Study Guide
Examples of Satire in Pop Culture
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University:
Bradley University -
Course:
LAS 101 | Arts and Ideas Seminar Academic year:
2021
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Views:
456
Pages:
15
Author:
segolhandworked
Satire in Modern Pop Culture
Satire
Subject of Satire
Comment or Criticism Being
Made
Saturday Night
Live’s Weekend
Update
The Daily Show
Television News
Identification of human flaws
and vices related to politics,
entertainment, and current
events.
Scary Movie
Horror Movies
Exaggerates the techniques used
by horror movies to scare
audiences
Austin Powers
1960’s Spy Movies
Sexism towards women.
Ridicules escapes by the spy and
the stupidity of the evil villain.
Political
cartoons
Politicians and
Political Issues
The policy decisions and
personality traits of elected
officials can be flawed.
Songs by Weird
Al Yankovich
Musicians and Music
Videos
The excess of modern
musicians. Simplicity and
immaturity of lyrics in modern
music. Satire
Noun. A literary manner which
blends humor with criticism for
the purpose of instruction or
the improvement of humanity 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 criticism is not “satire.” The Satiric Manner
Ironic/Sarcastic
Either good natured criticism (Horatian
after Horace) or bitterly cynical
denunciation (Juvenalian after Juvenal)
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.) Some tools of the satirist
Direct satire
Indirect Satire
–
–
–
–
–
Parody
Caricature
Exaggeration/Diminutization
Utopianism
Dystopianism Direct 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 Death of Common Sense
“You can't get in your car and not run into another
idiot who pulls into the gas station with his fuel
tank on the wrong side and then has to get
instructions from a NASA team at Houston
Control to figure out how to maneuver his car so
that the tank is on the correct side. And you can't
open a paper without reading about a mondo idiot
who gets hurt or killed at a railroad crossing
because they had to try and beat the train to get
home in time to watch Charlene Tilton's salute to
porcelain clowns on QVC.” Parody = a work of literature that
mimics another work of literature,
usually as a way of criticizing it.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Austin Powers
Scary Movie/Epic Movie
Gulliver’s Travels
Don Quixote
Wicked Reversal…
When the satirist uses/describes the opposite of
what he actually wants to happen in order to make
a point…
When Colbert discusses the Mexican “invasion”
of Hollywood, he truly means that he does not
mind the “immigration” but comments on the
irrational fear conservatives have of Hollywood
and immigrants. 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 ‘03
year actually
changed the way
that the
candidates
performed in
public. Exaggeration = The portrayal of something
trivial or unimportant as very important, usually
to emphasize its triviality.
Diminutization = the portrayal of something
perceived as important as something
trivial/unimportant to show its unimportance.
** Zoolander and the “fashion world”
** Weird Al’s “Amish Paradise”
** The Rape of the Lock (A. Pope) Utopianism = A criticism of the
status quo through comparison with
a superior kind of society that
highlights the weaknesses of one’s
own.
Utopia, by Sir Thomas Moore
Gargantua and Pantegruel
Gulliver’s Travels, Book II Dystopianism = A criticism of
certain aspects of society
through comparison to an inferior
society that adopts some of
these aspects.
George Orwell’s 1984
Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World
Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451
Kurt Vonnegut’s Player Piano
Gulliver’s Travels, Book IV
* Both Dystopianism and Utopianism use contrast to
make point.
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