From Cannibalism to Politics: a Compartive Study of Satire
From Cannibalism to Politics: A Comparative Study of Satire
Content Page 1 Introduction------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 4 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Rationale 1.3 Research Questions 1.4 Thesis Statement 1.5 Methodology 1.6 Scope 1.7 Usefulness 1.8 Limitations
2 Literature Review-----------------------------------------------------------------Page 8 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Satirical Forms 2.3 Satirical Elements 2.4 Satirical Techniques 2.5 Limitations of Satire
2 Discussion and Analysis---------------------------------------------------------Page 13 3.1 Content and Context of Works 3.1.1 Satirical Content of Works 3.1.2 Dictating the Nature of Satire: Socio-Political Contexts 3.2 How Satirists Mould Satirical Intentions 3.2.1 Irony, Wit & Humour: So Covert, It’s Overt 3.2.2 The Tone of Critique 3.3 Exploring Satirical Intentions in South Park 3.3.1 Freudian Theory in South Park 3.4 Assessing the Effectiveness of the Means of Presenting Satire 3.4.1 Political Cartoons: South Park 3.4.2 The Pamphlet: A Modest Proposal
4 Conclusion----------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 28
5 References----------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 30
5.1 Primary Sources
5.2 Secondary Sources
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Background
Satire has existed since the times of the ancient Romans, with two leading figures: Juvenal and Horace, both providing well-mannered lectures on society. As time progressed, satire has evolved to become a powerful artistic medium that provides contemptuous commentary on society. This paper seeks to explore the effectiveness of two forms of media used to convey satirical content, namely written and visual media, as well as the differences between both media. Two pieces of work will be used as a basis for comparison: South Park by Matt Stone and Trey Parker and A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift. This paper will be identifying how these two works reflect societal viewpoints, as well as the limitations of each medium. South Park has been termed as a crude, tongue-in-cheek American cartoon despite being widely acclaimed while constituting many subtle satirical undertones. While many call it crude toilet humour, it has been synonymous with criticism towards political, social and religious issues that has been increasingly common over the years. South Park generally utilizes absurdist techniques, injecting humanly impossible characters and events into the cartoon. The show effectively spoofs both extreme sides of contentious issues under a blanket of humour and vulgarities, while portraying both liberal and conservative points of view and powerfully putting across the satirists’ message, which often corresponds to what the satirists think is morally right.
Another piece of satirical work to be studied is A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift that is a satirical essay written in 1729, which suggests that the poor could possibly ease their economic burden by turning their children into commodities that can be sold as food to the rich. As a Juvenalian satire, Swift uses logic to reason his proposal and offers statistical support for his assertions to add credibility to his position, such as the stating the increasing number of infants born each year, which justifies his proposal of selling off children as commodity for the rich. In fact, the entire text is a satirical hyperbole that seeks to criticise attitudes towards the poor, as well as the policies of the ruling English Protestant aristocracy towards the Irish Catholics during the early 16th Century.
1.2 Rationale
Satire or satirical elements in various forms of works have become more familiar in today’s society. However, there is no standard perspective with regards to the importance of satire in society. Simultaneously, satire has evolved to adopt other forms of expression, such as films and cartoons, while specifically being created in each form to achieve a desired effect. Incidentally, each form of media has its individual limitations, as well as sharing characteristic elements of satire. This paper thus tries to analyse the limitations and common elements of satire while using Freudian theory to assess how these works reflect societal viewpoints.
1.3 Research Questions 1. What elements make Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal, Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s South Park such an effective tool for social criticism and how do they do so? 2. How do these two works differ in their techniques of imparting criticism of society? 3. Using South Park as a case study, how does Freudian theory help in explaining the unconscious intentions of satirists in creating their works? 4. How are the two media limited in its effectiveness as a form of satire?
1.4 Thesis Statement
In general, the effectiveness of both visual and written media could be attributed to their identification by the audience. However, both forms of media are limited in their effectiveness due to their relation to only a certain context and time period while the main difference between both media is their varying approach towards presenting its views of issues.
1.5 Methodology
Firstly, episodes of South Park regarding issues on race, religion and politics will be chosen. Secondly, prominent elements that characterise satire in South Park will be identified. Thirdly, how satirical elements enhance the discussion of issues in a particular episode will be extrapolated. Next, research will be carried out on the limitations of satire and connections will be made with regards to the episodes in South Park that are being studied in this paper. Lastly, episodes of South Park will be analysed to uncover psychoanalytic elements in relation to how they help the audience relate to the issue being discussed.
For Swift’s A Modest Proposal, main elements of satire will be derived from the text itself. Next, these elements will again be identified in relation to how it enables Swift to achieve his desired criticism of society. Also, limitations of Swift’s satire will also be studied. Lastly, distinctions and associations between both works of satire will be made.
1.6 Scope
This research paper will only be based on certain South Park episodes, which have come under public scrutiny due to its controversial derision of issues on race, religion and politics. At the same time, this paper will only take into account a single written satirical work, which is Swift’s A Modest Proposal.
1.7 Usefulness
In today’s society, satire is hugely popular, as suggested by the satirical content in award-winning cartoons such as South Park and The Simpsons. This research paper hopes to emphasise the powerful social commentary satirical works provide, as well as to understand how writers and film producers craft their work to portray their criticism of society. Also, over the years, there has been a shift towards presentation of satirical works in the form of visual media and this research paper seeks to explore the effects of such a trend.
1.8 Limitations
The limitations of this research paper is that in the course of the research on satire, it is possible that overgeneralizations may be formed due to the fact that this research paper bases its conclusion on only two works of satire while disregarding other media and works of satire.
Chapter 2: Literature Review
2.1 Introduction
Satire is an indicator of the freedom of speech. Perhaps the most pertinent attribute of satire is that it provides people with the means to criticize the authorities. In essence, satire is a manner of writing that melds together critical attitudes with wit and humour in an attempt to initiate the reformation of mankind and human institutions that have transgressed the satirist’s limits of acceptable moral behaviour (Johnston, 1990). The satirist may explicitly communicate a form of desired behaviour but most often, he relies on an implicit moral position that is understood or shared by his audience (Freeman, 2010). Furthermore, satire conveys the messages of the satirist through sometimes crude but shrewd honesty while pointing out our errors of culture and humanity when people are oblivious about them (Wright, 2009).
2.2 Satirical Forms
Two general forms of satire exist: Horatian and Juvenalian satire. Horatian satire is a good humoured and sympathetic form of satire that ridicules the human condition in general, rather than having scathing attacks on persons, while Juvenalian satire is a harsher form of satire that attacks specific individuals through invectives and slashing attacks that distinguishes it from Horatian satire (Freeman, 2010). LeBoeuf (2007) suggests three common traits of satire, namely, critique, irony and implicitness. Satire is never a passive form of art. Rather, it seeks to criticise human behaviour and vices, with the purpose of convincing the audience to view them disdainfully and thereby encouraging a degree of social change. In addition, satire does not explicitly state its purpose. Instead, it is deeply sealed by the blanket of irony and humour that must be deconstructed by the audience.
2.3 Satirical Elements
Most satirical works are characterised by a common set of literary devices. is one, which conveys a reality different from expectation. It should be noted that the particular group of people the satirist is trying to effect change in consists people who either claim to be possessing virtue already, or have already rejected it, claiming that vice is indeed virtue. Therefore, these individuals justify their evils through the distortion of moral values. It would be inefficacious if simple words of advice were offered to these people through satire and as such, the satirist utilises irony to display his critical attitude towards these vices so that he can expose them to the audience, who are unaware of the vices that lie in the actions of those the satirist is trying to criticise (Johnston, 1990). The ultimate aim of the satirist is to make the audience condemn the actions of the character being attacked and pile social pressure upon these people to bring their behaviour back in line with what the satirist’s perception of rightful societal values are (Harris, 1990).
However, social pressure is never effective when satire is being targeted at a widespread folly or vice, such as the latest craze over tablets. In this case, people will probably share the same sentiment towards tablets and fail to make a distinction that their actions are irrational. In such cases, the satirist makes the vice seem so odious such that the reader is forced to reject his actions (Harris, 1990). To effectively craft such content, other techniques are used.
Before these techniques are clarified, the term humour will have to be explained to gain a better understanding of its role in these literary techniques. Humour does not refer to anything that makes one laugh, but rather it comes along with intellectual acuity and reveals to us the incongruities (Priestley, 1929) in our lives in a light-hearted manner. Indeed, it is a rather effective technique in satire, when satirists use humour to deliver their astute viewpoints with regards to the moral faults he finds with the human condition.
One of the commonly used devices in satire is a hyperbole, which generally serves three purposes. Firstly, hyperbole speeds up recognition when a distinguishing feature of a character is exaggerated such that it becomes instantly recognisable. Next, hyperbole also creates humour by creating seemingly impossible scenarios that may be silly or illogical. Lastly, a hyperbole also seeks to exaggerate a certain effect, such as an atmosphere of fear. Another element pertinent to satire is that of an oxymoron, which consists of two words that contradict one another, such as “humbly bold”. This is particularly useful when used to produce an ironic contrast between a satirist’s position and his opponents’. By attempting to confound expectations of people, satirists seek to denounce reality and thereby establishing the satirist’s own standards as the universal model. In addition, he is also able to present his ideal as a norm for the community. As such, the satirist himself is able to better substantiate his perspective and stand, as well as to convince his audience that his stand is far superior as compared to opponents (Weisgeber, 1973).
