Are you implying that Alex Jones is just "doing a bit"? If so, could you explain to me what the comedic intent was behind the whole "denying a tragedy happened and encouraging the harassment of families mourning the loss of their children" episode?
watch the Joe Rogan episodes with Alex Jones, keep an open mind and you might see what I'm talking about. I have no problem with the Onion, I get the humor, but the crowds of people horse-laughing and slapping each other on the back because they get the joke so they must be "a club", them I have no affinity for, just like the pearl clutchers who think the Onion is a crime. There is no other implication.
I think I understand what you're trying to say, in that Infowars can be seen as a form of performance art or meta-humor. There might be some small number of people that enjoy the content as such, but the overwhelming majority of viewers do not and take Jones' words at face value regardless of whether there was humorous intent behind them. You can see this in the sales for his dubious-at-best supplements as these weren't bought as a gag, they were bought by people believing they would heal their ails.
This makes Jones' form of comedy (making the rather friendly assumption it was meant as such) irresponsible at best as it causes real-world harm and I doubt you'd disagree with me that comedy that negatively impacts people that did not make the decision to participate in it is not very good comedy at all.
Joe Rogan, live, has Jamie research outlandish claims Alex Jones makes, and it turns out there are citations providing the basis for his claims. If you don't get a kick out of that, yes, you don't get it.
So, Alex Jones tells overt lies -- actual, he knew the truth to be otherwise lies, which resulted in people harassing and even attempting to kill the parents of the victims of the Sandy Hook shootings. But this is okay with you because free speech trumps all other considerations? No consequences allowed for opening your mouth, especially instigating violence?
Nobody can make you feel empathy, nor punish you for lacking it. But I heartily disagree with your attempt to elevate it to something noble. It is not a superpower that makes you the only rational person in the room. Perhaps this is your point -- it is mental illness.
This is the only sensible take on this story and the response that it's getting fits accordingly.
> It's ironic that they don't get that "if you don't get Alex Jones, you are the joke" but it's not mean, we're just laughing
But this is the point where I have to suggest to you that perhaps The Onion is In on The Joke with Jones and this is when this whole thing becomes a meta-ironic performance.
