Satire Examples

1. Satire Examples English 11AP

2. Teenage Girl Blossoming into beautiful Object • http://www.theonion.com/articles/teenage-girl-blossoming-into-beautiful-object,31061/ • This article, published in The Onion, serves to comment on the fact that as girls get older, due to the influence of the media, they become seen more as objects and less as human beings. The author supports the opposite of what he/she is trying to prove but presents it in a ridiculous way that cannot be taken seriously. By doing so, the author successfully sends a message about his/her own personal beliefs about the objectification of women.

3. Facebook and the c.i.a. • Facebook

4. Assault rifle beginning to worry … • http://www.theonion.com/articles/ar15-assault-rifle-beginning-to-worry-it-may-never,31080/ • This article is satirizing the controversy surrounding firearms and semiautomatic rifles like the AR-15 by personifying an AR-15 as a killer. The satire is clear through sentences such as "At press time, the AR-15 was praying that the man in the camo pants currently inspecting him from the other end of the store counter had a history of mental illness."

5. Shark attack http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2QalENIMxE&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active I found this video on The Onion. Its message is that in today's society, tragic events such as a shark attacks are actually considered "cool" when realistically, they are not cool at all. Often times I see things like this on the internet, when people post things like people getting seriously injured and people thinking that it's hilarious.

6. United, we stand • This picture puts economic depressions into a somewhat humorous subject because it says "united we stand" as people wait on a long line for the unemployment office. "United we stand" is a motto used for unifying states or nations and it's ironic/humorous that this is applied to a negative situation.

7. Obama paranoid government coming for his guns • http://www.theonion.com/articles/obama-paranoid-government-coming-for-his-guns,30638/ • This is a satirical article published by the onion. The article depicts President Obama as a conservative activist for gun rights. It is satirical because the President would never act this way and it mocks those who are paranoid about the government regulating gun laws.

8. YOLO • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5Otla5157c • This is a music video that is about the expression "YOLO." The expression is meant to encourage people to try wild things that they wouldn't usually do. In this video the expression's meaning is changed into "You Oughta Look Out" in stead of "You Only Live Once" and it goes into explaining how one should live if they want to survive. All the tips are ridiculous and would in the end probably make someone go crazy. The expression YOLO's meaning is changed to mean its opposite.

9. Homer simpson votes 2012 • The Simpsons is very rich in humor, political jokes, and of course satire. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArC7XarwnWI

10. Feel like I’m fixin’ to die http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBdeCxJmcAo&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active The intended message was to satirically protest the war in Vietnam. The song is written to protest the draft and U.S. involvement in Vietnam, because the writer says, "What are we fighting for? Don't ask me I don't give a damn, the next stop is Vietnam." The intent of the song is to denounce the government using irony and sarcasm.

11. The dictator • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DS2lURW4JSI • This is a clip from the movie, The Dictator. • The clip and movie as a whole is clearly satirical because it over exaggerates the absurd dictatorship of leaders in the middle east and puts a comical spin on the aimless killing, which takes place in areas ruled by leaders such as the one portrayed in the film. An example of satire is found right in the beginning of the clip when the Dictator claims in a PSA that he is for free press, fair elections and equal rights for women and can't even finish the sentence because he laughs, showing he is clearly opposed to it (but in a way that is funny to the viewer).

12. Snl: Palin and clinton • http://www.hulu.com/watch/34465 • This skit depicts Amy Poehler and Tina Fey portraying Hilary Clinton and Sarah Palin during the first campaign of Barak Obama. This is an example of satire because it takes actual things said by Sarah Palin, and presents them in an unflattering and funny way.

13. Snl: Tina fey as sarahpalin • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IE-OCDexYrU • The intended message of this piece of satire is that John McCain's vice presidential pick, Sarah Palin, was completely unfit for the job. This SNL clip, a show known for its satire, pokes fun at Palin’s unintelligent views on foreign policy.

14. Girl you wish you hadn’t started a conversation with… • http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/weekend-update-girl-you-wish-you-hadnt-started-a-conversation-with-at-a-party-christmas/n30774 • This clip from Saturday Night Live satirizes individuals who pretend to care about, be involved with, and be knowledgeable about different causes. Its message is that these people oftentimes do not actually know what they are talking about, even though they act as if they are above everyone else.

