Is a Satire Effective?

Satire has been used throughout the world to change the ill of the society. Satire is a use of irony and sarcasm to attack and criticize the target and it's ultimate goal is to change the society. Jonathan Swifts's A Modest Proposal is a from of formal satire that is in first person and uses irony and sarcasm to target Britain abusing the Irish. The proposal appealed to the British people and resulted in the independence of Ireland. However, although the A Modest Proposal was successful and effective, satire in general is not effective enough to change the society.

In the A Modest Proposal, Swift attracts the readers eyes and alarms their minds by using offensive languages such as ", that a healthy child well nursed is at a year old a most delicious, nourishing, and wholesome food, whether stewed, roasted, baked, or boiled" (Swift 3), and "A child will make two dishes at an entertainment for friends" (Swift 3). Satires can attract readers in a short period of time however, the reader will focus too much on the disturbing languages or images the satire present that they will lose the deeper real point being made.  The clip The HumanCentipad is a perfect example pointing out the ineffectiveness of satires. In the film, people who sign on a cell phone contract without even reading them are satirized but what draws the attention is the horrible and almost unrealistic way of making the HumanCentipad. 

 Satire is often described an onion with many layers covering it because of its layered information. Depending on the readers academic levels, they will each get different understandings of the satire. Throughout the history the society is made up few numbers of elites and big numbers of general people, often uneducated or educated in a small amount. For satirists to change the society, not only they have to convinced the elite groups, they must get public support from general population who often times don't get the satire. ", although perhaps I could name a country, which would be glad to eat up our whole nation without it" (Swift 9). Educated readers who understand the sarcasm would easily find out that Swift is proposing that the Britain is eager to bring all Irish goods not leaving anything behind. However, uneducated general people may believe that Swift is actually referring to the Britain trying to literally eat up the Irish babies. One may argue that the elite groups are the leading groups of the society so if satirists convince the elite group the society may change. However, Swift's A Modest Proposal was only in effect due to the general people pressuring the Parliament. Moreover, it's likely that the elite group, educated, already know the issue and humans are stubborn so once they made a mind, it's hard to turn the decision.

Sometimes, satirist can target multiple targets. Often times the targets are hard to distinguish such as the example of Finger Pointing Blame Game. In the clip, the satirist satirizes both Republicans and Democrats who points their fingers at each other. Both parties believe the satirist is in their sides. The quote for a democrat man, "Stop that finger pointing" (Daily Show), explains how he thinks the satirist is in his side. Depending on the viewers background, they possibly can get the wrong target due to the ambiguity of satires. In the quote "Men would become as fond of their wives during the time of their pregnancy as they are now of their mares in foal, their cows in calf, their sows when they are ready to farrow; not offer to beat of kick them (as is too frequent a practice) for fear of a miscarriage" (Swift 7), is targeting both the Irish men and the Britain which led Irish to poverty thus creates violence between husbands and wives. 

Satire, is surely a great academic genre that is effective in ways. However, as the essay suggests, to change the society, rather than using a satire, proposing a straightforward thoughts is more useful because satire is often ambiguous and can be misleading.  

Satire Videos

In LA class last week, our class presented the satirical videos each student picked. Out of the 16 videos presented, there is a videos that really appealed to me.
The video, John Oliver and Gun Control, was brilliantly satirizing Americans who oppose gun control without certain reason. John Oliver interviews an American anti-gun control supporting Virginian Philip Van Cleave and a government official from Australia and contrast their opinions. When Oliver asks Cleave if background checks for gun control is logical to him, Cleave answers no and suggests that the first amendment doesn't require background checks. This is a use of verbal irony since the first amendment is very different from the second amendment so they cannot be compared with each other. Also, when Oliver asks about one hour waiting period to get a gun Cleave also answers no saying he don't see any reasons. This shows how stubborn people can be and not change their minds.Moreover, Cleave claims gun control does not work so Oliver examples Australia's gun control after the mass shooting. However, Cleave insists Australia is another world and is not the United States but in reality, Australia, not only exists in the same planet as America, obviously there economy and culture is not so different from us. Oliver, then, interviews Australia's formal prime minister, John Howard. Howard says that after the gun control, the mass shooting stopped and never happened until today. When Oliver says this to Cleave, Cleaves says "mass shooting is rare anyhow" and yes, mass shooting is less than car accidents except while car accidents result in killing comparably small number of people, mass shooting can kill hundreds and thousands of people. Also although mass shooting is rare compare to other death causes, it still is visible in number. Howard claims there were thirty mass shootings in Australia only before the gun control. When Cleave hears this, he compares guns to drugs and basically end up saying like "there is no point of having laws unless we can complexly get rid of all the drugs." After that, with his logic confused, Cleave claims since there are more gun in USA, there will be more people killed, which is actually opposing his claim.
This video by using verbal irony and Homeric satire, perfectly satirizes people who doesn't have clear reason of opposing gun controls and still opposes it.

