What is Satire?

Basics of satire.

1. What is Satire? “Ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against unintelligible propositions.” – Thomas Jefferson

2. Satire Defined: Satirists support 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 the societal 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 Types of 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 Types of 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 & Point of 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 & Point of 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 Question to 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 are being used to construct satire? Parody? Irony? Mock-epic? Lampoon? Caricature? Allegory? Travesty?

12. Works Cited Griffin, Dustin H. 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.