Finally, tone is also used to enhance the satirical effect of works. In addition, tone plays an important role in enhancing the message of the work. For example, in Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal, Swift puts forth in a matter-of-fact tone the idea of children as a commodity for rich people. Yet, there is no obvious indication in the tone of the essay that Swift is being ironic (LeBeouf, 2007). It is clear that satire can take on a variety of tones in its criticism of the human condition, whether it is an unrelenting attack on an opponent or trying to arouse affection for the target through a superficial teasing of them, such as their physical appearance. In this case, the satire is more good-natured and would not enrage the opponent.
2.4 Satirical Techniques
Two of the most common techniques in satire are the invective and the ridicule, both of which are classified under the Rant. To begin with, the invective is a form of speech or writing that attacks and discredits against a certain person, idea or system through the use of negative emotive language. While the invective can be classified into high and low invective, with the former relying on formal language and creative language and the latter relying on stock words and imagery, the most powerful form of an invective is that of the use of common swear words that have become clichéd (Freeman, 2010). However, an invective is never a powerful tool for persuasion of the satirist’s target as it merely consolidates the stance of the group of people. This is because the invective involves ad hominem attacks; ad hominem attacks would weaken the satirist’s arguments and in general, his credibility. The lack of credibility would ultimately lead to the satirist being unable to convince his target. An invective only appeals to people harbouring the same attitude of the writer as it creates a sense of recognition amongst these individuals.
In addition, ridicule is also another aspect of the Rant, whereby words are intended to arouse disdainful laughter while imparting criticism upon something by making it seem absurd. The strength of ridicule lies in its ability to attack its opponent based on their fear of being laughed and one’s difficulty at responding to the mockery of himself. However, like the invective, making use of ridicule may result in committing a logical fallacy whereby the satirist tries to disprove his opposition’s stance by a misrepresentation of his opponent’s stance and risks being ignored by his intended audience (Freeman, 2010).
2.5 Limitations of Satire
For every work of satire, there are bound to be limitations. One of these is that satire tends to be very topical, referring directly to specific people or events that their targeted audience can identify from the immediate context. Topical satires tend to lose their impact very quickly, since the readers no longer share details of the context in the long run. On the other hand, satires that target universal characteristics of the human condition tend to last longer (Johnston, 1990), since they attack the inherent weaknesses of Man, such as lust and greed that stays relevant to any context.
Another limitation of satire is its dependence upon the certain awareness in the reader. Skilful satires require the audience to have an awareness of the techniques of satire. An audience that is insensitive to the irony and sarcasm in language will probably find the work dull and tasteless.
With regards to television as a medium of satire, there are inherent limitations to the use of this medium. Gordon (2004) states that television has only the ability to “critique what exists in society – and not change the way one looks at parts of society”, contrary to the basic purpose of satire, which is to effect change rather than critique certain behaviours. This is attributed to the fact that television is meant for a general audience and it is, sometimes, unable to air content that is controversial without upsetting the network, censors, viewers, or advertisers. For example, extremists may protest against religious content in a cartoon subsequently, the network, which could potentially scare off sponsors due to the risk of signing a contract with the network.
It should be agreed upon that the effectiveness of satire is ultimately measured by its ability to instigate change in the human behaviour deemed unacceptable by the satirist of the satire. However, Johnston (1990) suggests that this is not very often in the modern era, where being ridiculed is taken as a sign of recognition instead of something to be ashamed about because it provides a boost to one’s ego and even fame. Ultimately, satire in the modern context is most effective when it attacks a group of people whereby dignity and status are important and ridicule of them will not be tolerated. Despite this, an overwhelming attack might arouse hostility towards the satirist of the satire, instead of a reformation of the person’s character. Therefore, a balance has to be struck and satirists have to be mindful of the gravity of their content.
As a whole, satire exists in various forms, with each incorporating varying techniques and elements based on the satirist’s intention, as well as the context of the situation. Central to each medium of satire, however, is an inherent limitation that restricts its scope of influence. Despite the limitations of each medium, satirists have distinct methods of pushing the boundaries of such limitations that lies in the technique of crafting their work. Therefore, this paper’s aims to study how satirists do so based on a case study of two works: Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal and Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s South Park.
Chapter 3: Discussion and Analysis Chapter
3.1 Content and Context of Works
3.1.1 Satirical Content of Works The two pieces of satire to be studied are A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift and South Park by Matt Stone and Trey Parker. A Modest Proposal was written in 1729, which suggested that cannibalism was the most effective way to ensure that children of Ireland would be sound, useful members of the society. The unassuming and phlegmatic tone Swift undertakes allows for him to feign his incognisance of the brutality and crudeness of his proposal, which is suggestive of his satirical intentions in castigating the ruling class’ policies over the Irish citizens by suggesting that his own project would prove to be the easiest way in making children “sound, useful members of the Commonwealth”.
South Park, the American political cartoon, will be studied as well. Solomon (2008) raises a point about South Park as “a battle against extremism – not against the beliefs themselves but against the believers who insist that their way of viewing the world is the only right one.” It is common to see a balanced mix of sympathy and contempt when South Park attacks both sides of a certain issue, so as to effectively portray both sides of the story and to single out flaws in both of them. A prolific element in South Park, which is humour, is particularly useful for expressing contemptuous opinions as the criticism could be taken flippantly and protects the satirist from being accused of defamation, thus providing its creators with the freedom of expressing opposing voices, which has become more overt over the years. As Franklyn (2006) had noted in an interview with the co-creators of South Park, complaints against their cartoon have shifted in their emphasis, from its risqué humour to its social commentary and this parallels the increasingly contentious yet astute viewpoints of the co-creators. It is also suggestive of the trend that the audience are taking South Park’s take on social issues more seriously than ever. 3.1.2 Dictating the Nature of Satire: Socio-Political Contexts
A Modest Proposal was set in the 18th Century Ireland, where the predominantly Roman Catholic Irish population were afflicted by biased inheritance laws established by the ruling English Protestants, which saw Roman Catholics losing 45% of the country’s land to English Protestant landowners from the mid-17th Century to early 18th Century and being forbidden from practicing law or purchasing land, among other socially stratifying policies. In addition, several members of the ruling English party also filled large portions of Irish parliamentary seats, with the minority being represented by the native Irish. In fact, the English members of the Irish parliament had always remained with the principle that the powers of the native Irish within parliament should be restricted for “the interests … of this country [Ireland]” (Baker, 1999).
Essentially, Swift’s use of a Juvenalian approach could be justified by his moral indignation towards the administration, such that he feels the need to craft his satire in a way that is more perverse and unethical than the discriminating policies against the native Roman Catholics. Against the backdrop of such policies, Swift’s morbid proposal undoubtedly helps in alluding to the administration’s policies. His parody of government policies seems to be lambasting the administration’s inefficacy and lack of concern for the Irish citizens, just as his proposal is unfeasible and written in a phlegmatic tone, which is an indication of the persona’s oblivion to the fact that this project is technically unachievable.
Similarly, South Park employs the same style of criticism against its opponents, specifically in terms of their irreverence towards authority. In an age where liberality and freedom of speech are valued, South Park acts as a tool for the creators to deconstruct traditional ideologies and values while providing a broader scope for public discourse on the subject.
3.2 How Satirists Mould Satirical Intentions
3.2.1 Irony, Wit & Humour: So Covert, It’s Overt A Modest Proposal is a paradox in itself. Far from the definition of “modest”, A Modest Proposal is self-contradictory, as a close reading of A Modest Proposal would reveal an escalating condescending tone that castigates the ruling English aristocracy while revealing Swift’s disdain towards the destitute condition of Irish citizens.
Swift, before explicitly talking about his proposal, declared, “whoever could find out a fair, cheap, and easy method of making these children sound, useful members of the commonwealth, would deserve so well of the public as to have his statue set up for a preserver of the nation.” There is a tinge of hyperbole here as Swift exaggerates the recognition one would gain just for making a proposal and the sarcasm that is present in his tone makes it seem as if he is posing a challenge to other intellectuals to make effective proposals. In addition to this, his contemptuous and almost condescending tone invokes a feeling that Swift’s intention is to mock the failure of the Irish to effect any change in the administration’s policies.
On this note, Swift does not merely attack the Irish people, but the administration as well, for their disregard towards the opinions of the common people. Swift in his essay refuses to consider other proposals, instructing not to let any man “talk to me [Swift] of other expedients”, “’till he hath at least some glympse [sic] of hope, that there will ever be some hearty and sincere attempt to put them into practice”. Swift’s overt disregard of other sensible and valid suggestions is presumably directed at accentuating the failure of the administration to alleviate the destitution of its citizens, by parodying the callousness of the British government in putting down the possible proposals of the Irish intellectuals towards solving the social ills of the country. Swift seems to be criticising these intellectuals as well, for their inability to initiate a “hearty and sincere attempt to put them [their ideas] into practice”, which is ultimately contingent on them having “at least some glympse [sic] of hope”. This statement blames the administration for the inaction of these intellectuals, implying that unless the nation changes for the better under the administration and gives them a “glympse [sic] of hope”, these intellectuals will not find any meaning in trying to put their ideas into practice.
