Humor based on the September 11 attacks

The Onion
Company type	Satirical publication
Industry	Media, Satire, News parody
Founded	1988
Products	Satirical news articles, magazines, digital content

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Humor based on the September 11 attacks, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 7 August 2025

The September 11 attacks consisted of a sequence of terrorist assaults executed by the Islamic extremist organization al-Qaeda targeting the United States on September 11, 2001, resulting in nearly 3,000 fatalities. Since that time, humor related to these events has surfaced across various media platforms.

Scholars have studied the role of humor as a mechanism for processing the tragedy. For instance, Bill Ellis observed that jokes emerged in the U.S. as early as the day following the attacks, while Giselinde Kuipers identified similar jokes appearing on Dutch websites shortly thereafter. By 2005, Kuipers had gathered approximately 850 jokes circulating online about 9/11, Osama bin Laden, and the Afghanistan conflict. One of the earliest public comedic responses came from Gilbert Gottfried, who performed at a comedy roast at the New York Friars' Club just weeks after the event; however, his material was met with disapproval, including audience members shouting "Too soon!"

In contrast to these immediate attempts at humor, many late-night talk shows and comedic publications refrained from joking for several weeks following the attacks. The satirical publication The Onion notably canceled its planned September 11 issue and later released a dedicated special edition on September 26 focused entirely on the tragedy.

In literature

The Zero (2006), a satirical novel by Jess Walter, is set in post-9/11 New York City and follows a police officer who shoots himself and shortly thereafter suffers memory loss; his cognitive impairment accounts for narrative discontinuities.

In 2016, comedian Billy Domineau shared a spec script for Seinfeld imagining the series set in New York immediately after 9/11. Although Seinfeld concluded in 1998, Domineau crafted this script as an academic exercise in "bad taste." The episode’s storylines revolve around the attacks: Jerry frets over dust contaminating his meals; Elaine initially feels relieved that her boyfriend, who worked at the Towers, survived but ends up engaged to him; George is mistakenly hailed as a hero; and Kramer attempts to retrieve a premium box cutter he lent to Mohamed Atta. Several well-known secondary characters also appear. The Guardian described the script as "in poor taste, yet it accurately reflects how these self-absorbed characters would respond to such an event."

On stage

Among the first comedians to address the 9/11 attacks on stage was Gilbert Gottfried. Eighteen days post-attacks, during the New York Friars Club Roast of Hugh Hefner hosted by Comedy Central, Gottfried quipped, "I have to catch a flight to California. I can’t get a direct flight. They said they have to stop at the Empire State Building first." This joke elicited gasps, boos, and sporadic laughter, with some labeling it "too soon." He then followed with a rendition of The Aristocrats joke which was met with positive reception. In an interview with Vulture, Gottfried reflected that although he lost much of his audience due to his initial joke, The Aristocrats bit produced "the biggest laughs I ever heard."

Roughly one month later, George Carlin addressed the attacks with sarcasm, ridiculing the phrase "otherwise the terrorists win" and humorously suggesting collaboration with the US government and "Governor Bush," culminating in an imagined retaliation through "fart warfare."

In 2002, Joan Rivers sparked controversy in London with a joke about firefighter widows’ compensation related to 9/11, drawing criticism from Harold A. Schaitberger, General President of the International Association of Fire Fighters.

Pete Davidson, whose father Scott Davidson perished as a firefighter during 9/11, has incorporated multiple jokes about the attacks into his comedy sets. On September 12, 2021, Davidson co-hosted NYC Still Rising After 20 Years: A Comedy Celebration alongside Jon Stewart at Madison Square Garden, with proceeds directed toward charities connected to 9/11. The event featured performances by comedians including Amy Schumer, Bill Burr, Colin Jost, Colin Quinn, Dave Attell, Dave Chappelle, Jay Pharoah, Jimmy Fallon, John Mulaney, Michael Che, Ronny Chieng, Tom Segura, and Wanda Sykes.

On screen

To improve its chances during the Oscar season, a 9/11-related joke was excised from Jean Dujardin's 2012 comedy The Players. The removed sequence depicted a man courting a woman inside a New York apartment as an airplane crashes into the World Trade Center in the background.

In the 2012 episode of The Simpsons titled "Moonshine River", Bart remarks on the altered New York skyline, noting the disappearance of his two least favored buildings, before also referencing Old Penn Station and Shea Stadium.

South Park

The November 2001 airing of South Park's "Osama bin Laden Has Farty Pants" portrayed the town’s stunned reaction following 9/11. The protagonists are accidentally confined on a military aircraft, end up stranded in Afghanistan, captured by Osama bin Laden, and eventually saved by local children. Cartman comically defeats bin Laden in an animated fight scene.