Johnathan Swift

Facts about Swift:

1. "He best remembered for his 1728 book Gulliver's Travels."
Citation: "Jonathan Swift Biography." Web log post. Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2013. 
2. "Moreover, Swift was a sickly child. It was later discovered that he suffered from Meniere's Disease, a condition of the inner ear that leaves the afflicted nauseous and hard of hearing." 

Citation: "Jonathan Swift Biography." Web log post. Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2013.

3. "...; at fourteen he entered pensioner at Trinity College, Dublin, where he seems to have neglected his opportunities."
Citation: Jokinen, Anniina, comp. "The Life of Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)." Encyclopedia Britannica. 11th ed. Vol. 26th. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Ed., Vol. XXVI. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1910. 225-7., 16 Oct. 2006. Web. 07 Oct. 2013.
4. In England, in 1689, he became secretary to Sir William Temple, a diplomat and man of letters, at Moor Park in Surrey. 
Citation: "Jonathan Swift: A Brief Biography"The Dancing Girl" by John Barlas." Web log post.Jonathan Swift: A Brief Biography"The Dancing Girl" by John Barlas. Victorian Web, July 2000. Web. 07 Oct. 2013. 
5. "..., is said to have remarked "Cousin Swift, you will never be a poet."
Citation: Citation: "Jonathan Swift: A Brief Biography"The Dancing Girl" by John Barlas." Web log post.Jonathan Swift: A Brief Biography"The Dancing Girl" by John Barlas. Victorian Web, July 2000. Web. 07 Oct. 2013. 


Quote from Swift

"Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own" (Swift).
Citation: "Jonathan Swift." BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2013. 7 October 2013. 

Quote about Swift: 

It's Your Fault

In the video, It's Your Fault, the female actresses in the video insists that women are the leading cause of rape. They say scientific studies show that women who wear skirts are leading cause of rape but the clothes that were shown are not only skirts or shorts but also includes traditional Indian clothes and even a space suit which sarcastically points out the fact that the cloth women wear isn't the real cause of rape. This is an example of Horatian satire, which in a playful and joyful tone directs wit, exaggeration, and humor.

Also in scene 1:00, the woman explains that even the men are the ones who rape females, since females give birth to the males it's all their fault, which the deeper meaning hidden under the verbal irony means that the men are raping females who do a great sacrifice by giving birth to them and the future generation.

Moreover, in scene 1:13, the actress quotes, "Indian culture provides a several progressive methods to counter rape." She mocks the real society where women cannot stop the rape by calling out word by actually stopping the rape by calling out "Paya Walla" literally rape cancel in English. She quotes "it works all the time" bur in reality it doesn't

Furthermore, in the scene 1:35, the actresses claims that women who work late are also the leading cause of rape and quotes, "women, why work at all?" The reality behind it is that in average Indian family, men either don't work or don't earn enough to afford the family. It's mocking the Indian culture blaming the women who had been raped while just trying to support her family. It's another example of a Horatian satire since it's in a playful tone.

In scene 2:38, the woman says, "if you're tired of being humiliated by rape, you can always go to the cops and be humiliated by them instead." It blames the police officials in India who doesn't help the victims of rape but rather humiliate them even more. The cope in scene 2:41, the cop asks the victim if she was with boys. Obviously, if she was rape by a man or men, she was with one more boys. The cop asks unnecessary and apparent question to accuse the woman instead of helping him. The actress says, "It's my fault", and "Thank you officer", which in real world never happens.

The video overall is a satirical video that blames and mocks the Indian society that instead of punishing the criminals, assaults the victims of rape. It uses satirical techniques such as horatian satire and verbal irony.