In South Park, the ironical effect is usually achieved when the satirists create characters that are expected to uphold a certain moral stance in reality but in the cartoon itself are exhibited alternatively.
In the episode Cartoon Wars, Kyle, one of the major characters, is sent to “Muslim-Sensitivity Training” under Mrs Garrison after his mother catches him watching the episode of Family Guy (a cartoon series in reality) depicting Muhammad. During “Muslim-Sensitivity Training”, Mrs Garrison conveys misconstrued reasons of why Muslims are upset over the depiction of Muhammad. She says:
“[Y]ou can 't have sex, and you can 't jack off. There 's sand in your eyes and probably in the crack of your ass, and then some cartoon comes along from a country where people are getting laid, and mocks your prophet. Well you know what? I’d be pretty pissed off too!”
These blasphemous comments expose the insensitivity of Mrs Garrison. After which, Cartman sensibly replies that her statements were “ignorant and racist”. This is ironic based on the fact that Mrs Garrison is asserting her distorted opinions on the issue of the depiction of Muhammad in a class that is supposed to cultivate sensitivity towards Muslims. Also, a reversal of roles is evident when Cartman, of a younger age, reminds her about her ignorance towards such sensitive issues.
In this example, the creators are deconstructing traditional archetypes of teachers of having moral authority, by portraying an alternative image of a teacher who is clearly trespassing moral boundaries by making sacrilegious comments on Islam.
Later, Cartman decides to embark on a journey to Hollywood to get the episode removed, explaining that it is offensive to Muslims. Regardless of his true intention (which he reveals later to be his loathing of people comparing his jokes to those in Family Guy), the irony here is that while Cartman is able to sensibly reject Mrs Garrison’s blasphemous and gravely offensive arguments, he is being affected by a cartoon that he can perfectly ignore, just like how he renounces Mrs Garrison’s statements. This suggests the creators’ intention at directing this at groups that are overly sensitive about content on television. In portraying this irony, the creators are trying to use wit to prove that political censorship has gone so far as to infringe upon our freedom of speech and that we should neither allow any single organisation to monopolise our freedom nor let ourselves be offended.
3.2.2 The Tone of Critique
The tone used in A Modest Proposal is never consistent but rather, Swift takes on a variation of tones throughout the essay that progressively exposes Swift’s ridicule of the administration. Apart from the sarcastic and ironic tones that have been identified in the previous section, a further study would enable us to gain a better understanding of Swift’s technique in criticising the administration in terms of tone.
Swift first introduces the town by speaking of mothers being “forced to employ all their time in strolling to beg sustenance for their helpless infants”. At that time, it was generally regarded by the public that beggars had only themselves to blame and Swift challenging this stereotype was an exhibition of his sympathy towards them. Through his sympathetic perspective of the state of affairs in Ireland, he aims to gain the trust of the reader, which he later abuses abruptly to make readers reconsider his true intention.
In the fourth paragraph of A Modest Proposal, Swift makes use of a crude animal imagery by referring to childbirth as having “a child just dropped [dropping] from its dam”. Swift then speaks with a matter-of-fact tone, with which he cites statistics of the number of children born to poor parents each year as “one hundred and twenty thousand children”. Swift’s gradual transition between the matter-of-fact and crude tones enables him to dehumanise the children of Ireland by comparing them to animals and later, quantifying them as mere figures. This implies the narrator’s disregard for the value life and it is hitherto where the reader becomes aware of that Swift’s proposal could possibly be as macabre and unfeeling to the point that it is impractical. In fact, it is this awareness that aids Swift in implying to his readers that there is an incongruity between his proposal and the reality of the social conditions that were plaguing Dublin at that time, which is an allusion to the style of the proposals that were written by Irish intellectuals that usually failed to culminate in definitive measures by the government. In South Park, tone refers to that of the entire cartoon itself, as well as that of the characters within the cartoon, with the former sometimes contingent on the interpretation of the latter by viewers. Therefore, there is certainly an element of subjectivity with regards to the interpretation of the creator’s tone and subsequently, his intention. One of the more significant scenes in the South Park episode Cartoon Wars explicitly questions the authority of the Bush administration. The scene is set in the White House, with George W. Bush addressing the press on the decision of airing an episode of Family Guy that portrays Prophet Muhammad uncensored.
Bush’s tone reeks of hypocrisy when he reveals to the reporters that in adherence to the First Amendment, Muhammad will appear uncensored on Family Guy. After which, he refuses to reveal “classified information” regarding the Family Guy writing staff, which in fact infringes upon the right of the reporters to be in knowledge of the truth and is contradicting Bush’s supposed stance on civil rights. The contemptuous voice of the creators is then expressed through a reporter in the cartoon when he rebuts by claiming that the “‘First Amendment’ sounds like a lot of bureaucratic jibbery-joo”, which is a rather unwarranted expression in this situation that reveals the creators’ distaste towards the hypocrisy of the government. It can also be interpreted solely within the context of the cartoon itself that the reporters have no idea about the notion of free speech and this relates to the creator’s intention of criticising the true state of affairs in reality with regards to the U.S. media. In essence, it is a variety of the tones that can be interpreted within the cartoon itself that is able to engage the audience due to its subjectivity.
3.3 Exploring Satirical Intentions in South Park
3.3.1 Freudian Theory in South Park In Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, he lists three aspects of the mind that influence our action and thought: id, ego and superego. By relating these three aspects of the human mind to the main characters in South Park, we are able to explore the co-creators’ mindsets and intentions while creating this piece of work. South Park’s plotline mainly revolves around three specific characters: Cartman, Kyle and Stan. Cartman is widely regarded as a hedonist, who is driven by his id. The id, as Freud explained, "contains everything that is inherited, that is present at birth, is laid down in the constitution — above all, therefore, the instincts, which originate from the somatic organization, and which find a first psychical expression here (in the id) in forms unknown to us”. Essentially, the id strives to derive pleasure by finding ways for a person to fulfill the instinctual requirements of the body itself. In Cartoon Wars, Cartman is driven by his instinctive need to preserve his indignity such that he is compelled to ride a bicycle to FOX Studios to convince the executives to pull off an episode of Family Guy as he deems it as humiliating since everyone is always comparing his sense of humour to them. The significance of the id in terms of its role in South Park can be explained by its link to how it is rejected and suppressed by other characters through discourse such that they are able to undergo a catharsis, which directs us to the next point on the ego and superego that are represented by Kyle and Stan respectively.
Essentially, the ego seeks equilibrium between the id and reality, by veiling the unconscious commands of the id and rationalisation, while the superego simply acts as a moral compass and punishes the conscience when one goes against his moral values. Stan as the personification of the superego is matched by his strict adherence to his morals, which is evident in his ridicule of celebrities that he deems to possess distorted moral ideals.
On the other hand, Kyle, as an epitome of the ego, often finds inner conflicts in dealing with challenges to his firm views because while he considers his beliefs, he too deliberates over opposing views to the argument. Cognisant of the fact that Cartman is representative of the id, which involves actions dictated by instinctive impulses that might not be acceptable in reality, and Stan who is demonstrative of the superego that is characterised by one’s fervent adherence to moral values and societal norms, Kyle is effectively the balance between the two extremes – the one who acknowledges both ends of the spectrum but reminds us that there are dangers if anyone conforms strictly to a certain viewpoint.
The presence of characters that represent the psychic apparatus of our mind reveals the point that the creators’ are being caught in an inner struggle between their intrinsic urges and society’s perception of moral standards. The verbalisation of such a struggle in the form of South Park cartoons allows the creators to rationalise this conflict through the reflection of the fallibility of the arguments that are shaped by the id and superego and this is at the same time especially relevant to today’s postmodern approach towards satire, whereby the co-creators’ aims are not to promote their perceived morally correct viewpoints, but rather to assemble together a discourse of prevailing views and how they are fallible.
3.4 Assessing the Effectiveness of the Means of Presenting Satire
3.4.1 Political Cartoons: South Park Political cartoons are one of the most common media for satire in the modern world, which is able to meld both narrative and visual elements together to impart the creators’ criticism of society. South Park is one of the few cartoons that are able to effectively leverage on the visual appeal of cartoons to castigate social foibles.
One of the most prolific means of imparting criticism visually and rhetorically in South Park is through its carnivalesque nature, which can be identified in the cartoon by its laughter, ludicrous realism, vulgarities and sexual references. The liberal use of perverse images and language could appeal to the audience as it complements the subconscious’ desire for sadistic pleasure and thus, it will be much easier for them to identify with the brutal criticism of society. In one of the episodes, Cartman refers to Saddam Hussein as a “shitty boner bitch” and a “butthole”, which explicitly denotes the human genitalia. Such language is not only destructive of the image of Saddam Hussein but it also unshackles the audience from social conventions because of the illogicality of such comments. In general, the laughter that is generated from the audience, as a result of abusive language in the cartoon is able to confound the boundaries of authority and puts the audience in a position where they are convinced that the subversion of authority is totally acceptable.
