Blog 3

Blog 3: a blog analyzing modern societal uses of satire, and their effects.  Blog should be 1,000 words in length.  Blogs for extra credit are due Friday, March 18, by 8 AM.

      Satire: a literary technique of writing which principally ridicules its subject as an intended means of provoking or preventing change. It is a writing style that develops an idea to persuade by first, making fun, or taking stabs at the actual idea. As the satire develops it should be subtle and almost seem quite like reality. To the reader the idea should almost seem plausible. I say almost, because many examples of satire are truly unimaginable, and are just out there to give a reader an idea. Satire, using humor, can help to establish the writer's idea without having to actually state the true main idea.

      We have had the pleasure of reading multiple satirical type essays within AP language. Swift's “Modest Proposal” used satire to point out the flaws of the Irish government. The government had lacked to do much of anything regarding the outbreak of famine among the dying Irish citizens. Swift then proposes that the citizens and government should begin to invest in the marketing of babies. Swifts satire is that they should raise, sell, and eat infants to live. He believes this proposal is better than the government's because they have yet to do anything. This is an example of satire because, in reality, no one would ever actually consider eating an infant, but it is a stab at the governments laissez faire approach and lack of involvement in its dying, starving people. Never once though does Swift state his true persuasion of the governments involvement.

      The next example we read was a student written essay persuading one to be against abortion. Elise Rudolph uses satire to compare fetuses to an advertisement. Making abortions sound cheap, easy and fun. Her actual purpose being to end abortion and make a reader realize the immoralities and wrongness of abortion. Her satirical tone makes her “advertisement” seem realistic. By idolizing abortion, she intended to persuade her audience away from the cruel act, making light of an undoubtedly deep, important subject.

      A letter written regarding beavers was also presented to us in class. The beavers had begun to build dams along a river in a mans back yard. These beavers did not bother the man, however the city did not enjoy their habitats. As a response to a city letter, the man writes how the beavers have every right to be there and to build. By personifying the animals, the satire makes the city look wrong, and quite dumb. The author asks why the beavers do not get “legal representation” and that the state will have to provide a “dam lawyer”, making the beavers seem human like and the city seem misguided and wrong. The repetition of the word “dam” helps move the satire along smoothly. He repeats this word to add emphasis to each stab at the city, and to clarify his standpoint, the beavers can be wherever they “dam” want to be. At the end of his satirical response the author states that the real problem is the “bears...defecating” in the woods. By using this as a closer the author is satirically readdressing how a beaver cannot be blamed for building a dam as much as a bear can be blamed for pooping where it lives, and that the city has gone too far in the matter.

      Recently, we wrote a response to the satire used by a humor and satire publishing company, The Onion. This article addressed and satirized the campaigns marketing companies throw out there to gain consumers. The “advertisement” was one for Magna Soles, insoles that use “five pseudosciences” to heal the magnetic fields around feet, making every imaginable ache disappear forever. The Onion uses large “scientific sounding” words and a satirical tone to “persuade consumers to buy their products. By referring to these “psuedosciences”, like reflexology and terronomy , which means fake fields of science, consumers will be gullible enough to spend 19.95$ on a product. The Onion uses satire to uncover the marketing schemes of big business and put on display the embarrassing gullibility of today's consumers.

      Lastly, We reviewed a light hearted satire about the love a woman had for Jennifer Aniston. This middle age woman believed that Jennifer and her were very similar and spoke of her as if they had been best friends since the beginning of time. The authors use of satire was displayed by quoting this woman and then stating things about how she'd never met Aniston, and never would. These types of phrases and satire used, helped to show the sad, hopelessness of the middle aged woman. The author's purpose was to show the desperation in women to feel a connection to someone and make their own lives feel better. Satirically, This author points out how “strange” people can be regarding others.

