Humor for the Intelligent Sort

 One of the oldest forms of literature and one of the most enduring.  A constructive art that seeks not merely to destroy but to rebuild; the aim is to inspire reform  Humor + criticism = inspired reform  Assumes that the audience is reasonably intelligent, educated, and rational

 Satire = a blend of criticism and humor for the purposes of correction or improvement  Sarcasm = simple abuse consisting of a series of insults or insincere language

 1. What institutions, practices, and/or groups are being satirized?  What method(s) does the author employ in constructing his/her satire?  What is the tone of the satire?

 A group or organization  Individuals  A “sort” or type of person  A social class, political party, etc  A prevailing philosophy  Social manners  Modern progress  Mankind

 Parody– mocking an original work intended to be taken seriously by copying its style (Ex: Scary Movie, SNL)  Irony ◦ Verbal – what you say is different from what you mean (Ex: Saying, “Gee, thanks mom!” when your mom forgets to pick you up from school) ◦ Situational – when the opposite of what you expect to happen happens (Ex: a fire hydrant catches on fire) ◦ Dramatic – when the audience knows something the characters don’t (We know that Juliet is only asleep, but Romeo thinks she’s dead!)  Mock Epic – Mocks a subject by treating it in an inappropriate, grandiose manner (Stephen Colbert takes on Wheat Thins)

 Caricature – exaggeration by means of often ludicrous distortion of parts or characteristics (See photo)  Travesty –presents a serious subject in a trivial or frivolous manner (Hello, South Park!)  Fable - A usually short narrative making an cautionary point and often employing as characters animals that speak and act like humans (Animal Farm, The Butter Battle Book)  Burlesque – another word for parody  Lampoon – verb which means to satirize someone or something (EX: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation)

 Persona- employing a special kind of character or mask ◦ This is the character through whom the action is observed or related ◦ This is not the author’s voice or true character of the person preforming the satire

 Horatian –aims to correct through broad laughter ◦ Cheerful ◦ urbane ◦ tongue--in—cheek ◦ Optimistic ◦ Warm ◦ Witty ◦ gentle ◦ chiding

 Juvenalian –aims to reform through mocking ridicule ◦ cutting ◦ Bitter ◦ angry ◦ Contemptuous ◦ grim ◦ Sardonic ◦ harsh ◦ indignant

 The Colbert Report  South Park, The Simpsons, SNL  The Onion  Animal Farm, Huckleberry Finn  Parody or spoof movies like Airplane, Scary Movie, Not Another Teen Movie, etc