Conversely, excessively controversial content in cartoons is not always feasible in reality. South Park has been pushing the boundaries of satire since its creation, whether is it through the grotesque act of defecating on the American flag or the portrayal of Muhammad, and such extreme content has allowed it to explore fresh perspectives. However, there remain inherent limitations of television, which are censorship and other restrictions with regards to controversial content. In a sense, South Park is limited in the portrayal of certain content due to the potential hostility that may arise from certain groups and the subsequent fear of losing viewers and sponsors. Also, South Park is usually limited to depicting the mannerisms or words of, for example, the President, and not their political preference. This leads to the audience’s perception of the creators as lacking in sincerity in their criticism of authority and the audience would therefore be compelled to take them blithely. Another limitation of South Park is its topical nature. As Bruning (2002) noted that in the topical culture of political cartoons, “through jokes aimed directly at a specific social problem or issue, the audience may be exposed to information that is uncommon in other entertainment venues. The audience may or may not get the jokes, or apply the joke to a real world problem”. South Park has covered several issues spread across the 21st Century and they tend to lose their relevance over time. However, South Park has been able to incorporate these contexts to criticise the flaws of the human condition, such as greed or human pretentiousness, which are perhaps identifiable with any kind of audience. In addition, its co-creators’ choice to castigate current issues allows them to tap on the current audience’s awareness of these issues with the aim of reformation with an instantaneous impact, instead of using historical examples or future scenarios to impart their criticism of the human condition that are irrelevant to the immediate audience. Undoubtedly, messages that criticise the human condition but are based on isolated contexts should still be able to perpetuate across different timelines to a certain extent.
3.4.2 The Pamphlet: A Modest Proposal Pamphleteering was a prolific form of expression during the 17th and 18th Century that widely conveyed polemical and propagandist works on topical subjects. The effectiveness of A Modest Proposal could be attributed to it being presented in the written form, whereby the reader is allowed the pace to distinguish that hidden meaning that arises from Swift’s wordplay, as opposed to an audio-visual medium, which involves a high output of information that is overly reliant on the appeal to sensory devices to create a satirical effect. A thorough analysis would indicate that Swift’s proposal is absurd, and an audience, which has the time to distinguish the fact that Swift’s intention is not in suggesting a solution but rather, to parody the administration’s callousness towards its people would be able to sense the cold and unemotional tone of the narrator while talking about the macabre subject of cannibalism and subsequently, the creators’ hidden intention.
On the other hand, the limitation of A Modest Proposal lies upon the fact that it would require a more sensitive and broad-minded audience that can sense Swift’s tone and intention, as well as the more profound and logical views that the proposal offers. At the time of publication, critics merely extolled upon A Modest Proposal and deemed its portrayal and criticism of conditions in Ireland as truthful. However, it was not until the 20th Century that critics began to realise the powerful commentary it provides with regards to the government and the church. This reinforces the point that a more perceptive audience, which is able to identify the elusive significance of the proposal, is required for a literary work of such pretentiousness. Else, the intended satirical effect is lost.
Chapter 4: Conclusion A study of South Park and A Modest Proposal has revealed a distinctive feature of both works of satire. Through the identification of the misalignment of their opponents with their moral standards, Parker and Stone, as well as Swift, are able to achieve a grotesque portrayal of their opponents’ “misdeeds” that appals their audience, prompts their association with current events and brings about a cognisance of the creators’ shrewd analysis of them.
On the other hand, the main difference is the way in which both creators’ craft their work in relation to their portrayal of what they feel is out of place in society. In the case of A Modest Proposal, Swift assumes a condescending tone that highlights his moral superiority over his opponent and therefore, it tends to be rather opinionated and one-sided. However, South Park is representative of both sides of the argument and though it castigates the opponent rather distastefully, it subtly portrays the disadvantage of taking the other stand as well. In a sense, South Park takes into account a balanced view towards issues.
Indeed, the most persistent limitation in both works of satire is its topicality and it is particularly inherent in works of satire as it is undoubtedly the most effective way to castigate opponents based on events that are associated with them. However, satirists are able to overcome such limitations since it is through the topicality of cartoons that they are able to appeal to the immediate audience based on their recent knowledge of such events. In most instances, as shown in South Park, the use of irony and sarcasm to generate humour and point out the incongruities in life is able to appeal to the audience and perhaps initiate a rethinking of various issues. Satire is indeed a manifestation of a satirist’s fertile mind, in terms of the ways through which satirists craft their work. Throughout centuries, it has proven that the quality of insult, or rather the style through which satirists impart their criticism of society (sometimes contemptuously), is not strained. In general, satire is a medium that captures the astute viewpoints of satirists and subsequently, acts as a moral restraint to the vices in society.
References Primary Sources 1. Swift, J. (1729). A Modest Proposal. Retrieved 24 June, 2012, from http://www.luminarium.org/renascence-editions/modest.html
2. Stone, M. & Parker, T. (Producers) (1997). South Park [Television series]. California: South Park Studios. Secondary Sources
Print
1. Gordon, M.E. (2004). The Simpsons: A case study in the limitations of television as a medium for presenting political and social satire. Philadelphia: Haverford College.
2. Weisgeber, J. (1973). Satire and Irony as Means of Communication. Comparative Literature Studies, 10(2), p157-172.
3. Franklyn, B.S. (2006). Towards a Theory of Postmodern Humour: South Park as a carnivalesque postmodern narrative impulse. Hamilton: The University of Waikato.
4. Priestley, J.B. (1929). The Approach to Literature: Humor, Wit, Satire, Irony. The English Journal, 18(7), p542-545.
5. Bruning, Jonathan (2002). Negotiating complex television: the Simpsons and its audience. UMI Dissertation Services, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Online
1. Freeman, A. (2000, 19 December). Ranting: StreetWrites Workshop Writing Exercises. Anitra 's Web: Empowerment through Creativity. Retrieved 5 May, 2012, from http://www.anitra.net/homelessness/streetwrites/Exercises/ranting.html
2. Harris, R. (1990, 20 August). The Purpose and Method of Satire. VirtualSalt. Retrieved 5 May, 2012, from http://www.virtualsalt.com/satire.htm.
3. Johnston, I. (1998, 22 November). A Brief Introduction to Restoration and Eighteenth Century Satire. Introductory Note on 18th Century Satire. Retrieved 5 May, 2012, from http://records.viu.ca/~johnstoi/eng200/satire3.htm
4. LeBoeuf, M. (2007). The Power of Ridicule: An Analysis of Satire. Retrieved 10 July, 2012, from http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/63
5. Solomon, J. (2008). Not a Defense of South Park: The Way that Television’s Most Innovative and Sensational Show is so Much Better than Everything Else out There. Retrieved 10 July, 2012, from http://www.thezenofsouthpark.com/In_Defense_of_South_Park
6. Baker, L.A. (1999, 28 March). Conditions in Early Eighteenth-Century Ireland. Conditions in 18th-Century Ireland (ca. 1729.). Retrieved 10 July, 2012, from http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~lyman/english320/sg-Swift-18thC.htm --------------------------------------------
[ 1 ]. During the 18th Century, the Stuarts (British ruling family) instituted a Protestant governing aristocracy amid Ireland’s predominantly Catholic population. Denied political union with England, Ireland was afflicted by English trade restrictions and found its authority in the Dublin parliament severely limited.
[ 2 ]. Swift is referring to the pamphleteers of his time, who broadcasted their opinions and ideologies on social issues through pamphlets.
[ 3 ]. In Cartoon Wars, the television network announces that a Family Guy episode will air with Muslim prophet Muhammad as a character, leaving the whole of the United States fearing for their lives over the possibility of retaliation by Muslim terrorists.
[ 4 ]. In Islam, the depiction of Muhammad is forbidden, though it is not explicitly stated in the Quran.
[ 5 ]. 18th Century Ireland was wretched by famine, overpopulation and poverty, with vagabonds common in the streets.
[ 6 ]. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights, including but not limited to the abridging of the freedom of speech and the infringement on the freedom of the press.
[ 7 ]. FOX Studios is a broadcasting company that airs the cartoon Family Guy.
