Purpose: 1) identify the four techniques of satire in a satirical work 2) explain how the four techniques of satire contribute to comments or criticisms being made by a satirical work 3) use visual literacy skills to analyze, interpret, and explain non-print media.
Audience: A group of college students who are already familiar with the issue being criticized through satire.
Assignment: Write a 4-5 page essay that explains how individual techniques of satire are used in popular culture to make a comment about a subject from contemporary society. You may choose any example of satire that you wish: The Colbert Report, Saturday Night Live, The Onion, The Daily Show, The Simpsons, Futurama, etc… The essay should include a summary of the episode/text, an explanation of the main comment or criticism the episode/text is making, and identify at least two of the four different examples of satirical elements used in the episode. The four types of satirical elements (to be discussed more in-depth in class) are: Exaggeration: To enlarge, increase, or represent something beyond normal bounds so that it becomes ridiculous and its faults can be seen. Incongruity: To present things that are out of place or are absurd in relation to its surroundings. Reversal: To present the opposite of the normal order (e.g., the order of events, hierarchical order). Parody: To imitate the techniques and/or style of some person, place, or thing. For each example of satirical technique, the paper should describe the example in concrete detail, explain what the subject, idea, or issue was like before it was satirized, explain how a satirical technique (such as exaggeration) is used in the example, and explain how the example contributed to the main comment or criticism about contemporary society.
Sources: It is unlikely