GB News Acquired by The Beano

Following the fire-sale purchase of right-wing news organisation InfoWars by satirical site The Onion, financially struggling UK counterpart GB News has announced its acquisition by a similar long-standing publication, The Beano.

'We're delighted to bring GB News under The Beano's masthead,' said Denise Menice, editor-in-chief. 'Thankfully we'll have to make very few alterations, given we've already got Nigel Farage as a perfect Roger the Dodger, telling you how to dodge inheritance tax; Jacob Rees-Mogg was actually the original model for Lord Snooty, so it's really a case of life imitating art; and of course the rest make a great ensemble piece as the numbskulls."

In a Clacton pub, regular viewers were - perhaps shockingly - welcome to the changes. 'So long as they don't take that Michelle Dewberry off the breakfast show,' one supporter remarked, 'she's the only reason I get up in the morning, if you get my drift, fnar fnar!' While another was a little more hesitant, telling us, 'I'm worried about two things: First, the woke agenda sneaking in. None of the kids get whacked with a slipper or a cane any more. I was beaten by my dad and it never did me any harm, if you don't count the PTSD. Second, I hope they don't use all those long words like they do in the comic. I try to read it every week, and have to ask my son for help.'

Image credit: "Street Art in Cabra - Dennis the Menace and Gnasher" by infomatique is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Frontispiece of Canterbury Tales for Nottingham Uni

Insects say fewer sightings down to sick-note culture and working from home

A wet Spring and Summer have been blamed for the lack of many insects usually seen in British gardens. However, sources from the bugs themselves have blamed the workshy and a culture of working from home.

A furious butterfly, Neville, was pretty scathing about his fellow lepidoptera. 'Some of them just can't be bothered to get out of their cocoon. "Oooh, sorry, it's my agoraphobia", or "My knees play up something wicked in this wet weather." It means the rest of us are flitting from flower to flower, twenty-four seven, just to keep production steady. It's the butterfly effect.'

Susan, not her real name, a honey bee, told us amber nectar supplies were well below average thanks to her colleagues 'skiving'. "They know all the buzz words. If it's not Group B Strep it's Hepatitis B. What I say is take some Beechams and get your lazy thorax out of that hive!"

Ant colonies have not fared much better. We spoke to Ant, his real name, who blamed the pandemic. "We have a group of shirkers who were forced to stay at home, got a liking for working in their pants, and it's an uphill task now to get them to leave."

However, the most severe criticism seem reserved for mayflies. "Pond scum the lot of them." exclaimed a somewhat laboured water boatman. "Rock up for a day and then you never see them again."

Image: Wix AI