Satire … and other funny business

Basic Definition: Satire A literary genre designed to make readers feel critical of themselves, of their fellow human beings, or of their society. Differs from comedy in that comedy seeks to entertain and amuse, while satire is designed for a moral purpose.

Satire Usually directed at humanity in general, or at stereotyped groups of people (greedy lawyers, corrupt politicians), it can also be aimed at a particular person.

Satire: Goals & Purpose Some satires are meant to make us laugh at human foolishness and weakness; others make us angry and outraged at human faults and crimes.

Satirists (writers) Generally dissatisfied with things as they are, and they want to make them better. Perform an important function in society when they expose errors and absurdities that humanity no longer notices because custom and familiarity have blinded us to them.

Devices of Satire Exaggeration (hyperbole) Understatement Verbal Irony & Sarcasm

Satiric Device: Exaggeration Satirists do not show their subjects objectively. Instead they use generalizations & stereotypes=Exaggeration Examples: All politicians are corrupt All teenagers are irresponsible Extravagant exaggeration is called hyperbole.

Satiric Device: Understatement The opposite of exaggeration---a statement presented in a shockingly casual or offhanded way. (A form of irony.) The reader must be alert and intelligent enough to detect satire even when it is presented subtlety. “Last week I saw a woman flayed, and you will hardly believe how much it altered her appearance for the worst.”

Satiric Device: Irony (Verbal) A figure of speech in which words are used to ridicule a person or thing. A contradiction of expectation between what is said and what is meant. Example: Dad is finally out of patience with picking up after his son, who can't seem to be trained to put his dirty clothes in the hamper instead of letting them drop wherever he happens to be when he takes them off. "Would Milord please let me know when it pleases him to have his humble servant pick up after him?"

Satiric Device: Sarcasm Irony that is particularly cruel where praise is used tauntingly to indicate opposite meaning. Example: A rain soaked friend arrives at your house for dinner and you say, “Why don’t you look lovely!”.

What technique is being used? What social issue is being presented?

In modern times things such as Saturday Night Live, South Park, and The Simpsons do exactly what Swift did. They take something with which most of society is familiar and then make fun of it using exaggeration, understatement, irony, and sarcasm. Example: Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton were obvious public figures during the election of 2008: Saturday Night Live used satire in response to these two national figures.