Political Satire: An Analysis

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According to dictionary.com, satire is described as “the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues”. Not only is the purpose of satire is to make situations humorous, but it also is meant to use wit to draw attention to issues in society today. Many hope that by using satire it will have a helpful effect on how one will then view the situation or issue but many times satire can go the other way and affect the situation in more of a negative tone. David Brooks, a political and cultural commentator, argues that satire has a significant role in society today but states that using satire is not the most mature way to address political and social issues. He believes that approaching situations with seriousness will result in a more mature and civil response. It can be argued how effective and useful satire is in response to power and oppression. It is very easy to …show more content…

If satire was thrown into the mix (which it is today), students who were uninterested before now might have interest in reading an article that involves political satirical jokes because it is more relatable. Political satire uses exaggeration in order to make a point about politics. Cartoons in magazines and newspapers today criticize recent actions of political figures in a comical way which can make it more enjoyable to the student to read because if its humor. Shows like “Saturday Night Live” mixes parody and satire at different times to keep their viewers entertained and interested. As people pick up a satirical book or watch a satirical movie hoping to be entertained, they end up thinking about the perspectives they never thought of before. Satire gets people to pay attention to the issues they normally would have