The Dawn of Area Man

For someone whose job is to write satire, separating reality from absurdity can seem unnatural. This is something that becomes apparent when talking to Todd Hanson, story editor and longtime writer for The Onion and co-author of Our Dumb World: The Onion's Atlas of the Planet Earth, 73rd Edition. Consider his voicemail greeting: "Hello, you’ve reached the personal greeting of the outgoing message of the cell phone of Todd Hanson. And I, Todd Hanson, am now greeting you personally." In an interview, he alternates between serious, funny, and baffling—sometimes in the space of a single answer. But isn't that what you'd expect from the man who brought us "Area Man Ashamed Of Own Joy Upon Receiving New Mop Head?"