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Development of satire in the 18th century
Development of satire in the 18th century
Development of satire in the 18th century
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Satire is commonly a form of comedy that is usually humorous, but sometimes it can be seen as not humorous because of the topic the person is satirizing. Satirists would bring out the flaws of commonly sensitive topics such as religion; though it is difficult identifying religious truth in a society because what is considered the truth is always debated by different groups. George Carlin was incredibly outspoken about his views on religion. He used his personal beliefs to create a comedic routine to share to and inform the world about the hidden imperfections of popular subjects. Because Carlin was known for outing this sensitive topic, it may not be seen as humorous to those who feel a connection to the subject, in this case religious people. …show more content…
For example, they can find humor in the Simpsons. The Flanders are an incredibly religious family; when every sentence is spoken from the Flanders, it’s like the 12 disciples are preaching to you. Theists can find the Simpsons funny because it shows a family that exemplifies the ‘real’ faith of many religious Americans. It is a show that can possibly give one hope, joy, and inspiration. And one is reminded that it is a lighthearted joke and that it is funny. As Homer Simpson says, “It’s funny cause it’s true.” The Simpsons brings out laughter in those because it shows the fundamental truth the audience …show more content…
The Westboro Baptist Church unaffiliated Baptist church known for its hate speech, especially against LGBTQ people, Jews ,and politicians. Leader Fred Phelps (1929-2014) targeted several individuals and groups in the public eye, including George Carlin. Phelps insulted Carlin immensely; after his death Phelps stated that he is “Now in hell...and it is not relevant whether he believed in hell or not” ("Westboro Baptist Church"). He continued to abuse Carlin’s beliefs and calling him a “Filthy, blasphemer, obscene, potty mouth, skeptic, agnostic, prophane atheist” ("Westboro Baptist Church"). Phelps extensively complained and lectured about how the satirist made lots of money making fun of God, and because he is now dead, me must deal with God himself. George Phelps, along with the rest of the Westboro Baptist Church followers, has no understanding of religious satire. They see this form of comedy as a disgraceful, offensive way of speech when it is really pointing out the concealed wrongs of
Satire can be defined as any work in which a human vice or folly is attacked with irony or sarcasm. An example of satire can be found in the song "When the President Talks to God" by Bright Eyes. In this song, the lyrics lay out hypothetical conversations between the President and God, which mocks current President George W. Bush and his use of strong religious influence while in office.
Kurt Vonnegut said in The Vonnegut Statement (1973), in an interview with Robert Scholes, that one of his reasons for writing is "to poison minds with humanity…to encourage them to make a better world" (107). This idea works quite well in Vonnegut's book, Cat's Cradle. It is a satirical story of a man's quest to write a book about the day the world ended (refering to the day the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima), which he never finishes. What we get is a raw look at humans trying desperately to find a sense of purpose in their lives through different means such as religion, science, etc.
Satire is form of comedy in which flaws in people or society are chastised in order to prompt change in the objects of criticism. Regardless of how long ago comedy itself may have existed, the concept of satire was introduced by the Roman satirists, Juvenal and Horace. The tones conveyed in their writing characterize the main modes of satire, being Horatian and Juvenalian, and are still used in satire today. Presently, two popular forms of comedy that employ satirical elements include parody news sources and comedic performances. Although satirical writing has evolved throughout history, many aspects of satire are still apparent in both the articles of parody news sources, like The Onion, and the performances of professional comedians, like
Seinfeld was a sitcom from NBC that was very popular during the ’90s, and is often referred as “a show about nothing.” It consisted of the life of a fictitious Jerry Seinfeld and his friends in New York City (IMDb). Seinfeld reached a Nielsen rating of 21.7 percent and number one in the United States ranking during its ninth and final season (“Appendix 3: Top-Rated Programs by Season”). It was unique in the way that it portrayed social life during the ‘90s, and this inspired shows such as Friends, Ellen, and Mad About You (Pierson 49). In Seinfeld episodes, the viewer can observe social customs, fads, social standards, and family portrayals of ‘90s semi-young adults.
Since the First Amendment protects chiefly speech on public issues, depending on the case, there could be special protection for the defendant. It is not necessarily clear what defines a public issue, but it can generally be considered if it is “relating to any matter of political, social, or other concern to the community.” (Snyder v. Phelps) It is unimportant if the statement is inappropriate or controversial. Since the matter of Westboro’s signs relate completely to public matters, it cannot be directly assumed that phrases were meant to directly attack Snyder or his family. Also, while the statements made by Phelps and Westboro as a whole might be outrageous and crude, they are views of public concern. (Snyder v.
