Satire

Satire is a literary technique of writing or art which exposes the follies of its subject (for example, individuals, organizations, or states) to ridicule, often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change. In Celtic societies, it was thought a bard's satire could have physical effects, similar to a curse. A satirist is one who satirizes.

Satire in pop culture and public media

Some works of satire are subtle enough in their exaggeration that they still seem believable to many people. The satiric nature of these works may be lost on the public at large, and there have been instances where the author or producers of a satirical work have been harshly criticized as a result. In 2001 the British television network Channel 4 aired a special edition of the spoof current affairs series Brass Eye, which was intended to mock and satirize the fascination of modern journalism with child molestors and pedophiles. The TV network received an enormous number of complaints from members of the public, who were outraged that the show would mock a subject considered by many to be too "serious" to be the subject of humor. The movie This is Spinal Tap, a spoof of rockumentaries, about a fictitious and ridiculous hard rock band was mistaken for non-fiction by some critics.

Related Topics:
2001 - Channel 4 - Brass Eye - Child molestors - Pedophile - This is Spinal Tap - Rockumentaries - Hard rock

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On occasion, satire can cause social change when used to make a political or social point (although simply revealing absurdities to the public, as opposed to the quality of the satire, may be the actual cause of any consequences). For instance, the comic strip Doonesbury satirized a Florida county that had a racist law that minorities had to have a passcard in the area; the law was soon repealed with an act nicknamed the Doonesbury Act. In the 2000 Canadian federal election campaign, a Canadian Alliance proposal for a mechanism to require a referendum in response to a petition of sufficient size was satirized by the television show This Hour Has 22 Minutes so effectively that it was discredited and soon dropped.

Related Topics:
Comic strip - Doonesbury - Florida - 2000 - Canadian - Federal - Election - Canadian Alliance - Referendum - Petition - Television show - This Hour Has 22 Minutes

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Satire enjoyed a renaissance in the UK in the early 1960s with the Satire Boom, led by such luminaries as Peter Cook, Alan Bennett, Jonathan Miller, David Frost, Eleanor Bron and Dudley Moore and the television programme That Was The Week That Was.

Related Topics:
UK - 1960s - Peter Cook - Alan Bennett - Jonathan Miller - David Frost - Eleanor Bron - Dudley Moore - That Was The Week That Was

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Satire seems to be increasing in its use in comedy. Many modern comedy TV shows use satire to some extent, and many are animated comedies as well. These include The Simpsons, Father of the Pride, Family Guy, Futurama, and even the Oscar-winning animation The Wrong Trousers, etc.

Related Topics:
The Simpsons - Father of the Pride - Family Guy - Futurama - The Wrong Trousers

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While these shows do use other types of comedy, they do all to some extent use satire. This ranges from the social commentary of The Simpsons, to the way the animals live in Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden in Father of the Pride.

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