Satire: Is It Funny To You?
The true glory of satire? The extent of controversy it can fire up, with no regard for precautions.
Pic: Unsplash Creative Commons / Austin Chan
Satirical irony has been around for a long time. It is used on many platforms and in many forms of entertainment. Let’s find out more.
What is satire?
Satire is described on Dictionary.com as “the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc.
It’s generally used when someone criticises foolishness of an individual or society. It comes off as the rawest part of comedy. The punchline would usually be something a set group people would relate to based on their perspective of the subject matter.
Some countries have banned the use of satire because the people in power dislike it. Therefore, they oppress this form of comedy. This is the case in places such as Saudi Arabia and North Korea.
Is it funny or offensive?
Well, that fully depends on the person involved. It could be argued that using an image to mock something controversial may be offensive to a person. However, if the person is fully aware of the irony and satire behind the image, it comes off as a highly effective form of comedy. This is especially true when compared to mainstream jokes.
The result is a successful way for both parties involved to play off something that may seem sad or offensive and laugh through it together. Plus, they can use the joke as a manner of constructive criticism.
Many careers are built on satirical irony
Many entertainers and influencers use satirical irony successfully. For example, TVFilthyFrank became famous through a viral ‘Harlem Shake’ video. He then went on to create a YouTube personality named Pink Guy and Filthy Frank. In these characters, he rants or “memes” about extremely controversial topics. He became extremely successful with 6.2 million subscribers on YouTube.