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Development of satire in the 18th century
Development of satire in the 18th century
Development of satire in the 18th century
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Satire is commonly a form of comedy that is usually humorous, but sometimes it can be seen as not humorous because of the topic the person is satirizing. Satirists would bring out the flaws of commonly sensitive topics such as religion; though it is difficult identifying religious truth in a society because what is considered the truth is always debated by different groups. George Carlin was incredibly outspoken about his views on religion. He used his personal beliefs to create a comedic routine to share to and inform the world about the hidden imperfections of popular subjects. Because Carlin was known for outing this sensitive topic, it may not be seen as humorous to those who feel a connection to the subject, in this case religious people. …show more content…
You either understand the joke, or be left feeling confused or offended; usually offence is the vast emotion. Religious people cannot find humor in atheist beliefs and satire of their religion because they take offence to the joke. Though this is not always true, religious people can find humor in religious satire.
For example, they can find humor in the Simpsons. The Flanders are an incredibly religious family; when every sentence is spoken from the Flanders, it’s like the 12 disciples are preaching to you. Theists can find the Simpsons funny because it shows a family that exemplifies the ‘real’ faith of many religious Americans. It is a show that can possibly give one hope, joy, and inspiration. And one is reminded that it is a lighthearted joke and that it is funny. As Homer Simpson says, “It’s funny cause it’s true.” The Simpsons brings out laughter in those because it shows the fundamental truth the audience …show more content…
identifies. George Carlin (1937-2008) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, social critic and author. Carlin was known for his black comedy and his thoughts on politics, psychology, religion, and language. He was very passionate when talking about these topics, specifically religion. Although he was known for his atheist beliefs, he grew up as a Catholic. One day he made the decision to no longer follow Catholicism. A decision that was almost identical to mine. Until the age of 11, I would go to church with my parents every Sunday. Despite being curious about my church’s beliefs and morals, I still went simply because my parents did. That was until one day I could not stand hearing the lectures my pastor would give for 2 hours. I couldn’t listen to the songs and kneel down to pray to something that I didn’t believe in. It wasn’t until only recently that I officially labeled myself as an atheist. A lot of people, including friends and family don’t understand how someone could not believe in God. Since the majority of our society is following a religion, it is only natural curiosity to know society’s views on atheism and religion in general. Carlin was a well known, open atheist. Almost, if not, all of his interviews, books, and specials brought up the topic of religion. Carlin thinks low of the bible, not as a literature piece, but as a “book of morals.” He once compared the bible to the children’s books: The Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, and Humpty-Dumpty, and said "There is no Humpty-Dumpty and there is no God. None. Not one. No God. Never was," ("God, life, and avocado-colored kitchen appliances: a chat with George Carlin."). Carlin correlates the children’s books to the bible to actually compare the main characters. Because the children’s books are fictional and he compares the bible to these books, he is hinting and creating the statement that God is fictional. Carlin calls “religion easily has the greatest bullsh*t story ever told” (Jammin’ in New York). In his special “Jammin’ in New York,” he questions how can God be so perfect like everyone is seeing him as, if he allows war, death, hunger, poverty, etc. He continues to explain that it doesn’t make sense that people believe in an invisible person that will put you in hell, a place he created for sinners, if you don't follow the ten commandments; but he loves you all. Carlin points out things that completely destroys God’s followers belief; God is perfect. In Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops, he discusses the fact that religious people are one sided. Carlin expresses his frustration how UFO believers are seen as “kooks and quaint dingbats,” and those who believe in the all mighty God are loved (Carlin 574). Meanwhile, UFOs and God are very similar, they are both invisible and there is a group that believes they exist. He states that “One is treated reverently and accepted as received truth, the other is treated laughingly and dismissed out of hand,” (Carlin 575). How can one group be praised while the other is looked down upon, when both things they believe in can’t be seen? Carlin uses satire in a brilliant way to convey his message: religion is nothing but a money hungry fairy tale. Carlin’s tone is very pointed and harsh when discussing such sensitive topics. Religious people tend to not get the joke about religion because they might see it as a poke at what they believe in. Theists might have some difficulty understanding satire because they feel they are ridiculing God himself or they are being sacrilegious,” ("Why Christians Need to Laugh at Themselves”). If theists laugh at a satirical joke about their religion, they believe that they would’ve committed a sin because they “violated” what they believe is sacred. The satirization of religion can expose the flaws and misconceptions of that particular religion, as well as bring up important questions. Those who do not understand the real meaning of religious satire have different reactions, some laugh, some are offended and speak out, and some are offended and turn to violence. In 2011, a group of Islamic extremists went into the Charlie Hebdo Newspaper headquarters, as well as several different areas in France and started shooting everyone and everything. The reason? A political cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad being shown as a terrorist with a bomb. Hundreds of thousands, possibly millions of Muslims found this cartoon offensive. It is a rule of Islam that the Prophet Muhammad cannot be shown or pictured in any form. It is also taken as to offence to show a religious figure as something they weren’t and to misinform what they stood for. Because the Islamic extremists did not understand the satire behind the cartoon, they automatically took it as a ‘jab’ to their religion and beliefs and began hurting others. Despite other occasions, theists took their opinions of atheists beliefs and religious satire and post it online.
