Satire A BRIEF INTRODUCTION What is Satire Satire

Satire A BRIEF INTRODUCTION

What is Satire? Satire is a literary device. • Satire uses humor, irony, hyperbole, and other devices to expose and criticize people’s vices/faults most often in the context of politics or social/cultural issues. • Satire ridicules problems in society, government, business, and individuals in order to bring attention to these problems and promote improvement. •

What devices do Satirists use? • Satire uses: hyperbole (exaggeration), understatement, distortion, irony, sarcasm, juxtaposition, analogy, parody, double entendre, puns, symbols, etc…

Why do we use satire? • • Because satire generally critiques those in power, it often reflects the voice of the general population. Because it is humor based, satire is often highly engaging and accessible to the general population. Because it is so engaging and accessible, satire is useful in sparking public discourse that can lead to movements and change. Because a satirist is an entertainer or humorist, they are often immune to official criticism that traditional journalists often face.

Some examples of satire: • “A Modest Proposal” Jonathan Swift • The Daily Show • The Simpsons, Family Guy, and South Park • The Onion (satirical news site) • Cartoons in the editorial pages • “Weekend Update” SNL