The Onion As A Satire

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

Stephen Colbert. The Onion article, “I Don’t See Race; I Only See Grayish-Brown, Vaguely Humanoid Shapes,” and Stephan Colbert’s performance at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner convey Horatian and Juvenalian satire respectively. Although neither of these satirical pieces purely reflects one mode or the other, they contain substantial satirical elements from their respective mode.
The Onion is a notorious parody news source website that often mocks political figures, social issues, and world events.

The article, “I Don’t See Race; I Only See Grayish-Brown, Vaguely Humanoid Shapes,” mocks individuals who make explicit claims about how they are not racist. This article is an oped piece in which a fictional writer starts off by denying the existence of racial tensions and institutional racism within America. She supports this by claiming that it is impossible for the mindset of a modern American to adopt racist ideologies because it is impossible for one to view humans as anything more than, ”muted, roughly person-shaped silhouettes”. The op-ed then degenerates into a metaphysical questioning of the nature of human beings and her lack of ability to even perceive basic human attributes. The fault portrayed in the writer is that as she attempts to depict her own lack of racial bias, she denies the existence of racial diversity itself. Her line of reasoning is mocked as she extends it to a broader and broader scope until she claims that human life is an insignificant and mundane product of our universe. Her ideologies are never once directly criticized, only mocked through her flawed reasoning. In addition, the character of the writer herself is not the object or criticism, rather the ideology she presents is the object of criticism. This article is a prime example of modern literature utilizing satirical elements and does not deviate in any major from the original elements of Horatian

satire.
Unlike the prevalence of Horatian mode satire, there are few examples of Juvenalian satire in modern literature. One such example of Juvenalian satire is the performance of comedian Stephan Colbert at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association dinner. For this event, Colbert is prompted to perform a comedy routine tailored toward politically minded individuals. He, however, does not simply mock individuals or the establishment by pointing out minute flaws or criticizing superfluous aspects. Colbert’s entire routine is a torrent of politically charged criticisms which he presents in a jovial manor. Each of the criticisms he made were sarcastic comments that conveyed a friendly and supportive attitude on the surface level, yet the sentiment and underlying message behind the comments were vehemently critical. He primarily criticizes an array of targets with the content of his sarcastic remarks; however, he also manages to criticize individuals such as President George W. Bush by ironically imitating their perceived mannerisms in conjunction with these remarks. Colbert’s performance lacks the use of harsh language, but the scenarios he uses to illustrate certain faults could arouse strong emotional reactions. To this effect, Colbert’s performance is an effective example of Juvenalian satire.