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What is Satire?
- 1. What is Satire? “Ridiculeis the only weapon which can be used against unintelligible propositions.” – Thomas Jefferson
- 2. Satire Defined: • Satiristssupport their position by showing the opposing view as absurd, vicious, or inhuman to undermine their opponent's beliefs and arguments. • “ Good” satire is constructive art that aims not just to destroy but to correct social ills. • A basic equation for understanding satire: Ironic Humor + Informed Criticism = Implicit Argument for Reform
- 3. Satire • Values thesocietal common good ( not hopelessly fatalistic). • Must understand warrants, commonplaces, and ideologies of audiences in order to be successful. • Assumes that audiences are reasonably intelligent and understand irony (i.e., “saying one thing but meaning another.”)
- 4. Sarcasm vs. Satire •Sarcasm: simplistic use of irony in order to insult someone else (no implicit argument for improvement). Think of people who ironically say, “Yeah, that’s a great idea” without putting forth any ideas of their own • Satire : a blend of informed criticism and ironic humor for the purposes of improvement or correction
- 5. Two Basic Typesof Satire: Horatian & Juvenalain Horatian (named after Roman satirist Horace): a playful criticism of society through gentle, light-hearted humor: • Cheerful and light-hearted • Optimistic • Witty • Gentle • Tongue-in-cheek Examples: The Simpsons , Austin Powers , Gulliver’s Travels, Scary Movie Series
- 6. Two Basic Typesof Satire: Horatian & Juvenalain Juvenalain (named after Roman satirist Juvenal): an abrasive aggressive critique: • Cutting • Bitter • Angry • Grim • Contemptuous Examples: South Park , George Orwell’s 1984 , Swift’s “A Modest Proposal,” Parts of George Carlin’s stand-up comedy
- 7. Satire & Pointof View • Satire usually employs a special kind of narrator called a mask or persona . • Not to be understood as the speaker or writer’s authentic voice, it is the character through whom the action is observed or related • For instance, Stephen Colbert’s mask or persona is an ultra-conservative political pundit when, in reality, he is not.
- 8. Satire & Pointof View • Formal and Direct: Satiric voice speaks in the first person. For example, when Colbert address audience and says, “I go with my gut regardless of facts!” • Informal and Indirect: Characters themselves reveal their folly and ridiculousness through their own actions, words and thoughts. For example, most Saturday Night Live skits satirize morning talk shows in this way.
- 9. 3 Main Questionto Ask about Satire 1.) What institutions, practices, and/or groups are being satirized? 2.) What methods are being used to construct satire? 3.) What is the tone of the satire (Horatian or Juvenalain)?
- 10. What institutions, practices,and/or groups are being satirized? • A group or organization? • A single individual? • A “sort” or type of person • A social class? • A philosophy, commonplace, or ideology? • Social Manners? • Technological use or innovation? • Humankind as a whole?
- 11. What methods arebeing used to construct satire? • Parody? • Irony? • Mock-epic? • Lampoon? • Caricature? • Allegory? • Travesty?
- 12. Works Cited Griffin, DustinH. Satire: A Critical Introduction . Lexington, KY: Kentucky University Press, 1994. • Original Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/MiamiFYC/what-is-satire – Removed original slide 12 to remove outside video link.