References: 2. Stone, M. & Parker, T. (Producers) (1997). South Park [Television series]. California: South Park Studios. 1. Gordon, M.E. (2004). The Simpsons: A case study in the limitations of television as a medium for presenting political and social satire. Philadelphia: Haverford College. 2. Weisgeber, J. (1973). Satire and Irony as Means of Communication. Comparative Literature Studies, 10(2), p157-172. 3 4. Priestley, J.B. (1929). The Approach to Literature: Humor, Wit, Satire, Irony. The English Journal, 18(7), p542-545. 5. Bruning, Jonathan (2002). Negotiating complex television: the Simpsons and its audience. UMI Dissertation Services, Ann Arbor, Michigan Online 1. Freeman, A. (2000, 19 December). Ranting: StreetWrites Workshop Writing Exercises. Anitra 's Web: Empowerment through Creativity. Retrieved 5 May, 2012, from http://www.anitra.net/homelessness/streetwrites/Exercises/ranting.html 2 3. Johnston, I. (1998, 22 November). A Brief Introduction to Restoration and Eighteenth Century Satire. Introductory Note on 18th Century Satire. Retrieved 5 May, 2012, from http://records.viu.ca/~johnstoi/eng200/satire3.htm 4
Content Page 1 Introduction------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 4 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Rationale 1.3 Research Questions 1.4 Thesis Statement 1.5 Methodology 1.6 Scope 1.7 Usefulness 1.8 Limitations
2 Literature Review-----------------------------------------------------------------Page 8 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Satirical Forms 2.3 Satirical Elements 2.4 Satirical Techniques 2.5 Limitations of Satire
2 Discussion and Analysis---------------------------------------------------------Page 13 3.1 Content and Context of Works 3.1.1 Satirical Content of Works 3.1.2 Dictating the Nature of Satire: Socio-Political Contexts 3.2 How Satirists Mould Satirical Intentions 3.2.1 Irony, Wit & Humour: So Covert, It’s Overt 3.2.2 The Tone of Critique 3.3 Exploring Satirical Intentions in South Park 3.3.1 Freudian Theory in South Park 3.4 Assessing the Effectiveness of the Means of Presenting Satire 3.4.1 Political Cartoons: South Park 3.4.2 The Pamphlet: A Modest Proposal
4 Conclusion----------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 28
5 References----------------------------------------------------------------------------Page 30
5.1 Primary Sources
5.2 Secondary Sources
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Background
Satire has existed since the times of the ancient Romans, with two leading figures: Juvenal and Horace, both providing well-mannered lectures on society. As time progressed, satire has evolved to become a powerful artistic medium that provides contemptuous commentary on society. This paper seeks to explore the effectiveness of two forms of media used to convey satirical content, namely written and visual media, as well as the differences between both media. Two pieces of work will be used as a basis for comparison: South Park by Matt Stone and Trey Parker and A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift. This paper will be identifying how these two works reflect societal viewpoints, as well as the limitations of each medium. South Park has been termed as a crude, tongue-in-cheek American cartoon despite being widely acclaimed while constituting many subtle satirical undertones. While many call it crude toilet humour, it has been synonymous with criticism towards political, social and religious issues that has been increasingly common over the years. South Park generally utilizes absurdist techniques, injecting humanly impossible characters and events into the cartoon. The show effectively spoofs both extreme sides of contentious issues under a blanket of humour and vulgarities, while portraying both liberal and conservative points of view and powerfully putting across the satirists’ message, which often corresponds to what the satirists think is morally right.
Another piece of satirical work to be studied is A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift that is a satirical essay written in 1729, which suggests that the poor could possibly ease their economic burden by turning their children into commodities that can be sold as food to the rich. As a Juvenalian satire, Swift uses logic to reason his proposal and offers statistical support for his assertions to add credibility to his position, such as the stating the increasing number of infants born each year, which justifies his proposal of selling off children as commodity for the rich. In fact, the entire text is a satirical hyperbole that seeks to criticise attitudes towards the poor, as well as the policies of the ruling English Protestant aristocracy towards the Irish Catholics during the early 16th Century.
1.2 Rationale
Satire or satirical elements in various forms of works have become more familiar in today’s society. However, there is no standard perspective with regards to the importance of satire in society. Simultaneously, satire has evolved to adopt other forms of expression, such as films and cartoons, while specifically being created in each form to achieve a desired effect. Incidentally, each form of media has its individual limitations, as well as sharing characteristic elements of satire. This paper thus tries to analyse the limitations and common elements of satire while using Freudian theory to assess how these works reflect societal viewpoints.
1.3 Research Questions 1. What elements make Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal, Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s South Park such an effective tool for social criticism and how do they do so? 2. How do these two works differ in their techniques of imparting criticism of society? 3. Using South Park as a case study, how does Freudian theory help in explaining the unconscious intentions of satirists in creating their works? 4. How are the two media limited in its effectiveness as a form of satire?
1.4 Thesis Statement
In general, the effectiveness of both visual and written media could be attributed to their identification by the audience. However, both forms of media are limited in their effectiveness due to their relation to only a certain context and time period while the main difference between both media is their varying approach towards presenting its views of issues.
1.5 Methodology
Firstly, episodes of South Park regarding issues on race, religion and politics will be chosen. Secondly, prominent elements that characterise satire in South Park will be identified. Thirdly, how satirical elements enhance the discussion of issues in a particular episode will be extrapolated. Next, research will be carried out on the limitations of satire and connections will be made with regards to the episodes in South Park that are being studied in this paper. Lastly, episodes of South Park will be analysed to uncover psychoanalytic elements in relation to how they help the audience relate to the issue being discussed.
For Swift’s A Modest Proposal, main elements of satire will be derived from the text itself. Next, these elements will again be identified in relation to how it enables Swift to achieve his desired criticism of society. Also, limitations of Swift’s satire will also be studied. Lastly, distinctions and associations between both works of satire will be made.
1.6 Scope
This research paper will only be based on certain South Park episodes, which have come under public scrutiny due to its controversial derision of issues on race, religion and politics. At the same time, this paper will only take into account a single written satirical work, which is Swift’s A Modest Proposal.
1.7 Usefulness
In today’s society, satire is hugely popular, as suggested by the satirical content in award-winning cartoons such as South Park and The Simpsons. This research paper hopes to emphasise the powerful social commentary satirical works provide, as well as to understand how writers and film producers craft their work to portray their criticism of society. Also, over the years, there has been a shift towards presentation of satirical works in the form of visual media and this research paper seeks to explore the effects of such a trend.
1.8 Limitations
The limitations of this research paper is that in the course of the research on satire, it is possible that overgeneralizations may be formed due to the fact that this research paper bases its conclusion on only two works of satire while disregarding other media and works of satire.
Chapter 2: Literature Review
2.1 Introduction
Satire is an indicator of the freedom of speech. Perhaps the most pertinent attribute of satire is that it provides people with the means to criticize the authorities. In essence, satire is a manner of writing that melds together critical attitudes with wit and humour in an attempt to initiate the reformation of mankind and human institutions that have transgressed the satirist’s limits of acceptable moral behaviour (Johnston, 1990). The satirist may explicitly communicate a form of desired behaviour but most often, he relies on an implicit moral position that is understood or shared by his audience (Freeman, 2010). Furthermore, satire conveys the messages of the satirist through sometimes crude but shrewd honesty while pointing out our errors of culture and humanity when people are oblivious about them (Wright, 2009).
2.2 Satirical Forms
Two general forms of satire exist: Horatian and Juvenalian satire. Horatian satire is a good humoured and sympathetic form of satire that ridicules the human condition in general, rather than having scathing attacks on persons, while Juvenalian satire is a harsher form of satire that attacks specific individuals through invectives and slashing attacks that distinguishes it from Horatian satire (Freeman, 2010). LeBoeuf (2007) suggests three common traits of satire, namely, critique, irony and implicitness. Satire is never a passive form of art. Rather, it seeks to criticise human behaviour and vices, with the purpose of convincing the audience to view them disdainfully and thereby encouraging a degree of social change. In addition, satire does not explicitly state its purpose. Instead, it is deeply sealed by the blanket of irony and humour that must be deconstructed by the audience.
2.3 Satirical Elements
Most satirical works are characterised by a common set of literary devices. is one, which conveys a reality different from expectation. It should be noted that the particular group of people the satirist is trying to effect change in consists people who either claim to be possessing virtue already, or have already rejected it, claiming that vice is indeed virtue. Therefore, these individuals justify their evils through the distortion of moral values. It would be inefficacious if simple words of advice were offered to these people through satire and as such, the satirist utilises irony to display his critical attitude towards these vices so that he can expose them to the audience, who are unaware of the vices that lie in the actions of those the satirist is trying to criticise (Johnston, 1990). The ultimate aim of the satirist is to make the audience condemn the actions of the character being attacked and pile social pressure upon these people to bring their behaviour back in line with what the satirist’s perception of rightful societal values are (Harris, 1990).
However, social pressure is never effective when satire is being targeted at a widespread folly or vice, such as the latest craze over tablets. In this case, people will probably share the same sentiment towards tablets and fail to make a distinction that their actions are irrational. In such cases, the satirist makes the vice seem so odious such that the reader is forced to reject his actions (Harris, 1990). To effectively craft such content, other techniques are used.
Before these techniques are clarified, the term humour will have to be explained to gain a better understanding of its role in these literary techniques. Humour does not refer to anything that makes one laugh, but rather it comes along with intellectual acuity and reveals to us the incongruities (Priestley, 1929) in our lives in a light-hearted manner. Indeed, it is a rather effective technique in satire, when satirists use humour to deliver their astute viewpoints with regards to the moral faults he finds with the human condition.
One of the commonly used devices in satire is a hyperbole, which generally serves three purposes. Firstly, hyperbole speeds up recognition when a distinguishing feature of a character is exaggerated such that it becomes instantly recognisable. Next, hyperbole also creates humour by creating seemingly impossible scenarios that may be silly or illogical. Lastly, a hyperbole also seeks to exaggerate a certain effect, such as an atmosphere of fear. Another element pertinent to satire is that of an oxymoron, which consists of two words that contradict one another, such as “humbly bold”. This is particularly useful when used to produce an ironic contrast between a satirist’s position and his opponents’. By attempting to confound expectations of people, satirists seek to denounce reality and thereby establishing the satirist’s own standards as the universal model. In addition, he is also able to present his ideal as a norm for the community. As such, the satirist himself is able to better substantiate his perspective and stand, as well as to convince his audience that his stand is far superior as compared to opponents (Weisgeber, 1973).
