> (And if this is all an elaborate joke, then I'm an ass for falling for it ;) But that's not the sense I get.)

Actually I think it is a joke. Kind of. It's an elaborate argument for a philosophy (basically: eschew frameworks, use jQuery for DOM and events, manage your own MVP structure).

They go on to say "You don't need a framework" (repeatedly), and "Riot is a manifesto for vanilla JavaScript and jQuery".

I see it as a functioning demo to present an opinion about how apps should be written. Viewed like this, the whole "world's fastest framework" thing seems tongue-in-cheek. Their use of the familiar "Unveiling a new framework" device is a conceit to push a philosophy. It's allegorical.

I admit that starting off with silly benchmarks undermines the point a lot :)