What comes to your mind when you think of satire? Perhaps it’s the humorous Stephen Colbert skits that poke fun at the absurdity of American politics. Or maybe you recall the brazen witticisms in "South Park" that keep fans coming back season after season. George Orwell’s "Animal Farm" might also ring a few bells with its communist critiques. So what exactly is satire, anyways? Satire is the usage of overstatement, irony, or humor in order to reveal the idiocy of certain ideologies, people, or actions. The goal of satire is to constructively criticize social phenomena so that spectators are exposed to issues in society.
Satire is a powerful weapon for inciting reflection and change in ways of thinking. It is an art that is seen everywhere in American society from outlets such as television shows, literary works and even song lyrics. The use of modern-day satire plays a vital role in bringing topics of concern to the light. In societies with oppressive governments, or ineffective news media, satire is the channel needed to cause widespread questioning of popular principles. This plays a vital role in keeping people educated so that they may reform their perspectives and even become inspired to create change themselves. A society with a more educated populace leads to a better government because people care more about what’s happening around them. A higher quality of governing leads to a higher quality of life for its people. The first step in becoming educated is to understand what is going on in the world around us and it is the news outlets' role to keep us informed.
America in particular has a definite need for satire as a way to spread awareness. American news outlets do a very poor job of covering significant events, leading to a majority of people not being aware of them. Extremely controversial legislature, such as the Patriot Act in 2001, received almost no coverage in the mainstream media, despite its counter-constitutional principles. One of which includes providing the government the authority to detain American citizens (not just immigrants) indefinitely without representation. When the government blatantly violates the constitution, the responsibility falls on the people to unite and let their voices ring out against the injustice. Yet when the American news media fails to inform, where must the people turn? What will be our visionary when popular media leaves us blind?
One solution is simply satire. Satire is what stands up and boldly declares the ridiculousness of a policy. It exaggerates to the point that people stop and ask, “is this that far off from what is really going on?” America needs satirists such as Jon Stewart to use humor in order to challenge insensible ideologies. In responding to gay marriage opposition, he is quoted saying, “If gays become accepted, then more people will decide to be gay. Yes, because after blacks gained rights, all the white people went out and decided to become black.” Utilizing playful jest, Stewart points out the foolishness of homophobia. While this may make people laugh, it also effectively draws a parallel between black rights and gay rights. This raises the important question in the reader’s mind, “is homosexual oppression really any different from racial oppression?”
So the next time that you find yourself reading an article from The Onion or watching an episode of "South Park," appreciate the crudeness of the satire. Ask yourself, “what is being critiqued?” rather than critiquing the satirist’s methodology. Often times it is necessary for satirical works to be overwrought in order to invoke critical thought.
