What makes satire funny

While the book is not meant to be particularly humorous, its plot definitely ridicules the way that the Soviet government perverted the original principles of Communism. The Warhammer games were originally meant to be satirical — they were poking fun at tabletop fantasy war games. The Truman Show makes fun of reality television and the excessive invasions of privacy that it is often based on. Ironically, though, the movie was the inspiration for the show Big Brother , which was wildly successful and sparked a new birth of reality TV.

The concept of satire is very close to that of verbal irony , or saying the opposite of what you mean. For example, Stephen Colbert of The Colbert Report often pretends to be defending politicians that he actually disagrees with. He mimics their arguments and tone of voice to show how ridiculous they are. Oliver is also performing political satire, but he uses dry humor rather than verbal irony.

For example, when Weird Al Yankovitch makes fun of a popular song, he mimics its musical style and writes lyrics very similar to those in the original song. Whereas satire is intended to make people think, parody is intended just to entertain or make people laugh. This is one of the most common tools of satire, but like other forms of parody it has to make a broader point in order to be considered satire.

List of Terms Action. Ad Hominem. On the other hand, if you attempt to tickle a random stranger on the street, this action will not likely be greeted with laughter as it will be viewed solely as a violation and not benign at all.

I see this theory in action nearly every day on the Daily Bonnet. They perceive that a harm of some sort has actually occurred.

Irony is just there. Reserve irony for situations where there's a gap between reality and expectations, especially when such a gap is created for dramatic or humorous effect. Continue reading Irony employed in the service of mocking or attacking someone is sarcasm. Saying "Oh, you're soooo clever! Satire is a way of making fun of people by using silly or exaggerated language.

Politicians are easy targets for satire, especially when they're acting self-righteous or hypocritical. Cracked Magazine July The Business Software Alliance is an an anti-piracy agency that used to pay people to report unlicensed content on the internet. Cracked Magazine July Satire means making fun of people by imitating them in ways that expose their stupidity or flaws. How to Write Satire. April 10, Essays Writing Tips.

The main thing that is funny or unusual about the piece. The main idea being heightened in the piece. Take a Strong Point-of-View A common formula in satire and humor writing is this: pick a point-of-view for your narrator that is the opposite of what you the author really believe, then exaggerate this point-of-view.

Find Unusual, Extreme Specifics Comedic writing thrives on surprise. Your writing group. Your peers in a writing class. If you want recommendations for good online humor or satire writing classes, check out my Short Humor Cheat Sheet. A writing coach or mentor. Here are some questions to ask your test readers: Was the main idea of my piece clear?

Did you understand what I was up to here? Was anything in the piece unclear? Did you enjoy it? Do you think the piece works overall? Were there any parts you particularly enjoyed, or things you liked that you thought I could do more of? Here are some close reading questions to answer when you read: What is the premise of this piece? What is the main interesting or funny thing here? How is the premise being heightened?

How is the author exploring the premise in new, interesting ways throughout? What point is the author making if any? Are there any patterns—words or ideas or little funny things—that get repeated?