The Role of Satire and Parody in the News

1. The Role of Satire and Parody in the News Ami Szerencse http://bit.ly/2zZznWo

2. Satire and Parody • Satire - the use of humor, ridicule, irony or exaggeration to to arouse the reader's disapproval of an object — a vice, an abuse, a faulty belief — by holding it up to ridicule. • Parody - a form of satire that imitates the characteristic style of a particular writer, musician, artist, speaker or genre using deliberate exaggeration for a comic effect.

3. Visual Satire: Political Cartoons

4. Symbolism • Cartoonists use simple objects, or symbols, to stand for larger concepts or ideas. • After you identify the symbols in a cartoon, think about what the cartoonist intends each symbol to stand for.

5. Exaggeration • Sometimes cartoonists overdo, or exaggerate, the physical characteristics of people or things in order to make a point. • When you study a cartoon, look for any characteristics that seem overdone or overblown. (Facial characteristics and clothing are some of the most commonly exaggerated characteristics.) Then, try to decide what point the cartoonist was trying to make through exaggeration.

6. Labeling • Cartoonists often label objects or people to make it clear exactly what they stand for. • Watch out for the different labels that appear in a cartoon, and ask yourself why the cartoonist chose to label that particular person or object. Does the label make the meaning of the object more clear?

7. Analogy • An analogy is a comparison between two unlike things that share some characteristics. By comparing a complex issue or situation with a more familiar one, cartoonists can help their readers see it in a different light. • After you’ve studied a cartoon for a while, try to decide what the cartoon’s main analogy is. What two situations does the cartoon compare? Once you understand the main analogy, decide if this comparison makes the cartoonist’s point more clear to you.

8. Irony • Irony is the difference between the ways things are and the way things should be, or the way things are expected to be. Cartoonists often use irony to express their opinion on an issue. • When you look at a cartoon, see if you can find any irony in the situation the cartoon depicts. If you can, think about what point the irony might be intended to emphasize. Does the irony help the cartoonist express his or her opinion more effectively?

9. Questions • What issue is this political cartoon about? • What is the cartoonist’s opinion on this issue? • What other opinion can you imagine another person having on this issue? • Did you find this cartoon persuasive? Why or why not? • What other techniques could the cartoonist have used to make this cartoon more persuasive? From “It’s no Laughing Matter” Analyzing Political Cartoons, The Library of Congress,

10. Verbal Satire

11. Wit • Wit is most commonly understood as clever expression, whether aggressive or harmless; that is, with or without derogatory intent toward someone or something in particular. • We also tend to think of wit as being characterized by a mocking or paradoxical quality, evoking laughter through apt phrasing.

12. Sarcasm • Sarcasm is intentional derision, generally directed at another person and intended to hurt. • The term comes from a Greek word meaning “to tear flesh like dogs” and signifies a cutting remark. • Sarcasm usually involves obvious, verbal irony, achieving its effect by jeeringly stating the opposite of what is meant so as to heighten the insult.

13. Ridicule • Ridicule is the use of words intended to belittle a person or idea and arouse contemptuous laughter. • The goal is to condemn or criticize by making the thing, idea, or person seem laughable and ridiculous.

14. Parody • A parody is an imitation of an author or his/her work with the idea of ridiculing the author, his/her ideas, or the work itself.

15. Questions • What issue is this text about? • What is the satirist’s opinion on this issue? • What other opinion can you imagine another person having on this issue? • Did you find this satire persuasive? Why or why not? • What other techniques could the satirist have used to make this text more persuasive?

16. Fake News vs Satirehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVDE200uEZM

17. Compare and Contrast • “Obama vetoes Keystone Pipeline expansion” – Article from PBS NewsHour Extra, February 25, 2015) • “Keystone Veto Buys Environment At Least 3 Or 4 More Hours” from The Onion, February 25, 2015

18. Questions • What is your immediate reaction to each article before discussion? • What do these articles show us about the difference between satire and “real” news?  • Where do these two articles overlap?  • Why do some people mistake a satire for straight news? • What background knowledge might be necessary to “get” the jokes?  • How can even serious historical events be rendered in humorous ways? Can you find examples?   • Does the passage of time give us the ability to joke about the past?  • Do you think it is possible for satire to be unbiased? Adapted from https://www.thoughtco.com/identify-satire-as-fake-news-lesson-4115986

19. Create Your Own Satire • What background research is necessary for you to write the piece? • What elements of your article function as satire? • How do these elements play on a general understanding of the event?