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supreme court

Democracy

The Onion filed a Supreme Court brief. It's both hilariously serious and seriously hilarious.

Who else could call the judiciary 'total Latin dorks' while making a legitimate point?

The Onion's Supreme Court brief uses parody to defend parody.

Political satire and parody have been around for at least 2,400 years, as ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes satirized the way Athenian leaders conducted the Peloponnesian War and parodied the dramatic styles of his contemporaries, Aeschylus and Euripides.

Satire and parody are used to poke fun and highlight issues, using mimicry and sarcasm to create comedic biting commentary. No modern outlet has been more prolific on this front than The Onion, and the popular satirical news site is defending parody as a vital free speech issue in a legal filing with the U.S. Supreme Court.

The filing is, as one might expect from The Onion, as brilliantly hilarious as it is serious, using the same satirical style it's defending in the crafting of the brief itself.

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Cory Booker gave Ketanji Brown Jackson's confirmation hearing the joyful recognition it deserves.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson has spent the past three days being interviewed by members of the U.S. Senate as they consider her nomination for Supreme Court justice. As expected, it has been ugly at times, with some members of Congress attempting to paint her in a negative light.

Jackson came into these hearings as one of the most qualified candidates ever, and she has handled everything thrown at her with grace, poise and barrels full of patience. Someone serving on the highest court in the land should have the temperament to handle questions and concerns without erupting into emotional outbursts, so her collectedness is not unexpected. At the same time, it can't have been easy to be grilled for hours on end, especially when you know certain politicians are determined to make you out to be someone you're not.

Jackson's nomination is also historically significant. If confirmed, she will be the first Black woman to serve as a Supreme Court justice. Considering the fact that 96% (110 out of 115) of the Supreme Court justices up to now have been men and 97% (112 out of 115) have been white, representation on the nation's highest court has been woefully imbalanced, which is why President Biden made it a point to chose a Black woman out of all of the well-qualified candidates as his nominee.

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Judge Brown's husband couldn't hold back his tears as she showered him with praise.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's opening statement to the Senate as she's being considered for a spot on the U.S. Supreme Court was powerful. If confirmed, Brown would become the first Black woman to serve on the country's highest court. Even these confirmation hearings are historic—a fact that Brown herself acknowledged.

“During this hearing, I hope that you will see how much I love our country and the Constitution, and the rights that make us free," she said. "I stand on the shoulders of many who have come before me, including Judge Constance Baker Motley, who was the first African American woman to be appointed to the federal bench and with whom I share a birthday."

But Brown's tribute to her family—and their reactions to it—were the highlight of the first day of the hearings for some, because how utterly sweet can you get?

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Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson makes her opening statement before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court, gave her opening statement at her confirmation hearing on Monday, March 21. She currently sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and will face questions from the U.S. Senate committee's 11 Democrats and 11 Republicans over two days.

The proceedings are sure to be contentious, but Jackson’s opening statement showed that she has the calm demeanor and humility necessary to be appointed to the highest court in the land.

After thanking President Biden for the nomination, she showed the primacy that faith has in her life.

“And while I am on the subject of gratitude, I must also pause to reaffirm my thanks to God, for it is faith that sustains me at this moment,” she said. “Even prior to today, I can honestly say that my life had been blessed beyond measure.”

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