satire with marie kondo

Smiling, Knife-Wielding Marie Kondo Orders Followers To Leave Behind Cluttered Physical Forms 

This piece was published in The Onion on the 22nd of November, 2019. In the article it uses satire and a deadpan voice in order to poke fun at Marie Kondo for her iconic character as a gentle, eternally smiling, and emotionless cleaning consultant. The article juxtaposes her on-screen, harmless persona with the image of her leading a cult of followers to mass suicide, this is seen in the title itself with Kondo “Smiling” and “Knife-Wielding”. The article uses her as an example for how popularity is like being a leader of a cult, where one can generate a huge and loyal following and then use that for whatever they like, especially if they appear harmless and helpful at the start.