April 24, 2015
Funny or Die/for PhillyVoice
Funny or Die launched its News Flash app this week, available for free on iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.
Sometimes the news is just too disturbing to immediately digest, and while outlets like The Onion give us fabricated stories that parody what we're all thinking, it's not always easy to find an unvarnished, joke presentation of the day's breaking headlines.
Fortunately, one of the Internet's pioneers of comedy, Funny or Die, can be now counted on to hold down this brand of irreverent reportage.
On Thursday, Funny or Die officially launched its News Flash app, available as a free iOS download in the iTunes Store.
"It seems like every reputable news outlet has a dedicated app. And now a non-reputable news outlet does too," said Dan Abramson, Editor-in-Chief of Funny Or Die News, in a release on Thursday.
Users of the app can scroll through silly headlines or click through to a full story, either at Funny or Die or at an original source, that includes a video. If you want to make a friend laugh, content on the app can be shared with ease via text or social media.
The Funny or Die writers promise plenty of laughs but say that the one topic they won't touch is ISIS, because "ISIS is terrifying."
Here are some samples of the headlines you can expect to find on the app.
• "A recent survey found that 40 percent of Republicans don't believe in global warming. Ironically their rhetoric accounts for the majority of the world's hot air."
• "The Mars Curiosity rover found evidence of liquid water on Mars. So even Mars is better at sustaining life than Los Angeles."
Funny or Die was founded in 2007 through Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's Gary Sanchez Productions, becoming an award-winning top destination for both original and user-generated content. In one of its latest videos, David Spade parodies the now infamous towing company tirade of ESPN reporter Britt McHenry. (The video contains explicit language).
