Satire is a way to reclaim power and dignity lost to the immeasurable forces of stupidity in this terrible, hilarious universe. On the days when the bad is overwhelming, one of the most effective ways that I’ve found to combat this feeling is through the use of humor. The ability to mold your own ridiculous world by manipulating everything that you hate, love, and just deal with holds specific therapeutic properties for the writer and the reader. Standing alone on a pedestal made of Onions, satire can seem intimidating, but when you're just starting off, it can be as simple as writing down a few fictional news headlines. I’ve compiled a few guidelines arranged by topic of interest, along with some original examples, for any fellow beginners who are interested in trying this out.
Picking out a good target is an important first step. Guided by your moral compass, pick out a deserving evil force and formulate a perfect combination of words to bring them down. Do you feel particularly enraged by America’s views on female comfort and choice? Write about it!
Mother Teaches Ten-Year-Old Daughter How To Avoid Unwanted Male Attention
Size Six Woman Travels to 1500s to Feel Desirable, Murdered, Fat Used for Lamp
Plan C Pill Now Cuts 10 Minutes Off of Republican Legislator’s Life: Unwanted Pregnancies At All Time Low
Using fantasy paired with current events to highlight acute social and political commentary is one of the most cathartic aspects of headline-writing. It focuses on the twisted structures that you hate the most and allows you to bring attention to their wickedness with precise exaggeration. Headlines have to be just off from reality, using fiction to parody what terrors have already, or could be, committed.
Study: “Making a Murderer” More Effective at Encouraging Skepticism Towards Justice System Than Two Years of Highly Televised Police Brutality
Flint Officials Distribute Bottles Of Human Blood As Water Alternative
Ben Carson Also Suggests That He Could Shoot Someone And His Campaign Would Remain Intact, Is Arrested
The tool of exaggeration is vital to satire, but sometimes you don’t even need it. The power of the relatable appeals to the masses and heightens belief in the universal human experience. Taking an audience to the most mundane moment, especially when surrounded by other headlines that act more as serious commentary about the latest injustice, gives the impression of importance to the individual. Sometimes your life is sad enough on its own to be funny, so you can even pull from that!
Professor Demolishes Students’ Chances Of Avoiding Lunch Rush By Pulling Down New Chalkboard
College Freshman Hopes His Sense Of Humor Overshadows His Lofted Bed
All Fountain Drinks In Dining Hall Now 100 Percent Water
White Friend Feels Oppressed By The Weight of His Privilege, Talks About It
Fighting against ignorance in all forms has been proven to increase heart health and set your body on track to look great for when summer comes. Satire is versatile and, because of it’s subtle approach to heavy issues, it encourages discussion and criticism of worthy subjects in a light, but effective manner. Create change. Write satire.