The Westboro Baptist Church unaffiliated Baptist church known for its hate speech, especially against LGBTQ people, Jews ,and politicians. Leader Fred Phelps (1929-2014) targeted several individuals and groups in the public eye, including George Carlin. Phelps insulted Carlin immensely; after his death Phelps stated that he is “Now in hell...and it is not relevant whether he believed in hell or not” ("Westboro Baptist Church"). He continued to abuse Carlin’s beliefs and calling him a “Filthy, blasphemer, obscene, potty mouth, skeptic, agnostic, prophane atheist” ("Westboro Baptist Church"). Phelps extensively complained and lectured about how the satirist made lots of money making fun of God, and because he is now dead, me must deal with God himself. George Phelps, along with the rest of the Westboro Baptist Church followers, has no understanding of religious satire. They see this form of comedy as a disgraceful, offensive way of speech when it is really pointing out the concealed wrongs of
religion. Though seeing religious people taking offence to religious satire is a simple to comprehend, there is always a deeper meaning to their reason. Bergson’s theory believes that we laugh because we feel superior to someone and their “absent-mindedness,” and to hopefully correct what is considered socially unacceptable. Bergson states that “Laughter must be something of this kind, a sort of social gesture...This rigidity is the comic, and laughter is its corrective (Bergson 9).” As we laugh at Carlin’s jokes about religion, we also laugh at the absent mindedness of theists. They don’t laugh because they don’t think their beliefs have anything to do with absent mindedness. They see religion as something they believe and is something that is truly real. Bergson’s theory also explains that when you laugh, you shouldn’t be emotionally connected to the topic. Because religion is a sensitive topic to those who follow it, they won’t laugh at all. They can be too emotionally invested about what is the almighty is doing. Murray Davis’ incongruity theory explains the ‘systems’ of comedy. Davis states that “the unexpected is an essential feature of humor..” (Davis 14). In order to laugh, we need to know limits. We laugh because something is out of place or unclear. Davis also explains that we laugh because the ‘punchline’ was something unexpected. It is a possibility that religious people don’t laugh at religious satire because they already heard the punchline. The unexpected to others was the expected to theists. Maybe they’re already used to hearing the same old reasoning; what they believe in isn’t a punchline. George Carlin was an extraordinary comedian who really changed the comedic world. He used his own personal beliefs and opinions to create something educational for the world. Because of his satirization of religion, it was learned that religious people can not find humor in atheist belief and in satire of their own religion. Although there are some religious satirical representations that can be humorous to theists, the majority seem to not get the joke. Extremists groups such as the Westboro Baptists Church and ISIS take a different approach of their disliking of religious satire - insulting and violence. Bergson’s and Davis’ theories of laughter show that the reason why they can’t laugh at the satirization of religion is because they already heard and understood the unexpected and because of idea that religion isn’t connected to absent-mindedness. Carlin’s goal was to open up people’s eyes and not to be blinded by what their churches say, but that didn’t work on those who pray to the invisible man upstairs
Comedian Jon Stewart gives a speech on the Daily Show during the “Rally to Restore Sanity/Fear”. He wants the viewers of the Daily Show to realize the difference between the real and fake threats and to take a humorous perspective on most of America’s “problems”. Stewart also emphasizes to his audience not to take every person on the media by his word and not to overreact to everything they hear. He uses metaphors, comparisons, and hypothetical examples to get his point across.
Satire can be defined as any work in which a human vice or folly is attacked with irony or sarcasm. An example of satire can be found in the song "When the President Talks to God" by Bright Eyes. In this song, the lyrics lay out hypothetical conversations between the President and God, which mocks current President George W. Bush and his use of strong religious influence while in office.
Kurt Vonnegut said in The Vonnegut Statement (1973), in an interview with Robert Scholes, that one of his reasons for writing is "to poison minds with humanity…to encourage them to make a better world" (107). This idea works quite well in Vonnegut's book, Cat's Cradle. It is a satirical story of a man's quest to write a book about the day the world ended (refering to the day the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima), which he never finishes. What we get is a raw look at humans trying desperately to find a sense of purpose in their lives through different means such as religion, science, etc.