From these comedians, satirical humor expresses some opinions about political acts so people can view them more critically.
In order to get to know about the Westboro Baptist Church, a person needs to know a little about who they are, where they came from, and what they represent. The Westboro Baptist Church was created in 1955 by a man named Fred Phelps, in Topeka Kansas, and is considered to follow old school Baptist beliefs (God, 2011). The Westboro membership numbers less than 100 who profess to all of the teachings of the Bible, and preach against every type of sin (God). Uncommonly, the church has no known affiliation to with any other Baptist churches (Parks, 2010). The Westboro members have been known to picket at least six events a day, such as: soldier's funerals, celebrity funerals, homosexual functions, etc. (Parks, 2010).
The Simpsons first aired in 1980 as a hilarious, sarcastic, and exaggerated satire of everyday life. With depictions of politics and politicians, bad parenting, greedy industry owners, and the faults in everyday society. The show really brings to life the thoughts and sometimes unrealistic views we have of everyday people.
The twelfth and thirteenth episodes of South Park’s tenth season, “Go God Go” and “Go God Go XII”, work as pieces of comedy because they effectively uses humorous triangular formats. Both episodes satirize extremist behavior involving religion and atheism. The episodes usually show situations that involve the audience watching a humorous exchange between two parties. On occasion, the audience watches one character being made fun of, but overall the jokes involve the audience observing an exchange between two parties. The creator’s also use the characters to demonstrate their own beliefs and criticisms.
The Westboro Baptist Church started as a Non-Profit organization in 1967. They consider themselves an “old school’’ Baptist church. Their leader Fred Phelps and several of his children and dozens of his grandchildren. Appear to constitute the majority of their group members. They have no official affiliation with mainstream Baptist Organizations.
Comedian Jon Stewart gives a speech on the Daily Show during the “Rally to Restore Sanity/Fear”. He wants the viewers of the Daily Show to realize the difference between the real and fake threats and to take a humorous perspective on most of America’s “problems”. Stewart also emphasizes to his audience not to take every person on the media by his word and not to overreact to everything they hear. He uses metaphors, comparisons, and hypothetical examples to get his point across.
John Marwood Cleese, an English actor, comedian, writer and film producer said, “If I can get you to laugh with me, you like me better, which makes you more open to my ideas. And if I can persuade you to laugh at the particular point I make, by laughing at it you acknowledge its truth”. The point he brings up is the ideology of satire. Satire, by definition, is a technique utilized by writers to expose and criticize foolishness and corruption of an individual or a society. This can be done by using humor, irony, exaggeration or ridicule ("Satire - Definition and Examples", para.1). Often times, the humor used opens the audiences’ minds to the underlying problem that the writer is trying to reveal. By examining the purpose and methods of satire, dissecting literary works, and displaying examples in the media, satire is shown to be a valuable tool.
According to Everything’s an Argument by Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz, “Humor has always played an important role in argument…” (38). Humor itself is something that activates amusement or laughter. Moreover, in popular culture satire is a tool that is used to point out things in our society. Satire opens the minds of people to philosophies they might completely deny, using humor. There are many elements of satire that identify flaws within our society. A couple of satire elements that will be discussed are irony and exaggeration. In addition, a parody is used in popular culture as a way to mock or mimic situation or person.
Satire invites critical self-introspection from us in a way that no other media can. It also acts as an unbiased mirror that reflects the mirror image of the flaws of our society. This beautiful process, when unhindered and uncensored, is the epitome of western freedom of speech, which is the single most significant right that deserves to be cherished and defended. According to McClennen, however, all mirror images of satire might not be beneficial. She believes that shows such as South Park and The Simpsons, which are not afraid to attack anything, do not lead to any kind of positive political discourse.
This genre of satire has often been used with subversive purpose where political speech is forbidden by a regime. Megan Hill explains that political satire does not carry a political agenda or seeks to influence the political process, but its unplanned use and its often destructive feature can lead to protest or dissent against the political process. Besides that, Dustin Griffin argues that satire attempts to make a balance between the fictional and the real so as to amuse and educate in more or less equal measure. He