Finally, tone is also used to enhance the satirical effect of works. In addition, tone plays an important role in enhancing the message of the work. For example, in Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal, Swift puts forth in a matter-of-fact tone the idea of children as a commodity for rich people. Yet, there is no obvious indication in the tone of the essay that Swift is being ironic (LeBeouf, 2007). It is clear that satire can take on a variety of tones in its criticism of the human condition, whether it is an unrelenting attack on an opponent or trying to arouse affection for the target through a superficial teasing of them, such as their physical appearance. In this case, the satire is more good-natured and would not enrage the opponent.
2.4 Satirical Techniques
Two of the most common techniques in satire are the invective and the ridicule, both of which are classified under the Rant. To begin with, the invective is a form of speech or writing that attacks and discredits against a certain person, idea or system through the use of negative emotive language. While the invective can be classified into high and low invective, with the former relying on formal language and creative language and the latter relying on stock words and imagery, the most powerful form of an invective is that of the use of common swear words that have become clichéd (Freeman, 2010). However, an invective is never a powerful tool for persuasion of the satirist’s target as it merely consolidates the stance of the group of people. This is because the invective involves ad hominem attacks; ad hominem attacks would weaken the satirist’s arguments and in general, his credibility. The lack of credibility would ultimately lead to the satirist being unable to convince his target. An invective only appeals to people harbouring the same attitude of the writer as it creates a sense of recognition amongst these individuals.
In addition, ridicule is also another aspect of the Rant, whereby words are intended to arouse disdainful laughter while imparting criticism upon something by making it seem absurd. The strength of ridicule lies in its ability to attack its opponent based on their fear of being laughed and one’s difficulty at responding to the mockery of himself. However, like the invective, making use of ridicule may result in committing a logical fallacy whereby the satirist tries to disprove his opposition’s stance by a misrepresentation of his opponent’s stance and risks being ignored by his intended audience (Freeman, 2010).
2.5 Limitations of Satire
For every work of satire, there are bound to be limitations. One of these is that satire tends to be very topical, referring directly to specific people or events that their targeted audience can identify from the immediate context. Topical satires tend to lose their impact very quickly, since the readers no longer share details of the context in the long run. On the other hand, satires that target universal characteristics of the human condition tend to last longer (Johnston, 1990), since they attack the inherent weaknesses of Man, such as lust and greed that stays relevant to any context.
Another limitation of satire is its dependence upon the certain awareness in the reader. Skilful satires require the audience to have an awareness of the techniques of satire. An audience that is insensitive to the irony and sarcasm in language will probably find the work dull and tasteless.
With regards to television as a medium of satire, there are inherent limitations to the use of this medium. Gordon (2004) states that television has only the ability to “critique what exists in society – and not change the way one looks at parts of society”, contrary to the basic purpose of satire, which is to effect change rather than critique certain behaviours. This is attributed to the fact that television is meant for a general audience and it is, sometimes, unable to air content that is controversial without upsetting the network, censors, viewers, or advertisers. For example, extremists may protest against religious content in a cartoon subsequently, the network, which could potentially scare off sponsors due to the risk of signing a contract with the network.
It should be agreed upon that the effectiveness of satire is ultimately measured by its ability to instigate change in the human behaviour deemed unacceptable by the satirist of the satire. However, Johnston (1990) suggests that this is not very often in the modern era, where being ridiculed is taken as a sign of recognition instead of something to be ashamed about because it provides a boost to one’s ego and even fame. Ultimately, satire in the modern context is most effective when it attacks a group of people whereby dignity and status are important and ridicule of them will not be tolerated. Despite this, an overwhelming attack might arouse hostility towards the satirist of the satire, instead of a reformation of the person’s character. Therefore, a balance has to be struck and satirists have to be mindful of the gravity of their content.
As a whole, satire exists in various forms, with each incorporating varying techniques and elements based on the satirist’s intention, as well as the context of the situation. Central to each medium of satire, however, is an inherent limitation that restricts its scope of influence. Despite the limitations of each medium, satirists have distinct methods of pushing the boundaries of such limitations that lies in the technique of crafting their work. Therefore, this paper’s aims to study how satirists do so based on a case study of two works: Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal and Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s South Park.
Chapter 3: Discussion and Analysis Chapter
3.1 Content and Context of Works
3.1.1 Satirical Content of Works The two pieces of satire to be studied are A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift and South Park by Matt Stone and Trey Parker. A Modest Proposal was written in 1729, which suggested that cannibalism was the most effective way to ensure that children of Ireland would be sound, useful members of the society. The unassuming and phlegmatic tone Swift undertakes allows for him to feign his incognisance of the brutality and crudeness of his proposal, which is suggestive of his satirical intentions in castigating the ruling class’ policies over the Irish citizens by suggesting that his own project would prove to be the easiest way in making children “sound, useful members of the Commonwealth”.
South Park, the American political cartoon, will be studied as well. Solomon (2008) raises a point about South Park as “a battle against extremism – not against the beliefs themselves but against the believers who insist that their way of viewing the world is the only right one.” It is common to see a balanced mix of sympathy and contempt when South Park attacks both sides of a certain issue, so as to effectively portray both sides of the story and to single out flaws in both of them. A prolific element in South Park, which is humour, is particularly useful for expressing contemptuous opinions as the criticism could be taken flippantly and protects the satirist from being accused of defamation, thus providing its creators with the freedom of expressing opposing voices, which has become more overt over the years. As Franklyn (2006) had noted in an interview with the co-creators of South Park, complaints against their cartoon have shifted in their emphasis, from its risqué humour to its social commentary and this parallels the increasingly contentious yet astute viewpoints of the co-creators. It is also suggestive of the trend that the audience are taking South Park’s take on social issues more seriously than ever. 3.1.2 Dictating the Nature of Satire: Socio-Political Contexts
A Modest Proposal was set in the 18th Century Ireland, where the predominantly Roman Catholic Irish population were afflicted by biased inheritance laws established by the ruling English Protestants, which saw Roman Catholics losing 45% of the country’s land to English Protestant landowners from the mid-17th Century to early 18th Century and being forbidden from practicing law or purchasing land, among other socially stratifying policies. In addition, several members of the ruling English party also filled large portions of Irish parliamentary seats, with the minority being represented by the native Irish. In fact, the English members of the Irish parliament had always remained with the principle that the powers of the native Irish within parliament should be restricted for “the interests … of this country [Ireland]” (Baker, 1999).
Essentially, Swift’s use of a Juvenalian approach could be justified by his moral indignation towards the administration, such that he feels the need to craft his satire in a way that is more perverse and unethical than the discriminating policies against the native Roman Catholics. Against the backdrop of such policies, Swift’s morbid proposal undoubtedly helps in alluding to the administration’s policies. His parody of government policies seems to be lambasting the administration’s inefficacy and lack of concern for the Irish citizens, just as his proposal is unfeasible and written in a phlegmatic tone, which is an indication of the persona’s oblivion to the fact that this project is technically unachievable.
Similarly, South Park employs the same style of criticism against its opponents, specifically in terms of their irreverence towards authority. In an age where liberality and freedom of speech are valued, South Park acts as a tool for the creators to deconstruct traditional ideologies and values while providing a broader scope for public discourse on the subject.
3.2 How Satirists Mould Satirical Intentions
3.2.1 Irony, Wit & Humour: So Covert, It’s Overt A Modest Proposal is a paradox in itself. Far from the definition of “modest”, A Modest Proposal is self-contradictory, as a close reading of A Modest Proposal would reveal an escalating condescending tone that castigates the ruling English aristocracy while revealing Swift’s disdain towards the destitute condition of Irish citizens.
Swift, before explicitly talking about his proposal, declared, “whoever could find out a fair, cheap, and easy method of making these children sound, useful members of the commonwealth, would deserve so well of the public as to have his statue set up for a preserver of the nation.” There is a tinge of hyperbole here as Swift exaggerates the recognition one would gain just for making a proposal and the sarcasm that is present in his tone makes it seem as if he is posing a challenge to other intellectuals to make effective proposals. In addition to this, his contemptuous and almost condescending tone invokes a feeling that Swift’s intention is to mock the failure of the Irish to effect any change in the administration’s policies.
On this note, Swift does not merely attack the Irish people, but the administration as well, for their disregard towards the opinions of the common people. Swift in his essay refuses to consider other proposals, instructing not to let any man “talk to me [Swift] of other expedients”, “’till he hath at least some glympse [sic] of hope, that there will ever be some hearty and sincere attempt to put them into practice”. Swift’s overt disregard of other sensible and valid suggestions is presumably directed at accentuating the failure of the administration to alleviate the destitution of its citizens, by parodying the callousness of the British government in putting down the possible proposals of the Irish intellectuals towards solving the social ills of the country. Swift seems to be criticising these intellectuals as well, for their inability to initiate a “hearty and sincere attempt to put them [their ideas] into practice”, which is ultimately contingent on them having “at least some glympse [sic] of hope”. This statement blames the administration for the inaction of these intellectuals, implying that unless the nation changes for the better under the administration and gives them a “glympse [sic] of hope”, these intellectuals will not find any meaning in trying to put their ideas into practice.