Satire is form of comedy in which flaws in people or society are chastised in order to prompt change in the objects of criticism. Regardless of how long ago comedy itself may have existed, the concept of satire was introduced by the Roman satirists, Juvenal and Horace. The tones conveyed in their writing characterize the main modes of satire, being Horatian and Juvenalian, and are still used in satire today. Presently, two popular forms of comedy that employ satirical elements include parody news sources and comedic performances. Although satirical writing has evolved throughout history, many aspects of satire are still apparent in both the articles of parody news sources, like The Onion, and the performances of professional comedians, like
Seinfeld was a sitcom from NBC that was very popular during the ’90s, and is often referred as “a show about nothing.” It consisted of the life of a fictitious Jerry Seinfeld and his friends in New York City (IMDb). Seinfeld reached a Nielsen rating of 21.7 percent and number one in the United States ranking during its ninth and final season (“Appendix 3: Top-Rated Programs by Season”). It was unique in the way that it portrayed social life during the ‘90s, and this inspired shows such as Friends, Ellen, and Mad About You (Pierson 49). In Seinfeld episodes, the viewer can observe social customs, fads, social standards, and family portrayals of ‘90s semi-young adults.
From these comedians, satirical humor expresses some opinions about political acts so people can view them more critically.
Since the First Amendment protects chiefly speech on public issues, depending on the case, there could be special protection for the defendant. It is not necessarily clear what defines a public issue, but it can generally be considered if it is “relating to any matter of political, social, or other concern to the community.” (Snyder v. Phelps) It is unimportant if the statement is inappropriate or controversial. Since the matter of Westboro’s signs relate completely to public matters, it cannot be directly assumed that phrases were meant to directly attack Snyder or his family. Also, while the statements made by Phelps and Westboro as a whole might be outrageous and crude, they are views of public concern. (Snyder v.
In order to get to know about the Westboro Baptist Church, a person needs to know a little about who they are, where they came from, and what they represent. The Westboro Baptist Church was created in 1955 by a man named Fred Phelps, in Topeka Kansas, and is considered to follow old school Baptist beliefs (God, 2011). The Westboro membership numbers less than 100 who profess to all of the teachings of the Bible, and preach against every type of sin (God). Uncommonly, the church has no known affiliation to with any other Baptist churches (Parks, 2010). The Westboro members have been known to picket at least six events a day, such as: soldier's funerals, celebrity funerals, homosexual functions, etc. (Parks, 2010).
The Simpsons first aired in 1980 as a hilarious, sarcastic, and exaggerated satire of everyday life. With depictions of politics and politicians, bad parenting, greedy industry owners, and the faults in everyday society. The show really brings to life the thoughts and sometimes unrealistic views we have of everyday people.
According to Everything’s an Argument by Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz, “Humor has always played an important role in argument…” (38). Humor itself is something that activates amusement or laughter. Moreover, in popular culture satire is a tool that is used to point out things in our society. Satire opens the minds of people to philosophies they might completely deny, using humor. There are many elements of satire that identify flaws within our society. A couple of satire elements that will be discussed are irony and exaggeration. In addition, a parody is used in popular culture as a way to mock or mimic situation or person.
The twelfth and thirteenth episodes of South Park’s tenth season, “Go God Go” and “Go God Go XII”, work as pieces of comedy because they effectively uses humorous triangular formats. Both episodes satirize extremist behavior involving religion and atheism. The episodes usually show situations that involve the audience watching a humorous exchange between two parties. On occasion, the audience watches one character being made fun of, but overall the jokes involve the audience observing an exchange between two parties. The creator’s also use the characters to demonstrate their own beliefs and criticisms.
The Westboro Baptist Church started as a Non-Profit organization in 1967. They consider themselves an “old school’’ Baptist church. Their leader Fred Phelps and several of his children and dozens of his grandchildren. Appear to constitute the majority of their group members. They have no official affiliation with mainstream Baptist Organizations.
Satire invites critical self-introspection from us in a way that no other media can. It also acts as an unbiased mirror that reflects the mirror image of the flaws of our society. This beautiful process, when unhindered and uncensored, is the epitome of western freedom of speech, which is the single most significant right that deserves to be cherished and defended. According to McClennen, however, all mirror images of satire might not be beneficial. She believes that shows such as South Park and The Simpsons, which are not afraid to attack anything, do not lead to any kind of positive political discourse.
John Marwood Cleese, an English actor, comedian, writer and film producer said, “If I can get you to laugh with me, you like me better, which makes you more open to my ideas. And if I can persuade you to laugh at the particular point I make, by laughing at it you acknowledge its truth”. The point he brings up is the ideology of satire. Satire, by definition, is a technique utilized by writers to expose and criticize foolishness and corruption of an individual or a society. This can be done by using humor, irony, exaggeration or ridicule ("Satire - Definition and Examples", para.1). Often times, the humor used opens the audiences’ minds to the underlying problem that the writer is trying to reveal. By examining the purpose and methods of satire, dissecting literary works, and displaying examples in the media, satire is shown to be a valuable tool.
This genre of satire has often been used with subversive purpose where political speech is forbidden by a regime. Megan Hill explains that political satire does not carry a political agenda or seeks to influence the political process, but its unplanned use and its often destructive feature can lead to protest or dissent against the political process. Besides that, Dustin Griffin argues that satire attempts to make a balance between the fictional and the real so as to amuse and educate in more or less equal measure. He