2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion Cheated, Says Satirical News Website, The Onion
- The funny report in the fake news publication claims that the winner Dev Shah agreed to return the $50,000 cash prize.
If one were not to notice the source of the news story you’d be shocked to learn that 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee winner Dev Shah was disqualified Friday.
Yes, under the shocking and screaming headline, “National Spelling Bee Winner Disqualified After Being Given All 26 Letters Needed For Words In Advance,” The Onion, the satirical news website, published a fake story that quoted the 14-year-old Shah as saying that “he had agreed to return his $50,000 cash prize and said he wished to apologize for his behavior, which he called “probouleutic, chthonic, and completely aegragus.”
Obviously, it is a fake new story, but funny.
“In a sternly worded condemnation that took the 14-year-old to task for violating the rules to obtain an unfair advantage, the 2023 Scripps National Spelling Bee winner Dev Shah was disqualified Friday when it was confirmed he had received in advance all 26 letters needed to spell the words,” the Onion story claimed.
To feign authenticity, the satire quotes Corrie Loeffler, executive director of the bee, as saying, “Unfortunately, after discovering that every single letter used in the competition was leaked to the winner ahead of time, we were forced to strip this year’s winner of his title.” Apparently, she also privately expressed that this scandal might jeopardize her career.
Saying that the Bee takes great pains to keep the letters it uses “under lock and key,” because “it is simply not fair for a contestant to walk onto our stage already knowing that letters such as E, T, and N are likely to be used over the course of the spelling bee,” the report adds, “rest assured, we will be conducting a thorough investigation to determine how this elaborate fraud was perpetrated, especially now that we know Mr. Shah appears to have gone so far as to have learned a little song he used as a mnemonic device to help him remember the 26 letters.”
On Thursday, the eighth grader from Florida outlasted 228 other competitors, including 10 finalists to win the championship. According to the New York Times, Shah had competed in previous national spelling bees, tying for 76th place in 2021 and 51st place in 2019. In 2022, he did not make it out of the regional competition in his home state.
The Onion covers news, both real and fictional, parodying the tone and format of traditional news organizations. The editorial style mimics that of the Associated Press.