Fact checking jokes - postmodernist humor or deep cognitive failure?

Three days ago I posted The Daily Bee with their satire of AOC on The Price is Right.

In February, I highlighted an instance of Snope, an online fact-checking site, fact-checking a Babylon Bee satire.

I was mocking them for ignorant foolishness but perhaps it is actually a business strategy. Because they are doing it again.

They are fact-checking the satire of AOC always guessing "Free" on The Price is Right.

Has Snopes itself become some peculiar postmodernist fact-checking site where they are making some existential point by fact-checking humor? Something is amiss.

From Did U.S. Rep. Ocasio-Cortez Repeatedly Guess ‘Free’ on TV Show ‘The Price is Right?’ by Dan Evon.

The satirical article started: “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was pumped to attend a taping of The Price Is Right in Hollywood this week. The special guest introduced herself as a U.S. representative and rising star of the Democratic Party. Things got interesting when the game began and every time it was her turn to estimate the price of an item her answer was ‘free.'”

The Babylon Bee is an entertainment website that does not publish factual content. A disclaimer at the bottom of the website states: “The Babylon Bee is Your Trusted Source For Christian News Satire.”

This viral image combined a photograph of the congresswoman during her appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” in June 2018 with a still from an October episode of “The Price is Right.” The image of her was slotted directly in front of the center contestant.

Is this an excess of caution on the part of Snopes in shoring up AOC's reputation?

Does Snopes not register the irony of fact-checking humor?

Does Snopes, perhaps, think that their readers are actually deceived by the satire?

It is difficult to tell. Perhaps all three. But we are deep in seriously convoluted cognitive territory with Snopes routinely fact checking jokes.