I suppose it was just a matter of time before the online satire magazine
The Onion took on travel journalism as a topic to lampoon. Here, in
quintessential Onion fashion, they run faux articles with headlines like
United Nations Condemns American Tourist
Traps As Inhumane and Restaurant Turns Out to
Be Spanish, Not Mexican.
They’re funny. Not gut-busting funny, but still effective and not-so-subtle digs as the whole travel
journalism genre. I think my favorite is Woman Who
Loves Brazil Has Only Seen Four Square Miles Of It about one Joan Pavlik (pictured…sort of) who goes to Brazil
for a week and declares her sweeping adoration for the country and all it’s people, despite the fact that she never
left her exclusive resort.
“The Brazilian people are so warm and friendly,” Pavlik said, “and almost all of them know how to speak
English.”
I was going to try and describe the following paragraph about the resort where Pavlik stayed, but I’ll provide it in
its entirety because it’s so classically Onion:
The Sol Rio resort, which offers 12 tennis courts, three 18-hole golf courses, an Olympic-sized indoor pool, and
several authentic Brazilian-style restaurants, is located along a secluded stretch of beach 20 miles south of Rio de
Janeiro. Except for the air-conditioned charter bus ride to and from the airport, Pavlik did not venture more than
5,011 feet from her “Iguaçu Suite” overlooking the sea.
Loaded with hilarious details that for some reason made me think of my parents. I hope they do more.