Incorrect Use Of Satire Essay
Unfortunately, more often than not satire is used inefficiently. Incorrect usage of satire often results in unrest within groups of people, due to the source disrespecting or being insensitive to their beliefs or customs. When satire is used in a provocative manner it causes problems, rather than its initial purpose;which is to provide constructive social criticism. Misused satire runs the risk of upsetting large groups of people. The range of people it affects can range from world leaders to civilians. When satire is misused, people become angry and offended, and they react upon emotion and can cause violence. Acts of violence due to poorly used satire can result in incidences such as the Charlie Hebdo situation (Greenhouse). According
to Hebdo, “We want to laugh at the extremists—every extremist.” (Greenhouse) This is a very dangerous way of viewing satire, and has resulted in violence. Another poor example of misused satire is The Interview. The Interview sparked confrontation with North Korea. North Korea threatened to hack the company Sony due to their depiction of their dictator (Ward). Some argue that North Korea’s response is justified, while others argue that they are over reacting. However, if the satire was used correctly, there wouldn't even need to be a debate about it. However, when satire is conveyed correctly, it carries out its initial purpose, which is to spread awareness about an issue concerning social or political justice. There are plenty of examples of correctly used satire though all forms of media. In music, an icon famous for satire is Weird Al Yankovic. In television, a show that correctly displays satire is The Simpsons. Concerning online articles, both The Onion and Cracked cover issues concerning social justice correctly. Weird Al Yankovic, The Simpsons, The Onion and Cracked tackle issues and flaws in the world. The common technique that these sources use is parody, which uses humor as a way of explaining the problem to people, which only makes them laugh. Many people misunderstand what correct satire is and misuse it. We need to teach people what actual satire is and how it can be positive, instead of it just being hateful garbage. Satire can be an effective tool for social change, but only if used correctly. When satire is not used correctly, the resulting effect is negative and causes unrest within groups ranging from civilians to entire nations, However, when satire is used correctly, it spreads awareness about an issue which can prompt positive change.
to Hebdo, “We want to laugh at the extremists—every extremist.” (Greenhouse) This is a very dangerous way of viewing satire, and has resulted in violence. Another poor example of misused satire is The Interview. The Interview sparked confrontation with North Korea. North Korea threatened to hack the company Sony due to their depiction of their dictator (Ward). Some argue that North Korea’s response is justified, while others argue that they are over reacting. However, if the satire was used correctly, there wouldn't even need to be a debate about it. However, when satire is conveyed correctly, it carries out its initial purpose, which is to spread awareness about an issue concerning social or political justice. There are plenty of examples of correctly used satire though all forms of media. In music, an icon famous for satire is Weird Al Yankovic. In television, a show that correctly displays satire is The Simpsons. Concerning online articles, both The Onion and Cracked cover issues concerning social justice correctly. Weird Al Yankovic, The Simpsons, The Onion and Cracked tackle issues and flaws in the world. The common technique that these sources use is parody, which uses humor as a way of explaining the problem to people, which only makes them laugh. Many people misunderstand what correct satire is and misuse it. We need to teach people what actual satire is and how it can be positive, instead of it just being hateful garbage. Satire can be an effective tool for social change, but only if used correctly. When satire is not used correctly, the resulting effect is negative and causes unrest within groups ranging from civilians to entire nations, However, when satire is used correctly, it spreads awareness about an issue which can prompt positive change.