Satire And Satire

Who doesn’t like a good joke? Jokes are a common form of social interaction that allows people to bond over ridiculing their failures. Jokes can come in many different shapes and sized. They can go from the dry humor that is used in Britain to pure, unadulterated slapstick comedy often seen on children’s programs. Satire is one of the forms of the joke. Satire bases itself on the exaggeration of others’ flaws, whether it be a celebrity, political figure, or religion. Satire is a more intelligent form of a joke, almost akin to dry humor in its complexity. Caricatures are a common form of satire, and satire is most often meant to convey some deeper meaning. Because satire often brings to light flaws that the victim would otherwise want to remain hidden, satire often comes under fire for what it does (sometimes literally). A satirist’s job is a fickle one. A drawing they publish can result in commendation and letters that would land the senders in jail. Their work can be seen a heroic and appalling at the same time. The …show more content…
When somebody decides to speak out for what they believe in, they must be speaking out against something. If there is wrong in the world, there will always be people that support the wrong. There are cases in which people go too far in their depiction or words. However, at that point it ceases to be satire and becomes something else, slander. As we have said before, satire must have a discernable point on which it stands. If the satirist makes a comic the enrages the audience more than it persuades them, then the satire has failed in its mission. Tim Parks says it well in his article addressing the Hebdo attacks, “if it doesn’t point toward positive change, or encourage people to think in a more enlightened way, it has failed.” That is why a satirist must not only understand his intended audience but the global audience as