The Importance Of Political Satire

“Satire is defined as an indirect form of critique that pokes fun at or attacks an individual or idea by proxy. Satirical speech and literature are generally used to comment on the "evils" or morally questionable ideals held by individuals, groups and even entire societies” (sarcasmsociety). The earliest forms of written satire can be traced back to ancient Egypt where the Papyrus Anastasi was written to mock the lack of understanding, knowledge and accomplishments of Egyptian culture. Today satire is alive and well in the form of television shows like The Simpsons and South Park. The award winning writers of these programs know that mocking the issues and political correctness that dominate our current society will produce ratings. Mark Twain

There are over 7 Billion people in the world each with their own individual thoughts, ideas, and innovations. Based upon this fact, it is evident that there will be disagreements and conflicts amongst peers. In order to present these problems and arguments within the world in an entertaining, but informative way, satires are used. Satire is the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupiditiy or vices particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues. Through the use of exaggeration, humor, irony, and a variety of other similar techniques, controversial topics involving things such as politics can easily be presented.

Satire is the strongest tool of revealing the truth. But it becomes sharper in the hands of very clever people or genius such as Benjamin Franklin. Taking into consideration literature analysis, satire is a very strong and sharp display of comic art, which is based on a humiliating rebuke of poetic phenomena using different comic funds such as irony, sarcasm. Satire is both a literary genre and a particular technique that ridicules or condemns individuals or society for having a lower standard of values, attitudes, and behavior. The satirist exposes popular views in order to bring about intellectual or social reform (Rasenber).

Humorists are often seen as insignificant contributors of society. People consider humorists no more than just “entertainers”, willing to make fun of anything in order to make a crowd laugh, however, has the audience ever contemplated why humorists are the some of the only people who are allowed to critique anything that crosses their mind without consequences? Alain de Botton, claims the vital role of humorist is, “to convey with impunity messages that might be dangerous or impossible to state directly.” I agree with Alain de Botton’s claims, that humorists do hold an important role in society, which is far more than to entertain. They break the ice on delicate topics, communicating the messages to society. Political cartoons and the Colbert

Modern society allows humorists to touch upon offensive topics without receiving much criticism. As Alain de Botton claimed in his 2004 book, Status Anxiety, humorists’ role is not merely to entertain but “to convey with impunity messages that might be dangerous or impossible to state directly.” De Botton’s argument proves legitimate. Many humorists, such as cartoonists and television hosts, decide to use their humor as a tool to prove an idea or express a belief that cannot be voiced candidly in public.

In Status Anxiety, author de Botton correctly claims that humorists are expected to not only entertain their audience, but to make statements about controversial events that may be too sensitive to say directly and causally present them in a way that is easy for the public to understand. This is demonstrated through various forms of media such as television shows and political cartoons.

America is a culture that enjoys having some time away from the reality of political issues within society. Comedic entertainment has found ways to also inform its audience about important political statements that is used to “refer to any act or nonverbal form of communication that is intended to influence a decision to be made for or by a political party”( Wikipedia), or ideas through a comedic point of view. Comical news is what brings our attention with ease because listening to straight political debates can lead a person to not want to sit and become informed on latest political topics. The culture that society has developed into became accustomed to finding it better to have a laugh about serious news because through humor an audience

In Alain de Botton’s book, Status Anxiety, he claims that a humorist’s purpose is “not merely to entertain, but to convey with impunity messages that might be dangerous or impossible to state directly.” Humorists have more leeway when discussing controversial topics, thus they serve a vital function in society; however, humorists also have other intentions such as entertaining their audiences and earning revenue.

Humor has become manifested into nearly all aspects of the secular world. Whether it be in comics, writings, or television, some form of comedy is sure to be seen on a regular basis. It seems the world today depends on a good laugh every now and then, and Alain de Botton argued the purpose of this in his book Status Anxiety. He concluded that humorists are more than just a form of entertainment; They "convey with impunity messages that might be dangerous or impossible to state directly". These men and women are granted some degree of leeway to speak freely and candidly on ultimately any subject for the preservation of societal stability. Their representation of public sentiment results in the people feeling as if what they long to say is finally being heard on a larger platform. Humorists serve the vital role of being a true reflection of public opinion; however, they are not immune to

Satire can be found everywhere around us, not just in our English classes. For instance, satire can be found in many television shows, newspaper articles, comics and many other places. Satire is used to criticize people`s stupidity or foolishness among many different issues through the use of irony, humor, and other rhetorical strategies. In other words, its main purpose is to mock a certain subject or person to expose the main issue to the audience. For instance, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Twain demonstrates the use of various rhetorical strategies, such as ironic and humorous language to satirize southern society`s hypocrisy toward education, religion and racism.

