...Humorous a Sign of Intelligence In order to produce exceptional humor, one must be highly creative and original. For example, if one creates a joke, they use both halves of their brain. The right brain is used for the creativity, the funniness of the joke. Their left brain is used to actually formulate the joke so it can be presented to someone in a sensible manner. The mind must be swift to make the connections between a set line of jokes or a play on words. Humor is a sign of creative innovation. This innovation aspect applies to people who can see and relate the world around them in a logical and sensible manner, but also in an unusual way. This brings up the saying “thinking outside of the box.” The general audience a joke is told to is “inside the box” while the joke teller is “outside the box.” This is the reason as to why some of the audience may laugh at someone’s joke, but a few others don’t. You can have a sense of humor and a source of humor. Having a sense of humor means that you can understand and laugh at a joke (e.g. “a man’s third leg”). If one has a source of humor, they could create a joke or a pun. You can have a sense of humor but be well off without a source of humor because you can laugh at any joke spoken to you. It is quite unlikely to only have a source of humor because one would not know whether a joke is funny or not. Someone with a sense of humor is able to strive in a social environment better than one without. For example, someone could get...
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...Satiric and Comedic Devices-- 1. Mockery--insulting or contemptuous action or speech 2. Malapropism--an act or habit of misusing words ridiculously, esp. by the confusion of words that are similar in sound. Ex. “make a cow” (from Banned Books article); "Oftentimes, we live in a processed world, you know, people focus on the process and not results." (George W. Bush); "He is the very pineapple of politeness." (Mrs. Malaprop in Richard Sheridan's The Rivals) 3. Pun--the humorous use of a word or phrase so as to emphasize or suggest its different meanings or applications, or the use of words that are alike or nearly alike in sound but different in meaning; a play on words. Ex. "Look deep into our ryes." (slogan of Wigler's Bakery); "Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana." (Groucho Marx) 4. Understatement—1. A disclosure or statement that is less than complete. 2. Restraint or lack of emphasis in expression, as for rhetorical effect. 5. Hyperbole--Exaggeration--To represent as greater than is actually the case; to enlarge or increase to an abnormal degree 6. Irony--a technique of indicating, as through character or plot development, an intention or attitude opposite to that which is actually or ostensibly stated. a. an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected. b. an objectively sardonic style of speech or writing c. an objectively or humorously sardonic utterance...
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...In order to create a witty remark or clever joke, one requires two things; a somewhat humorous topic and a punch line. Without these two components, a joke will most likely be unsuccessful. One can increase the power and humor of the joke by adding other elements such as irony, sarcasm, etc.; a true comedian however does not always have to make the joke obvious. If one is a true jokester, the potency of the remark speaks for itself. Just as one-liners require certain components to be successful and vary with regards of genre, satire also requires mastery. Satire, in itself, is the use of literary devices and humor to cause amusement from the reader, while also hinting at a deeper message or meaning. There are two types of satire; Horational...
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...1. Introduction: The event that shooked the world 2015 has started very tragic in France, but also in journalistic and political satire profession. On January 7th two armed men entered the famous political satire newsroom Charlie Hebdo in center of french capital and killed twelve people. Reason was simple drawings of prophet Muhammad A week later come another editorial which was sold in five million copies. The second example happened Ten years earlier in Denmark police avert attack on another newsrooom. At that time target was Jyllands Posten . In both cases, the authors have joked with the extremity of the Muslim faith, joking with the Prophet Muhammad. As is known, they (Muslims) appear his appear not even in the Koran. But what is actually political satire in this topic and why is important? Acording to Oxford dictonary political satire is the use of humor, irony, exaggetion or ridicule to expose and criticitze people stupidaty in the context political. Political satire is usually connected with social commentary. It is has been a spoken or written act of rebellion toward an individual or group; commentary on social issues or society. Political satire is allround us. It can be usually be found in popular culture like books, movies, web pages , cartoons, television shows, caricature, foto montages ect. One of good example of it is famous book Animal Farm by George Orwell, where author critisise political system and moral values begin to fail . On the other...