In October 2006, the episode "Mystery of the Urinal Deuce" mocked conspiracy theories surrounding 9/11. While Mr. Mackey investigates an incident involving a school urinal, Cartman pursues his own conspiracy narrative, ultimately blaming Kyle for orchestrating the attacks.

Family Guy

The Family Guy episode "Back to the Pilot" (November 2011) features Brian and Stewie traveling back in time, with Brian warning his past self about 9/11 so that present-day Brian can prevent the attacks. This alteration disrupts history, leading to George W. Bush losing re-election and sparking a Second Civil War with nuclear strikes along the Eastern Seaboard. The duo then restores the timeline, acknowledging that their enthusiastic reaction to causing 9/11 would sound inappropriate out of context. Critics observed that the episode tested limits: Time labeled it a "too soon" moment, while outlets like Entertainment Weekly and Deadline questioned its tastefulness and noted it barely met Fox's standards.

In Season 16’s "Boy (Dog) Meets Girl (Dog)", Stewie delivers a crude 9/11 joke but immediately admits its insensitivity. Brian then references Seth MacFarlane, who voices both characters and narrowly avoided boarding American Airlines Flight 11, linking the joke to real-life events.

Reflecting shifts in broadcast standards, the DVD release of Season Five’s "Meet the Quagmires" included a deleted scene where Brian challenges someone to fight "On top of the World Trade Center, September 11th, 2001," which was omitted from the original broadcast. Likewise, Season Seven’s "Baby Not on Board" includes a Ground Zero visit where Peter mistakenly blames Saddam Hussein for 9/11; Brian corrects him with a brief explanation about the attackers’ origins, highlighting common geopolitical misconceptions.

Additionally, Season Six’s "Back to the Woods" depicts Peter committing identity theft against a fictionalized James Woods, appearing on the Late Show with David Letterman to promote a comedic film based on the attacks. This storyline exemplifies Family Guy's method of mixing real-world events with satire to engage viewers.

In print

The satirical publication The Onion chose not to publish Volume 7 Issue 32, which was scheduled for September 11, due to distribution difficulties and a belief that humor was inappropriate at that moment. The staff also skipped Issue 33 to allow time for reflection on the tragedy. Initially, they contemplated avoiding any mention of the attacks; writer Todd Hanson remarked that their typical dark humor felt unsuitable. Though some threatened resignation if coverage focused on 9/11, no one ultimately left after publication. Issue 34, released on September 27, featured articles addressing the attacks with headlines such as "U.S. Vows To Defeat Whoever It Is We're At War With" and "American Life Turns Into Bad Jerry Bruckheimer Movie." Editor-in-Chief Robert Siegel stressed that content aimed to capture public sentiment rather than mock those who died. Articles were credited collectively to The Onion, receiving favorable responses from critics and readers alike.

In advertising

Ahead of the 15th anniversary of 9/11 in 2016, Miracle Mattress based in San Antonio, Texas aired a contentious advertisement promoting a sale called "Twin Towers, Twin Price," offering all stock at prices for twin-sized mattresses. The commercial concluded with employees accidentally collapsing onto mattress piles adorned with an American flag and the phrase "We'll never forget." The ad sparked widespread outrage, resulting in its withdrawal and strong criticism across social media platforms such as Yelp! and Facebook. Owner Mike Bonnano issued an apology and temporarily closed the San Antonio location "indefinitely," pledging donations to the 9/11-related charity Tuesday's Children. The store reopened several days later.

In Brazil, some bars and restaurants have been named after Bin Laden due to owners’ physical resemblance to Osama bin Laden.

Online

Internet meme culture often mocks 9/11 conspiracy theories, employing slogans like "Bush did 9/11" or "jet fuel can't melt steel beams." Viral clips on platforms including Vine portray fictional characters or celebrities humorously implicated in the attacks, frequently showing them tossing objects before cutting to footage of planes hitting the Twin Towers. Following the viral success of Barbenheimer in 2023, certain Japanese Twitter users created memes combining images of the Twin Towers with pink smoke or pairing Barbie alongside Osama bin Laden, alluding to sensitivities tied to atomic bombings depicted in Oppenheimer. Images capturing George W. Bush being informed about the attacks while reading to children have also become popular meme templates.

References

External links

Khitrov A. "Irony about Tragedy: The Onion’s treatment of 9/11" Topos. 2012. Vol. 2. P. 153–167.