Download The Anatomy of Satire - Fort Thomas Independent Schools

The Anatomy of Satire
“‘Tis the intent and business of the stage, To copy
out the follies1 of the age,
To hold to every man a faithful glass2,
And show him of what species he’s an ass”
-- John Vanburgh, The Provoked Wife (1697)
1. foolish acts, ideas, or behaviors
2. a mirror
What is Satire?
Though he laughs, the satirist tells
the truth
Compels readers to look at a sight
they missed or shunned - move
them to protest
Exploits weaknesses
Through laughter, aims to cure folly
and punish evil
What is Satire?
The purpose of satire is to:
• expose, criticize, and/or ridicule an
individual or society’s vices
(immoral, corrupt, dishonest
behaviors) and folly (foolish acts,
ideas, or behaviors)
What is Satire?
The effect of satire is to:
• inform the audience of the vices and follies
• emphasize the extent of the corruption in
regard to the vices and follies
• outrage those being made aware of the
vices and follies; outrage the guilty parties
that their behavior is now exposed
• correct the acts, ideas, and/or behaviors in
the guilty parties
What is Satire?
The rhetorical devices/strategies to create
satire:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
humor
wit
parody
irony (situational and verbal)
hyperbole
understatement
incongruence (situations, behavior, or objects that
are incompatible, inconsistent, or unsuitable)
Types of Satire
Horatian
gentle, sympathetic form of satire.
Mildly mocks the subject.
The audience is asked to laugh at
themselves as much as the players.
NOTE: The type of satire is
not important – what is
important is that in your
analysis you can identify tone
and the author’s purpose and
the effect of satire.
Juvenalian
harsh
bitter
cruel
less emphasis on
humor but more on
wit
immature
OPTIMIST - Horatian
Likes people, but
thinks they are rather
blind and foolish
Tells the truth with a
smile
Cures people of their
ignorance
Writes in order to heal
PESSIMIST - Juvenalian
Loves individuals, hates
mankind
Aim is to wound, to
punish, to destroy
The Onion
"The Simpsons"
Forms of Satire
Diatribe, Invective
–Direct attack
–Stated without irony or
sarcasm
–Do not have to figure out
what the satirist is trying to
say
Exaggeration (caricature)
–Distortion for emphasis
–Usually focuses on powerful
subjects
–Emphasize physical
characteristics (imagery and
details in writing) in order to make
deeper criticism
Hyperbole
Overstating
Stereotyping groups of people and
focusing on faults
Making exaggerated behavior, ideas, or
people appear ridiculous or unattractive
Understatement
saying less than what is really
meant
making an inappropriate idea or
behavior seem almost normal
or commonplace
Parody
imitation which, through distortion
and exaggeration, evokes
amusement, derision, and
sometimes scorn
borrows a pre-existing form
SNL
Types of Parody
Burlesque (tone?)
–Vulgar
–Treats subject with ridicule,
vulgarity, distortion, and contempt
– “Dear companions hug and kiss,
Toast old Glorious in your piss”
-- Jonathan Swift on the Irish parliament
Mock Heroic
– “like a laughing child wearing a full-scale suit of
majestic armor”
– Grand diction, lofty style
– Takes a trivial or repellent theme
and treats it with grandeur or
feigned solemnity
– The Onion Headline: “Loser Spends Entire Day in
Bed”
Satire and Parody in the Classroom Simpsons
Examples of Parody
Mad Men Introduction
Simpsons Parody of "Mad Men”
Parody of "Flintstones“
Mad TV iRack
Simpsons-"The Mapple Store"
Mapple: "Think Differently“
Steve Mobbs
Sen. Burns Endorses Romney
Homer tries to vote for Obama
Family Guy: Undecided Voters
Testing in Schools
Standardized Testing - The Simpsons
When analyzing, consider:
RHETORICAL TRIANGLE: TONE
– sarcasm, didactic, burlesque, ironic
RHETORICAL TRIANGLE: AUDIENCE
– Humanity in general
– A stereotyped group of people OR the
people doing the stereotyping
– A particular person
RHETORICAL TRIANGLE: SUBJECT
Some Tools of the Satirist
Biting and Harsh
Juvenalian Satire - is biting, bitter, and
angry; it points out the corruption of
human beings and institutions with
contempt, using saeva indignation, a
savage outrage based on the style of
the Roman poet Juvenal. Sometimes
perceived as enraged, Juvenalian satire
sees the vices and follies in the world
as intolerable. Juvenalian satirists use
large doses of sarcasm and irony.
Invective - Speech or writing that
abuses, denounces, or vituperates
against. It can be directed against a
person, cause, idea, or system. It
employs a heavy use of negative
emotive language
Sarcasm - From the Greek meaning,
"to tear flesh," sarcasm involves bitter,
caustic language that is meant to hurt of
ridicule someone or something. It may
use irony as a device, but not all ironic
statements are sarcastic. When well
done, sarcasm can be witty and
insightful; when poorly done, it's simply
cruel.
Middle Ground
Hyperbole - A figure of speech using
deliberate exaggeration or overstatement.
Hyperboles sometimes have a comic
effect; however, a serious effect is also
possible. Hyperbole often produces irony
at the same time.
Understatement – The ironic minimizing
of fact, understatement presents
something as less significant than it is.
The effect can frequently be humorous
and emphatic. Understatement is the
opposite of hyperbole.
Irony – The contrast between what is
stated explicitly and what is really meant;
the difference between what appears to be
and what actually is true. Irony is used for
many reasons, but frequently, it's used to
create poignancy or humor.
Parody - A satiric imitation of a work or of
an author with the idea of ridiculing the
author, his ideas, or work. The parodist
exploits the peculiarities of an author's
expression--his propensity to use too
many parentheses, certain favorite words,
or whatever. It may also be focused on,
say, an improbable plot with too many
convenient events.
Light and Humorous
Wit - In modern usage, wit is
intellectually amusing language that
surprises and delights. A witty
statement is humorous, while
suggesting the speaker's verbal power
in creating ingenious and perceptive
remarks. Wit usually uses terse
language that makes a pointed
statement.
Horatian Satire - is gentle, urbane,
smiling; it aims to correct with broadly
sympathetic laughter. Based on the
Roman lyrical poet Horace, its purpose
may be "to hold up a mirror" so
readers can see themselves and their
world honestly. The vices and follies
satirized are not destructive; however,
they reflect the foolishness of people,
the superficiality and meaninglessness
of their lives, and the barrenness of
their values.
Caricature - A representation,
especially pictorial or literary, in which
the subject's distinctive features or
peculiarities are deliberately
exaggerated to produce a comic or
grotesque effect. Sometimes
caricature can be so exaggerated that
it becomes a grotesque imitation or
misrepresentation.