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...Horatian and Juvenalian Satire Satire has many definitions, but according to Merriam Webster satire can be defined as “A literary work holding up human vices and follies to ridicule or scorn” (Webster). This definition is likely used by many authors who exercise the application of satire. Satire has been in literature since ancient times; it is derived from the Latin satura, meaning "dish of mixed fruits," (Weisgerber). Many satirists have shared a common aim: to expose foolishness in all its guises — vanity, hypocrisy, formalism, reverence, and the intolerance toward those who hold different opinions from oneself (Moyers). As previously mentioned, the term satire was originally derived from satura, defined by Quintilian, a roman rhetorician (Clarke). It was later discovered that two Roman poets, Juvenal and Horace, were responsible for further defining satirical works by their literary tone (Moyers). Thus, creating a systematic way to categorize satire into two different types, Horatian satire which approaches satirical observations, literature and performance in a humorous and lighthearted manner, and Juvenalian satire, which focuses on specific verbal or literary attacks on corrupt ideals or individuals (Weisgerber). I view Horatian satire as clever and humorous and find that it generally mocks others. Horatian is not negative; it aims to make fun of human behavior in a comic way. In a work using Horatian satire, readers often laugh at the characters in the story who are...
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...According to Merriam Webster satire is the use of humor that shows the weaknesses or bad qualities of a person, government, society, etc. Satire was used many times in Huckleberry Finn to get a point across. Some of these were when Huck had to give his money away in order to keep it away from his father, he also had to fake his own death to leave his father, the Grangerson's and Shepherdson's go to church and listen about peace and Huck's treatment of Jim verse the feelings towards slaves at the time. Twain used lots of satire throughout Huckleberry Finn to point out multiple flaws in American Society. The first example of satire in the satire was when Huckleberry had to give all of his money away to the judge. Although this was not funny it pointed out that he had no right to his money. Although his father had no right to the money because it was Huck's he could still get it because he is Huck's legal guardian. "No sir, I don't want to spend it. I don't want it at all- nor the six thousand nuther. I want you to take it; I want to give it to you, the six thousand and all" (Twain 27). Huckleberry knew he had to get rid of his money because it would fall into his father's hands eventually and he would spend it on booze and make Huck's life a living hell. This points out the negative side to the orphan system at the time. The parent...
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...Humorists Essay Alain de Botton argues that the chief aim of humorists is not only to entertain, but to state the messages that might be dangerous to say directly. Satire such as Jonathan Smith’s A Modest Proposal helps to exemplify the fact that joking about a taboo subject humorously, will allow it to become more of an acceptable thing to say. Comedians also tend to exemplify this statement by humorously discussing controversial topics through their comedy routines. Satire such as Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal uses humor to “convey with impunity messages that might be dangerous or impossible to state directly”. He talks about a world where unwanted and malnourished children can be cooked and served to the higher ranked, wealthier people. Swift suggests that this could be the solution to the overpopulation and poverty problems the country is facing. By proposing this “plan” in a humorous, satirical way, it is seen as humorous comedy and not a socially unacceptable ideal. The way the satire is effectively used evokes conversation about the topic through a humorous proposal. This thought-evoking Davis 2 satire brings to light the actual problems that are plaguing the country (in this case, poverty and the separation between the rich and the poor). Another type of comedy that brings out the actual problems being faced by the world is the television show “The Colbert Report”. This popular TV show, hosted by Stephen Colbert, is a parody of a newscast. He incorporates...
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...Satire In the 1700's, satire was the focus of written and painted artifacts by the likes of Swift, Voltaire, and Hogarth. How do the style and topics of these men compare and contrast with specific forms of political satire used today? Give examples. I always assumed the main purpose of satire was for laughter but I actually came to realize that there is so much more to it. Satire as it was originally proposed as a form of literature using sarcasm, irony, and wit, to bring about a change in society, but in the eighteenth century Voltaire, Jonathan Swift and William Hogarth expanded satire to include politics, as well as art. During this time, any type of criticism of government would bring harsh punishment including death. This was their way of expressing feelings and the only true way they can safely criticize the government, churches, and aristocrats. In todays form of political satire there is definitely more humor added into each piece versus in the 1700’s. Political satire today is base more on the current status and a great example of this is a Satire drawing where Obama is standing in front of a big wall labeled “OBAMACARE” and the wall is cracking and leaking water. The drawing shows Obama covering one small crack with his finger and saying “Fixed! Happy?” That is something I can relate to and it is the current situation that society is living now. In the 1700’s satire was more about the future and consequences of things that were to come based on the decisions we made...
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...1. What elements of satire did you notice upon your first read of the article? The Onion uses a satirical tone to draw attention to the public’s gullibility and the advertising industry’s power. There is a touch of humor throughout the article that mocks the exaggerated diction advertisers use in real life. The article even goes as far as to make up its own scientific diction including the change of neutrons into “comfortrons” and nuclei to “pain-nuclei.” 2. What rhetorical strategies contribute to the satire? How are they effectively used? The use of numerous hyperboles throughout article brings awareness to the fact that advertisements do the same thing, over-exaggerations. The article in its entirety is ironic, it is an advertisement making fun of advertisements, which adds some humor to the criticism. 3. What are the key differences between student response 2A and student response 2B? How do you account for the three point difference in scores? The difference between 2A and 2B is that essay 2A provided evidence and explained in detail the rhetoric devices and how they were used effectively; 2B on the other hand simply just answered the prompt. 4. Explain the score received by the writer of 2C. Where do you think this writer might have missed an opportunity to craft a much stronger essay? Where are the opportunities for improvement? I believe the writer could’ve crafted a much stronger essay if they thoroughly understood what the prompt was asking. It seemed...
