SatireNoun. Any form of literature that blends HUMOR with CRITICISM for the purpose of ridiculing folly, vice, stupidity in individuals and/or institutions.

The necessary ingredients

♦Humor

♦Criticism, either general criticism of humanity or human nature or specific criticism of an individual or group

♦Some kind of moral voice: simply mocking or criticizing is not “satire”

The Satiric Manner

♦ Ironic/Sarcastic

♦ Either good natured criticism or bitterly cynical denunciation

♦ Always opposed to pretense, affectation, and hypocrisy

♦ More than a little bit prone to references to things society finds taboo or disgusting (bodily functions, sexuality, etc.)

Justification for Satire

♦Satire is usually justified as a way to correct human vice and folly.

♦The aim of satire – to ridicule the fault or failing of the individual, rather than the

individual person

– to target only those faults that are correctable, not those for which the individual is not responsible.

Satire v. Comedy

♦Satire differs from comedy

– Comedy evokes laughter mainly as an end in itself, while satire derides

– Satire uses laughter as a weapon, and against the butt - an object - that exists outside the work itself.

Typesof

satire

Direct/formal Satire = stating a direct criticism humorously

This is the oldest and, historically, most common form of satiric writing.

Comedian Dennis Miller’s popular series of books, Rants, are an excellent modern example of direct satire.

The Simpson’s & Mad Magazine

Indirect Satire♦ Parody

♦ Understatement

♦ Sarcasm

♦ Hyperbole

♦ Caricature

♦ Exaggeration/Diminutization

♦ Irony

Parody = a work of literature that mimics another work of literature, usually as a way of criticizing it.

♦ Monty Python and the Holy Grail♦ Scary Movie/Epic Movie♦ Gulliver’s Travels

Understatement

♦ A type of verbal irony in which something is purposely represented as being far less important than it actually is

Sarcasm

♦Harsh, cutting, personal remarks to or about someone

Hyperbole

♦Extreme exaggeration

Caricature = An exaggerated portrayal of the weaknesses, frailties, or humorous aspects of an individual or group.

Caricatures of the presidential candidates by Saturday Night Live cast members in ‘08 year actually changed the way that the candidates performed in public.

Exaggeration = Stretching the truth (tall tale/fish story)

Diminutization = Portrayal of something perceived as important as something trivial/unimportant to show its unimportance.

Literary Devices♦Irony

– All three types of irony are integral to the satirical format

♦ Dramatic Irony– When the audience knows more than a character

♦ Situational Irony– When what happens is different from the audience’s expectations

♦ Verbal Irony– When a character or writer says something different than when he or she truly means