The Something Awful (SA) website, generally considered to be the magnet-core of all stupidity on the known internet (and a fair share of the unknown sections too), hosts its own private forums.

These forums would at a first glance look just like any other Internet Forum where thoughts are shared, flame wars are fought, and people sometimes call each other "FAGETS" for no apparent reason.

The SA Forums, though, are a bit different than the regular old forum. First off, you have to pay to gain a membership. The money which is claimed to go towards server bills, probably ends up in the author's, Rich "Lowtax" Kyanka, monthly crystal meth pool.

Secondly, if you would go through the more recent important events such as the nefarious WTC Tourist Guy, who was posing on a photo on top of one of the World Trade Center scrapers, in the background you can see a plane ready to smash into the building. This photo was obviously a fake, but the SA forum-goers exposed the hilarity of the horrible photo by re-making it in their own ways. You may have seen the WTC Tourist Guy posing in front of The Hindenburg, on the deck of the Titanic or casually flaunting his beanie-clad noggin in front of the flaming concorde that became a highly publicized lawn dart not too long ago.

Photoshop, a commercial computer program that allows the user to manipulate imagery (such as a photo), is often the tool of choice in these forums. Indeed, a special sub-forum "SA Photoshop Challenge" issues an informal competition to remake some photo/image into a bundle of hilarity.

The most active sub-forum, without a doubt, is the "General Bullshit" forum. Here, members will come with their general bullshit: Photoshop threads, rage against "the machine" threads, rage against people "raging against the machine" threads, "I am a drunk idiot and posting a thread at 2 in the morning" threads, "I need help to score a chick" threads, "So this guy at work looks hot (NOT GAY)" threads. The list goes on, every thought in any shape or form is thrown out on this message board, and any response is possible.

SA-specific catch phrases are also born in these forums. Such as "Why you throw chip", "But did you get head?", "You suck at the Internet", etc.

A balance is required, however, by the forum member. As a member you will live in fear of being banned by the staff (for posting something that breaks the forum rules), being flamed after posting something that has already been posted (AKA Timelining), and being just a random guy in the background that noone pays attention to.

If you succeed, creating the thread that gets the public rating of "Comedy Gold", and you gather enough attention of the moderators, your thread will forever stored in Thread heaven: "Comedy Gold". Where future generations of forum-goers will see your ingenious idea when you are long gone. But if you fail, your thread will face the perils of the "Thread Gas Chamber" - a place where threads go to suffer eternally, and fade away.

Another forum "Fuck you and Goatse.cx", is noteworthy. Here, insane flame wars are allowed. People can post any gross/demeneal/sexual pictures they want - with no fear of banning (almost). The reason for it's name is the infamous website goatse.cx, where a man is depicted prancing widely with a gaping anal tract.

There are also sub-forums that are more seriously minded. "Serious software and hardware crap" is dedicated to asking questions about computers and periphelia.

So in conclusion, the general theme in the Forums is basically to be "Making fun of ourselves and the stupidity of the Internet". A place where opinions clash, hilarious threads are born, and where sarcasm is teeming.

The SA forums takes a bit of open-mindedness and a whole wheelbarrow of sarcasm and humor to appreciate, and is definately not for the faint of heart or mind.