, aptly titled "Infowars," is set to debut tonight and will air weekly on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET across platforms like Twitch, YouTube, and Instagram under the handle @realinfowars. Tim Heidecker is back as creative director and Alex Jones impersonator, steering the parody into experimental comedy that skewers internet culture and the wild theories of political commentators.
Viewers can expect the unexpected, including a rather explosive fate for Alex Jones in the very first episode. According to The Onion's parent company owner, Jeff Lawson, "we kill off Alex Jones pretty quickly." CEO Ben Collins elaborated that Jones "is popped like a balloon" from eating too much Whataburger, leading to a chaotic scenario where the rest of the episode deals with the aftermath and whether a body double has been impersonating him.
This comedic assault comes as The Onion continues its legal battle to acquire Infowars out of bankruptcy. The satirical site first won an auction for the network in late 2024, with the support of Sandy Hook victims' families who successfully sued Jones for his lies about the shooting. However, a federal judge voided that deal. Despite ongoing legal hurdles, including Jones' recent appeal against a new agreement that would allow licensing fees to the Sandy Hook families, The Onion is moving forward with its parody programming.
Collins stated that while they legally have to label it a parody, they are "having a lot of fun" and see the move as "karmic justice" for the Sandy Hook families who have yet to receive any settlement money. The Onion plans to donate $100,000 from merchandise sales directly to the families. They also view this parody as a much-needed "natively internet satire" product, targeting the "blowhard assholes" and conspiratorial "internet brain rot" prevalent online.
The show will feature familiar faces like Tim Robinson as "Tim from Ohio" and Brad Holbrook as fictional newscaster Jim Haggerty, alongside a delirious theme song from comedian-musician Nick Lutsko. Collins sees this as an "Avengers, assemble" moment for those who have been mocking such figures for years, believing that satire is a vital tool for addressing societal issues and safeguarding democracy. He added that keeping the Infowars name active, even through parody, helps maintain its value, potentially aiding their ongoing efforts to finalize the acquisition and ensure the Sandy Hook families receive compensation.