In South Park, the ironical effect is usually achieved when the satirists create characters that are expected to uphold a certain moral stance in reality but in the cartoon itself are exhibited alternatively.
In the episode Cartoon Wars, Kyle, one of the major characters, is sent to “Muslim-Sensitivity Training” under Mrs Garrison after his mother catches him watching the episode of Family Guy (a cartoon series in reality) depicting Muhammad. During “Muslim-Sensitivity Training”, Mrs Garrison conveys misconstrued reasons of why Muslims are upset over the depiction of Muhammad. She says:
“[Y]ou can 't have sex, and you can 't jack off. There 's sand in your eyes and probably in the crack of your ass, and then some cartoon comes along from a country where people are getting laid, and mocks your prophet. Well you know what? I’d be pretty pissed off too!”
These blasphemous comments expose the insensitivity of Mrs Garrison. After which, Cartman sensibly replies that her statements were “ignorant and racist”. This is ironic based on the fact that Mrs Garrison is asserting her distorted opinions on the issue of the depiction of Muhammad in a class that is supposed to cultivate sensitivity towards Muslims. Also, a reversal of roles is evident when Cartman, of a younger age, reminds her about her ignorance towards such sensitive issues.
In this example, the creators are deconstructing traditional archetypes of teachers of having moral authority, by portraying an alternative image of a teacher who is clearly trespassing moral boundaries by making sacrilegious comments on Islam.
Later, Cartman decides to embark on a journey to Hollywood to get the episode removed, explaining that it is offensive to Muslims. Regardless of his true intention (which he reveals later to be his loathing of people comparing his jokes to those in Family Guy), the irony here is that while Cartman is able to sensibly reject Mrs Garrison’s blasphemous and gravely offensive arguments, he is being affected by a cartoon that he can perfectly ignore, just like how he renounces Mrs Garrison’s statements. This suggests the creators’ intention at directing this at groups that are overly sensitive about content on television. In portraying this irony, the creators are trying to use wit to prove that political censorship has gone so far as to infringe upon our freedom of speech and that we should neither allow any single organisation to monopolise our freedom nor let ourselves be offended.
3.2.2 The Tone of Critique
The tone used in A Modest Proposal is never consistent but rather, Swift takes on a variation of tones throughout the essay that progressively exposes Swift’s ridicule of the administration. Apart from the sarcastic and ironic tones that have been identified in the previous section, a further study would enable us to gain a better understanding of Swift’s technique in criticising the administration in terms of tone.
Swift first introduces the town by speaking of mothers being “forced to employ all their time in strolling to beg sustenance for their helpless infants”. At that time, it was generally regarded by the public that beggars had only themselves to blame and Swift challenging this stereotype was an exhibition of his sympathy towards them. Through his sympathetic perspective of the state of affairs in Ireland, he aims to gain the trust of the reader, which he later abuses abruptly to make readers reconsider his true intention.
In the fourth paragraph of A Modest Proposal, Swift makes use of a crude animal imagery by referring to childbirth as having “a child just dropped [dropping] from its dam”. Swift then speaks with a matter-of-fact tone, with which he cites statistics of the number of children born to poor parents each year as “one hundred and twenty thousand children”. Swift’s gradual transition between the matter-of-fact and crude tones enables him to dehumanise the children of Ireland by comparing them to animals and later, quantifying them as mere figures. This implies the narrator’s disregard for the value life and it is hitherto where the reader becomes aware of that Swift’s proposal could possibly be as macabre and unfeeling to the point that it is impractical. In fact, it is this awareness that aids Swift in implying to his readers that there is an incongruity between his proposal and the reality of the social conditions that were plaguing Dublin at that time, which is an allusion to the style of the proposals that were written by Irish intellectuals that usually failed to culminate in definitive measures by the government. In South Park, tone refers to that of the entire cartoon itself, as well as that of the characters within the cartoon, with the former sometimes contingent on the interpretation of the latter by viewers. Therefore, there is certainly an element of subjectivity with regards to the interpretation of the creator’s tone and subsequently, his intention. One of the more significant scenes in the South Park episode Cartoon Wars explicitly questions the authority of the Bush administration. The scene is set in the White House, with George W. Bush addressing the press on the decision of airing an episode of Family Guy that portrays Prophet Muhammad uncensored.
Bush’s tone reeks of hypocrisy when he reveals to the reporters that in adherence to the First Amendment, Muhammad will appear uncensored on Family Guy. After which, he refuses to reveal “classified information” regarding the Family Guy writing staff, which in fact infringes upon the right of the reporters to be in knowledge of the truth and is contradicting Bush’s supposed stance on civil rights. The contemptuous voice of the creators is then expressed through a reporter in the cartoon when he rebuts by claiming that the “‘First Amendment’ sounds like a lot of bureaucratic jibbery-joo”, which is a rather unwarranted expression in this situation that reveals the creators’ distaste towards the hypocrisy of the government. It can also be interpreted solely within the context of the cartoon itself that the reporters have no idea about the notion of free speech and this relates to the creator’s intention of criticising the true state of affairs in reality with regards to the U.S. media. In essence, it is a variety of the tones that can be interpreted within the cartoon itself that is able to engage the audience due to its subjectivity.
3.3 Exploring Satirical Intentions in South Park
3.3.1 Freudian Theory in South Park In Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, he lists three aspects of the mind that influence our action and thought: id, ego and superego. By relating these three aspects of the human mind to the main characters in South Park, we are able to explore the co-creators’ mindsets and intentions while creating this piece of work. South Park’s plotline mainly revolves around three specific characters: Cartman, Kyle and Stan. Cartman is widely regarded as a hedonist, who is driven by his id. The id, as Freud explained, "contains everything that is inherited, that is present at birth, is laid down in the constitution — above all, therefore, the instincts, which originate from the somatic organization, and which find a first psychical expression here (in the id) in forms unknown to us”. Essentially, the id strives to derive pleasure by finding ways for a person to fulfill the instinctual requirements of the body itself. In Cartoon Wars, Cartman is driven by his instinctive need to preserve his indignity such that he is compelled to ride a bicycle to FOX Studios to convince the executives to pull off an episode of Family Guy as he deems it as humiliating since everyone is always comparing his sense of humour to them. The significance of the id in terms of its role in South Park can be explained by its link to how it is rejected and suppressed by other characters through discourse such that they are able to undergo a catharsis, which directs us to the next point on the ego and superego that are represented by Kyle and Stan respectively.
Essentially, the ego seeks equilibrium between the id and reality, by veiling the unconscious commands of the id and rationalisation, while the superego simply acts as a moral compass and punishes the conscience when one goes against his moral values. Stan as the personification of the superego is matched by his strict adherence to his morals, which is evident in his ridicule of celebrities that he deems to possess distorted moral ideals.
On the other hand, Kyle, as an epitome of the ego, often finds inner conflicts in dealing with challenges to his firm views because while he considers his beliefs, he too deliberates over opposing views to the argument. Cognisant of the fact that Cartman is representative of the id, which involves actions dictated by instinctive impulses that might not be acceptable in reality, and Stan who is demonstrative of the superego that is characterised by one’s fervent adherence to moral values and societal norms, Kyle is effectively the balance between the two extremes – the one who acknowledges both ends of the spectrum but reminds us that there are dangers if anyone conforms strictly to a certain viewpoint.
The presence of characters that represent the psychic apparatus of our mind reveals the point that the creators’ are being caught in an inner struggle between their intrinsic urges and society’s perception of moral standards. The verbalisation of such a struggle in the form of South Park cartoons allows the creators to rationalise this conflict through the reflection of the fallibility of the arguments that are shaped by the id and superego and this is at the same time especially relevant to today’s postmodern approach towards satire, whereby the co-creators’ aims are not to promote their perceived morally correct viewpoints, but rather to assemble together a discourse of prevailing views and how they are fallible.
3.4 Assessing the Effectiveness of the Means of Presenting Satire
3.4.1 Political Cartoons: South Park Political cartoons are one of the most common media for satire in the modern world, which is able to meld both narrative and visual elements together to impart the creators’ criticism of society. South Park is one of the few cartoons that are able to effectively leverage on the visual appeal of cartoons to castigate social foibles.
One of the most prolific means of imparting criticism visually and rhetorically in South Park is through its carnivalesque nature, which can be identified in the cartoon by its laughter, ludicrous realism, vulgarities and sexual references. The liberal use of perverse images and language could appeal to the audience as it complements the subconscious’ desire for sadistic pleasure and thus, it will be much easier for them to identify with the brutal criticism of society. In one of the episodes, Cartman refers to Saddam Hussein as a “shitty boner bitch” and a “butthole”, which explicitly denotes the human genitalia. Such language is not only destructive of the image of Saddam Hussein but it also unshackles the audience from social conventions because of the illogicality of such comments. In general, the laughter that is generated from the audience, as a result of abusive language in the cartoon is able to confound the boundaries of authority and puts the audience in a position where they are convinced that the subversion of authority is totally acceptable.