Perhaps the most important reading from this class, I feel, is the Gray, Jones, and Thompson article on satire. Although the seemingly most popular article of the class, I argue that its popularity strives from a detachment of more traditional television sources, providing a new form of cultural engagement and citizenship. As trust in clear-leaing broadcasting systems fades, satire and parody emerges as substitute, filling in the spaces of discontent and misrepresentation felt by audiences. Shows like the Daily Show “defamiliarize” norms embedded into our social-political behavior, allowing a ‘step back’, as it were, and on an individual scale philosophically scrutinize them (Gray, 9). Most significantly, elements of satire and parody facilitates

Satire is commonly discussed and understood as the use of humor in literature and media to bring about an increase of awareness and change in society. While this definition is correct, it is not all encompassing. Satire can certainly employ humor (found in Horation-type satire) but it can also be effective without the use of laughter and amusement (known as Juvenalian satire). Through combining these different uses and the purposes of each type, a more encompassing definition may include the methods to bring about change in human institutions that are found as absurd, foolish, or full of vice or error. While often found in the lives of individuals, satire must be studied and have its components identified to be able to fully understand and comprehend the purpose of the issue being satirized.

Satire is constantly evolving in order to maintain with the times. As technology, culture and humanity change and grow, satire is forced to grow with it. Satire of our modern time is more likely to be found on our phones than on print, more likely on a television than a telegram. By merging with pop culture, in forms of Family Guy and Comedy Central news shows, these forms of satire are able to stay relevant. But, despite the change in medium, the purpose of satire and effect of satire holds true. Modern satire, just as that of past satire, sheds light on the problems of our society through ridicule and mockery, without reinforcing and further cementing the stereotypes and prejudices they are trying to expose.

Today, comedy news shows are becoming progressively more popular, and in so, becoming a new source of information – which may, or may not, be a positive consequence. Most comedians twist the truth in order to connect to people and make them laugh. The article “A Serious Business: What Can Comedy Do?” suggests some comedians “use logic to make painful things make sense” (O’Hara 108). Satirical comedy acts as a relief mechanism in that it comforts people that may be wary about a certain subject, especially in the realm of politics. Similarly, Peter McGraw and Joel Warner discuss how comedy can act as a coping mechanism. The authors conclude that “activists all over the world have been using comedy as a form of political protest” (McGraw & Warner 147). Iain Ellis writes about how political satirists do more than just deliver jokes, they use satire “to expose, ridicule, and–implicitly–call for action and change” (Ellis 152). Ellis contends that comedy can make a difference by its constant presence in our daily lives. Socrates, Plato, and even shows like South Park believe that humor is a way to persuade others. One of the most effective expressions of humor to affect social change has been the inclusion of satire. Although humor often provides people a welcome escape from the burdens of their daily lives, the satirical comedy deconstructs social issues in various ways as a means to persuade the

Obtained by the outcomes from corrective action, the genre of satire advocates for the preservation of moral principles, the need to reform, and the attempt to instigate change. Satire has become a powerful art form intended to improve humanity by pointing out the deficiencies in certain human behaviors and the corruptions of modern society. Satire also has the competence to protect its creator from accountability for criticism, because it is covertly implied rather than openly stated; thus, it becomes a powerful tool for people in repressive political and social periods. With its intentions to ridicule those vices, satire has progressively made its way into literature, television, the internet, comics and cartoons. Modern satire as portrayed in the cartoon South Park has transformed into a powerful satirical work, in which four young boys propose to expose the ugly truth, meanwhile the adults render to the senselessness of society. Alternatively, Swift effectively uses each experience in Gulliver’s Travels to satirize a vast of issues which were once significantly influential in the seventeenth and eighteenth century England, including government, human pride, religion, and philosophy. Modern society struggles to obtain the good of civilization which is constantly being threatened by man's immorality, causing satirist to unmask those vices for the society’s good. While knowledge is constantly ridiculed, satire is the hindrance of immoral issues, attempting to condemn the