15. 2013 political oscars • The example of satire I chose is a political cartoon that uses references to the Oscars and current political and social situations. For example, it gets the message of the dominance of social networks, in this case LinkedIn (play on words of the Oscar nominated film "Lincoln"), in today's society across by depicting Abraham Lincoln on a tablet device. It also comments on the strong division between Republicans and Democrats, the shooting at Sandy Hook, the economy, and the enthusiasm of Vice President Joe Biden, while making references to many Oscar nominated films.

16. Stuff white people like • The bookStuff White People Like describes, as the title says, things that liberal white people like. This is satirical because it pokes fun at and criticizes metropolitan white people for being politically correct stereotypes who dilute themselves in thinking their opinions are somehow unique.

17. Britney spears • This example of satire depicts a couple watching the television about Britney Spears. The woman exclaims that Britney needs to get a life, yet ironically, the woman is the one who has been watching her for twelve hours. The message of this piece is to show how people emphatically enwrap themselves in celebrity news.

18. Banksy billboard • This work by street artist, Banksy, is in London on a spot originally designated for a billboard or advertisement. It was done during a time of a financial crisis and is most likely directed at London's elite. This piece is commenting on how much of the 'elite' class is so consumed with material possessions while a majority of people are struggling in their daily lives and do not even consider the luxuries on billboards.

19. Mr. show: Value magazine • http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=aF8wLg5Asgo • This skit from Mr. Show has plenty of satire in it. It shows how having money does not make you a great person. In the video they express how money makes you a better person, so people like Einstein and Van Gogh are not great people and did little to nothing in life because they did not make a lot of money. The skit is obviously making fun of this idea.

20. Taylor Swift • http://www.theonion.com/video/taylor-swift-releases-new-breakup-song-slamming-wi,31105/ • This is a link to a video created by "The Onion," making fun of celebrity singer Taylor Swift and her short romances. Swift has been known to have quick relationships with harsh, abrupt endings, and then writing songs about her previous boyfriends. This video touches upon her behavior.

21. The daily show • Here is a video of satire from the Daily Show. This video shows satire because Jon Stewart is making fun at how ridiculous the gun debate is and this women's story is ridiculous in how a scary gun will make you feel more safe and secure. He also makes fun of President Obama by reading from a fake Dr. Seuss book which says how the world doesn't like President Obama. And finally the video shows an interview with Jason Batmen where Jon Stewart makes fun of actors in a satirical way. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZj_g-7lCbU

22. Wii fit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iYBmAVuBns I chose this video as an example of satire because of its clever use of a fake commercial to point out all the flaws of a Wii fit. The commercial mocks the device itself, by pointing out that people exercise to the extent of swaying and stretching. Furthermore, people are paying a ridiculous amount of money for a box that will let them do what they can do easily alone. The commercial specifically uses satire by drawing upon the aspects of the real Wii commercial, such as an appeal to parents. The commercial suggests that there is “family fun” involved in watching someone else dodge an imaginary soccer ball, which is clearly untrue. Despite its mocking commentary, the commercial shows clips very similar to what the actual commercial might show, to demonstrate just how ridiculous this product is.

23. The great dictator • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NtBnaarXfg • This is a movie by Charlie Chaplin made during World War II to criticize the Nazi regime in Germany at the time, directly aimed at some of the doctrines emphasized by the Nazis by showing their ridiculousness. The film also pokes fun at the stupidity of pretty much all aspects of Hitler and Mussolini.

24. Easier to find a war • http://raquelgfernandez.blogspot.com/2012/02/political-cartoons.html • This is a link to a political cartoon. A soldier says, "I figure it's easier to find a war than a job these days". He is speaking to a recent graduate. The message of this cartoon is that the importance of education has gone down increasingly in the past few years, in part due to the ongoing war and the increase in unemployment. People think it is easier to just go fight in the war than to find a job, because they believe that a position in the war will last longer than any job that they may find.