The Gist

How the Onion Remade Joe Biden

Head writer Chad Nackers on how his satirical site turned the veep into a Trans Am–loving metal head.

Vice President Joe Biden speak during a campaign rally on Nov. 2 in Florida.

Johnny Louis/Getty Images

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If you’ve been reading the Onion the past eight years, you know that Vice President Joe Biden is a hair metal–loving party machine. He’s set up a fog machine at the State of the Union address. He’s regaled crowds with stories from his historic summer of ’87. And he’s been busted many, many times for his shady side hustles. Chad Nackers, head writer at the Onion, talks about how his site created a whole new character to satirize Obama’s tee-totaling vice president and the delicate balancing act of finding jokes that don’t normalize the next president.

For the Spiel, don’t worry, the Amazon Echo won’t turn on you, Space Odyssey–style. It’ll just order stuff you don’t want.

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