      In modern day satire is used in many ways. Comedians, the Daily Show, Colbert Report, and Saturday Night Live are just to name a few of the more major and more well known sources. These types of “fake” news broadcasts use satire to attack world events and politics. Many skits on Saturday Night Live and Mad TV show characters who appear to be common politicians including George W. Bush, Hilary Clinton, and the ever so popular, Tina Fey, as Sarah Palin. These types of satire become wide spread and popular due to their humor and the fact that they allow people to laugh at politics and foreign policy, not anger them. These satires are outlets for all the people who let politicians and world matters upset them. Satire used with comedy is funny, and relate able, making people want to watch and laugh along. All people can agree and disagree on matters regarding the world, its politicians, and the rights and wrongs that happen within our governments. These shows, jokes, skits, and musical numbers help to make light of the world we live in with all of its ups and downs. The Colbert Report simply reports world events in satire mode, making news and events funny, and to persuade viewers that the “funny” has a serious side to it as well. Satire, in modern day and on TV, is mainly used to make light of situations but it also impacts viewers to be aware of the world, and events. Satire is used to open the eyes of people who keep them shut.

Blog 3

BLOG #3 -  Write a short response to "A Modest Proposal" (750 words min.).

The satire addressed by Dr. Jonathan Swift in his “Modest Proposal” is one of which that reveals the hard times of the Irish famine. Swift satirically addresses the Irish governments lack of action upon the hungry, dying, and poor of Ireland during the famine. His proposal states that as a resourceful way of cutting down upon the famine that children should be marketed for the good of the people of Ireland. He writes that the small children should be eaten and that “a young healthy child well nursed, is, at a year old, a most delicious nourishing and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled; and I make no doubt that it will equally serve in a fricasie, or a ragoust”. This satirically displays his idea of what the Irish government is lacking to do; create a solution. “A child will make two dishes at an entertainment for friends, and when the family dines alone, the fore or hind quarter will make a reasonable dish, and seasoned with a little pepper or salt, will be very good boiled on the fourth day, especially in winter”, this quotation again repeats the need for babies as food. With a satirical approach, Swift makes his modest proposal real. He uses diction and word choice to convince a reader that his proposal could actually be a possible solution. “I rather recommend buying the children alive, and dressing them hot from the knife, as we do roasting pigs”. By dehumanizing the babies and making them a marketed “animals” Swift takes a hard stab at the lack of government involvement in the people of Ireland. The famine which is ruining families and the lives of so many citizens has not been confronted and nothing has been done, therefore Swift writes a “Modest Proposal” to offer his own opinion and input on what needs to be done to end this famine. By satirically proposing to eat the babies of Ireland; offering food, and a cut back on over population, Swift is actually suggesting that his “good” idea will be better then anything thee government has done which as revealed in his text is absolutely nothing. Swifts comically ideas are as followed “I profess, in the sincerity of my heart, that I have not the least personal interest in endeavouring to promote this necessary work, having no other motive than the publick good of my country, by advancing our trade, providing for infants, relieving the poor, and giving some pleasure to the rich”. By ordering his points Swift also makes his satire seem close to reality. It comes across as a real life solution and may even seem unfunny to some readers. The first read through, Swifts writing almost convinced me of his slight insanity, but Swift is truly just trying to make a “out loud and proud” statement to his own culture and place of origin. He is trying to make it clear to the government and citizens of Ireland that the plan of action taken by the government is obviously failing and the famine continues. By doing nothing, the government has allowed the citizens to die and starve, and by Swifts satire he is begging for action and advancement by the government of Ireland. In his satirical world, Swifts proposal makes complete sense due to the fact that it is at least a plan for action unlike the lack of action taken by the actual government. “I am not so violently bent upon my own opinion, as to reject any offer, proposed by wise men, which shall be found equally innocent, cheap, easy, and effectual”, in this selection of Swift's text he is clearly stating that because nothing has been done to help the people of Ireland his cost efficient, and effectual plan can “actually” help. The effect of his plan and tone of sarcasm and satire reveal his undertone of bitterness towards the laissez-faire approach of the Irish government directly pertaining to the famine sweeping the country and its dying, starving, suffering persons. Reading Swift's text the line between disturbing and funny is crossed multiple times but all in effect to gain a reaction out of the government and out of the Irish people. Not only is his proposal mad, disgusting, and unbelievable so is the fact that a government can watch their people starve and not take action. The definition of satire is literary technique of writing or art which principally ridicules its subject often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change, and as Jonathan Swift once said it is “a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own”. As Swift closes his essay, his main purpose is to persuade the citizens of Ireland to eat their own children, marketing them to save their own lives. In reality, his work is an art that while unapparent, scorns the government for their lack in help.