Conversely, excessively controversial content in cartoons is not always feasible in reality. South Park has been pushing the boundaries of satire since its creation, whether is it through the grotesque act of defecating on the American flag or the portrayal of Muhammad, and such extreme content has allowed it to explore fresh perspectives. However, there remain inherent limitations of television, which are censorship and other restrictions with regards to controversial content. In a sense, South Park is limited in the portrayal of certain content due to the potential hostility that may arise from certain groups and the subsequent fear of losing viewers and sponsors. Also, South Park is usually limited to depicting the mannerisms or words of, for example, the President, and not their political preference. This leads to the audience’s perception of the creators as lacking in sincerity in their criticism of authority and the audience would therefore be compelled to take them blithely. Another limitation of South Park is its topical nature. As Bruning (2002) noted that in the topical culture of political cartoons, “through jokes aimed directly at a specific social problem or issue, the audience may be exposed to information that is uncommon in other entertainment venues. The audience may or may not get the jokes, or apply the joke to a real world problem”. South Park has covered several issues spread across the 21st Century and they tend to lose their relevance over time. However, South Park has been able to incorporate these contexts to criticise the flaws of the human condition, such as greed or human pretentiousness, which are perhaps identifiable with any kind of audience. In addition, its co-creators’ choice to castigate current issues allows them to tap on the current audience’s awareness of these issues with the aim of reformation with an instantaneous impact, instead of using historical examples or future scenarios to impart their criticism of the human condition that are irrelevant to the immediate audience. Undoubtedly, messages that criticise the human condition but are based on isolated contexts should still be able to perpetuate across different timelines to a certain extent.
3.4.2 The Pamphlet: A Modest Proposal Pamphleteering was a prolific form of expression during the 17th and 18th Century that widely conveyed polemical and propagandist works on topical subjects. The effectiveness of A Modest Proposal could be attributed to it being presented in the written form, whereby the reader is allowed the pace to distinguish that hidden meaning that arises from Swift’s wordplay, as opposed to an audio-visual medium, which involves a high output of information that is overly reliant on the appeal to sensory devices to create a satirical effect. A thorough analysis would indicate that Swift’s proposal is absurd, and an audience, which has the time to distinguish the fact that Swift’s intention is not in suggesting a solution but rather, to parody the administration’s callousness towards its people would be able to sense the cold and unemotional tone of the narrator while talking about the macabre subject of cannibalism and subsequently, the creators’ hidden intention.
On the other hand, the limitation of A Modest Proposal lies upon the fact that it would require a more sensitive and broad-minded audience that can sense Swift’s tone and intention, as well as the more profound and logical views that the proposal offers. At the time of publication, critics merely extolled upon A Modest Proposal and deemed its portrayal and criticism of conditions in Ireland as truthful. However, it was not until the 20th Century that critics began to realise the powerful commentary it provides with regards to the government and the church. This reinforces the point that a more perceptive audience, which is able to identify the elusive significance of the proposal, is required for a literary work of such pretentiousness. Else, the intended satirical effect is lost.
Chapter 4: Conclusion A study of South Park and A Modest Proposal has revealed a distinctive feature of both works of satire. Through the identification of the misalignment of their opponents with their moral standards, Parker and Stone, as well as Swift, are able to achieve a grotesque portrayal of their opponents’ “misdeeds” that appals their audience, prompts their association with current events and brings about a cognisance of the creators’ shrewd analysis of them.
On the other hand, the main difference is the way in which both creators’ craft their work in relation to their portrayal of what they feel is out of place in society. In the case of A Modest Proposal, Swift assumes a condescending tone that highlights his moral superiority over his opponent and therefore, it tends to be rather opinionated and one-sided. However, South Park is representative of both sides of the argument and though it castigates the opponent rather distastefully, it subtly portrays the disadvantage of taking the other stand as well. In a sense, South Park takes into account a balanced view towards issues.
Indeed, the most persistent limitation in both works of satire is its topicality and it is particularly inherent in works of satire as it is undoubtedly the most effective way to castigate opponents based on events that are associated with them. However, satirists are able to overcome such limitations since it is through the topicality of cartoons that they are able to appeal to the immediate audience based on their recent knowledge of such events. In most instances, as shown in South Park, the use of irony and sarcasm to generate humour and point out the incongruities in life is able to appeal to the audience and perhaps initiate a rethinking of various issues. Satire is indeed a manifestation of a satirist’s fertile mind, in terms of the ways through which satirists craft their work. Throughout centuries, it has proven that the quality of insult, or rather the style through which satirists impart their criticism of society (sometimes contemptuously), is not strained. In general, satire is a medium that captures the astute viewpoints of satirists and subsequently, acts as a moral restraint to the vices in society.
References Primary Sources 1. Swift, J. (1729). A Modest Proposal. Retrieved 24 June, 2012, from http://www.luminarium.org/renascence-editions/modest.html
2. Stone, M. & Parker, T. (Producers) (1997). South Park [Television series]. California: South Park Studios. Secondary Sources
1. Gordon, M.E. (2004). The Simpsons: A case study in the limitations of television as a medium for presenting political and social satire. Philadelphia: Haverford College.
2. Weisgeber, J. (1973). Satire and Irony as Means of Communication. Comparative Literature Studies, 10(2), p157-172.
3. Franklyn, B.S. (2006). Towards a Theory of Postmodern Humour: South Park as a carnivalesque postmodern narrative impulse. Hamilton: The University of Waikato.
4. Priestley, J.B. (1929). The Approach to Literature: Humor, Wit, Satire, Irony. The English Journal, 18(7), p542-545.
5. Bruning, Jonathan (2002). Negotiating complex television: the Simpsons and its audience. UMI Dissertation Services, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Online
1. Freeman, A. (2000, 19 December). Ranting: StreetWrites Workshop Writing Exercises. Anitra 's Web: Empowerment through Creativity. Retrieved 5 May, 2012, from http://www.anitra.net/homelessness/streetwrites/Exercises/ranting.html
2. Harris, R. (1990, 20 August). The Purpose and Method of Satire. VirtualSalt. Retrieved 5 May, 2012, from http://www.virtualsalt.com/satire.htm.
3. Johnston, I. (1998, 22 November). A Brief Introduction to Restoration and Eighteenth Century Satire. Introductory Note on 18th Century Satire. Retrieved 5 May, 2012, from http://records.viu.ca/~johnstoi/eng200/satire3.htm
4. LeBoeuf, M. (2007). The Power of Ridicule: An Analysis of Satire. Retrieved 10 July, 2012, from http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/63
5. Solomon, J. (2008). Not a Defense of South Park: The Way that Television’s Most Innovative and Sensational Show is so Much Better than Everything Else out There. Retrieved 10 July, 2012, from http://www.thezenofsouthpark.com/In_Defense_of_South_Park
6. Baker, L.A. (1999, 28 March). Conditions in Early Eighteenth-Century Ireland. Conditions in 18th-Century Ireland (ca. 1729.). Retrieved 10 July, 2012, from http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~lyman/english320/sg-Swift-18thC.htm --------------------------------------------
[ 1 ]. During the 18th Century, the Stuarts (British ruling family) instituted a Protestant governing aristocracy amid Ireland’s predominantly Catholic population. Denied political union with England, Ireland was afflicted by English trade restrictions and found its authority in the Dublin parliament severely limited.
[ 2 ]. Swift is referring to the pamphleteers of his time, who broadcasted their opinions and ideologies on social issues through pamphlets.
[ 3 ]. In Cartoon Wars, the television network announces that a Family Guy episode will air with Muslim prophet Muhammad as a character, leaving the whole of the United States fearing for their lives over the possibility of retaliation by Muslim terrorists.
[ 4 ]. In Islam, the depiction of Muhammad is forbidden, though it is not explicitly stated in the Quran.
[ 5 ]. 18th Century Ireland was wretched by famine, overpopulation and poverty, with vagabonds common in the streets.
[ 6 ]. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights, including but not limited to the abridging of the freedom of speech and the infringement on the freedom of the press.
[ 7 ]. FOX Studios is a broadcasting company that airs the cartoon Family Guy.
References: 2. Stone, M. & Parker, T. (Producers) (1997). South Park [Television series]. California: South Park Studios. 1. Gordon, M.E. (2004). The Simpsons: A case study in the limitations of television as a medium for presenting political and social satire. Philadelphia: Haverford College. 2. Weisgeber, J. (1973). Satire and Irony as Means of Communication. Comparative Literature Studies, 10(2), p157-172. 3 4. Priestley, J.B. (1929). The Approach to Literature: Humor, Wit, Satire, Irony. The English Journal, 18(7), p542-545. 5. Bruning, Jonathan (2002). Negotiating complex television: the Simpsons and its audience. UMI Dissertation Services, Ann Arbor, Michigan Online 1. Freeman, A. (2000, 19 December). Ranting: StreetWrites Workshop Writing Exercises. Anitra 's Web: Empowerment through Creativity. Retrieved 5 May, 2012, from http://www.anitra.net/homelessness/streetwrites/Exercises/ranting.html 2 3. Johnston, I. (1998, 22 November). A Brief Introduction to Restoration and Eighteenth Century Satire. Introductory Note on 18th Century Satire. Retrieved 5 May, 2012, from http://records.viu.ca/~johnstoi/eng200/satire3.htm 4
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