Satire The Mace and Rapier

What is Satire?  Satire is a weapon used to ridicule to attack the vices and follies they see in human behavior.  Usually states or implies some idea of what should be the correct behavior or thought.  Goal of satire: self-examination and change foolish ways.  In written satire, the pen can be a mace – hacking and bashing the victims to smithereens – or a rapier – delicately piercing the target.

Questions for Satire  What does the satire ridicule? What are its targets?  What does the satire suggest is preferable to whatever is criticized?  What techniques does the satirist use to convey his or her ridicule?  To what extent is the satirist justified in attacking his target?  How successful is the satire?

Distance from Satirical Target  To be effective, writers or performers must have a detachment from their target.  Henry Rule confessed, “In truth I don’t ever seem to be in a good enough humor with anything to satirize it; no, I want to stand up before it and curse it, and foam at the mouth—or take a club and pound it to rags and pulp” (Nilsen & Nilsen 259).

Horatian VS. Juvenalian Satire  Gentle and humorous satire is called “Horatian Satire ” after the writing style of the Roman poet Horace.  Heavy or biting satire called “Juvenalian Satire” after the Roman poet Juvenal.

Satire vs. Gallows Humor  Satirists may use their humor to inspire reform and change, or they may use it to promote the status quo.  Satire MUST HAVE A TARGET If the creators of satire don’t have a reform or a solution in mind but are simply holding up an aspect of the world as ridiculous, then they are creating irony or gallows humor rather than satire. Gallows Humor? Humor from stressful situations, i.e., death at the gallows.

Satire Techniques  Naïve speaker — doesn’t understand the implications of his narration  Take a trivial concern or situation seriously  Treat a serious concern as unimportant or trivial  Sarcasm: sneering, jesting, or mocking a person, situation or thing.  Exaggerate – blow the issue out of proportion to make people focus on it  Understate — minimize the issue to make people realize its importance  Oxymoron : a figure of speech that combines normally contradicting terms. Such as extremely average, deliberate puns like same difference' or 'pretty ugly ’figure of speech  Tone: The attitude the writer or speaker takes toward a subject. It reflects the feelings of the writer or speaker. The choice of words and details given help establish the tone, which might be serious, humorous, sarcastic, playful, ironic, bitter, or objective.

Types of Satire  Cartoons and art  Exaggeration and caricature  Irony  Speaker  Parody  Reversal

Cartoons and Art  Lampoon or parody aspects of society or practices  Example: In the example to the right, what is being criticized? How does the cartoon help make a point?

Are these just “funny”? Or are they making a statement? What techniques does the satirist use? Cartoons and Art

Exaggeration  Focuses on one or two elements of a situation  Extends them beyond reality or out of proportion to everything else

Consider the following…

Caricature  Distorts one or two elements of appearance, usually for humorous effect.  Gentle form of exaggeration (usually)

Burlesque  Ridiculous exaggeration of language.  Used for comic effect – the language used in a situation is so absurd as to make it funny.  Example: In the following clip, how do we expect the characters to sound? What does the change do? Kg

Irony  Incongruity: presents things that are out of place or are absurd in relation to its surroundings  Example: But why is this satire? What does it target?

Situational Irony: Occurs when a character or the reader expects one thing to happen but something else actually happens. There is a great difference between the purpose of a particular action and the result. Verbal Irony: Occurs when a writer or character says one thing but means another. Examples of Irony

“Ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife” = not ironic. Not being able to find a knife in a knife factory = ironic.

Why is this song ironic?  Listen to the lyrics and then compare it to the music played along with it.  Who is the target?  Why is this satire?

Understatement Understatement is a form of speech where a lesser expression is used than what would be expected For example, in Monty Python's The Meaning of Life, an Army officer has just lost his leg. Asked how he feels, he looks down at his bloody stump and says, "Stings a bit."Monty Python's The Meaning of Life

The Speaker in Satire  Sometimes very angry voices making direct attacks.  Sometimes evil men and women confessing their own sins proudly.  Sometimes reveal their own folly without intending to.  Diatribe – direct, angry attack in the hope of eliminating what the satirist regards as undesirable conditions, attitudes, and behavior.

Parody  Imitates the style of a particular work or writer  Style is crucial – HOW the satire is done…  Example: Airplane!

Parody of Fine Art

Reversal  Presents the opposite of the normal order… Order of events or Expectation  Dessert first, then main course.  The princess saving Prince Charming Hierarchal order  When a child runs the household and the parent is treated like a child.