Poe's Law is an adage of Internet culture stating that, without a clear indicator of the author's intent, it is impossible to create a parody of extreme views so obviously exaggerated that it cannot be mistaken by some readers for a sincere expression of the views being parodied.
Muggeridge’s Law: there is no way that a writer of fiction can compete with real life for its pure absurdity.
Poe's original law said: "Without a winking smiley or other blatant display of humor, it is utterly impossible to parody a Creationist in such a way that someone won't mistake for the genuine article."
The same happened to Muggeridge:
When Malcolm Muggeridge was the editor of the British satirical magazine Punch in the early 1960s, Khrushchev had announced he was going to tour England alongside its prime minister. Muggeridge wrote up a list of the silliest tour stops he could think of, and then put the article to bed, ready for publication. When the actual tour list was drawn up, he had to massively rewrite the article. At least half the tour stops in his satirical piece were actually on Khrushchev and the British PM’s agenda.
Scott Adams referred to this as the parody inversion point in one of his Dilbert comics.
Hate to break it to you and Scott...
Poe's Law is an adage of Internet culture stating that, without a clear indicator of the author's intent, it is impossible to create a parody of extreme views so obviously exaggerated that it cannot be mistaken by some readers for a sincere expression of the views being parodied.
Sorry to Poe and Adams, but MM got there first:
Muggeridge’s Law: there is no way that a writer of fiction can compete with real life for its pure absurdity.
Poe's original law said: "Without a winking smiley or other blatant display of humor, it is utterly impossible to parody a Creationist in such a way that someone won't mistake for the genuine article."
The same happened to Muggeridge:
Sorry to Poe, Adams, and Muggeridge, but Lord Bryon got there first with his 1824 epic poem Don Juan:
' Tis strange - but true; for truth is always strange;
Stranger than fiction; if it could be told,
How much would novels gain by the exchange!
How differently the world would men behold!