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...Very “Modest” Irony and Satire Jonathan Swift was born in Ireland in the 18th century during an era that has come to be known as the Golden Age of Satire. As a writer, he was profoundly influenced by the political climate of his times, especially the plight of the Irish poor, which spurred him to write the satirical, social commentary “A Modest Proposal.” The satirical essay addresses the issue of inequality and poverty experienced by the Irish through an outlandish solution that is “beneficial” to everyone. Verbal is present throughout the essay and even in the title. The proposal is far from modest and is rather shocking which Swift does to grab the attention of the reader. He satirically recommends commoditizing Irish babies to improve the economic outlook by selling poor Irish babies to the rich as a delicious food item. Swift’s proposal in his essay is a technique used to highlight a real issue and bring awareness to it by ridiculing the public (reader) through satire. The definition of satire is the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, and ridicule to expose and criticize people’s vices. In “A Modest Proposal,” Swift does exactly that through clever social commentary on the issue of poverty among the poor in Ireland through the various forms of satire. Swift differentiates the social classes in his writing through imagery, detailing the differences between the rich and the poor. He states, “Prodigious number of children in the arms, or on the backs, or at the heels of their...
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...Reader Response Journal Entry – Satires In class, we went over the definitions of a satire and began to talk about what elements of a satire are seen in Huck Finn. A satire is described as the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices. As I began to think more about what a satire means, I realized that in modern day TV shows, politics, and other sources of entertainment, elements of a satire are often brought in. For example, Family Guy, Tosh.0, Saturday Night Live, Chelsea Lately, and the Simpsons are all television shows that could be considered satires, since they all mock people, exaggerate, and use comedy to expose people. I’m surprised that it was so easy to find TV shows that are satires; it’s almost bad in a way, since so many popular shows are making fun of people. Satires aren’t only used to make fun of people though. Often, the use of sarcasm and amplification on their own, create a satire. In chapters 17-18 of Huck Finn, it is clear that Mark Twain is satirizing something in particular. I believe that Mr. Twain is mocking the Civil War through the feud between the Shepherdsons and the Grangerfords. This feud has been going on for so long that these two families can’t even remember how it all started. They say that they only way that the feud will end is when everyone has killed everyone else, because there will be no one left to fight; “a feud is this way: a man has a quarrel with another man and kills...
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...We chose helicopter parenting as our topic because we found helicopter parenting a common issue in todays society. The articles we read in class on helicopter parenting inspired us to make a satire video on the issue. According to Dictionary. com, the definition of satire is “the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, of ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices…” In our video, we use many examples of satire to express our aspect on helicopter parenting. Some examples of satire in our video include five tools. The five tools we used are mock encomium, surprise, invective, inflation, and situational irony. We used mock encomium in the scene when the mom comes into the classroom and interrupts the class to check on her daughter....
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...In “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift, wrote of about the starving, overpopulated, and extreme poverty people of Ireland in the 1700s. His arguments purpose is to raise awareness to the government and rich people of England to take action. Swift persuades his audience by telling the Irish to sell their children as food to reduce the overpopulation and poverty, which is totally unethical, in hopes that he will get people to think of an actual solution to this issue. Overall, Swift wants to see an end to this horrible issue going on in Ireland and his message was effective informing those reading his article by establishing ethos, pathos, and logos. Swift establishes his ethos immediately because he is a doctor and a priest of St. Patrick’s...
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...Your Name Instructor’s Name Course Name Date of Submission POLITICAL SATIRE Thesis Statement Political satire does in various ways alter the political history as it strengthens and accompanies political accomplishments. Political satire aims to inform individuals about matters pertaining to the general public as well as issues interconnected to government and politics, in a lighter but educational manner. It not only acts as a curative means to entertain citizens but also has a substantial effect on the political scene of a country. Based on this, “Political satire in the 21st century has a higher impact on the public opinion than a revealing newspaper article through creating humor and simplicity." Introduction The use of satire to express thoughts, themes, and opinions has been in existence since the early ages. It was written by an old Irish bard in an effort to put his solemn contempt upon the intended target. Mostly, satire targeted leaders, their styles of leadership, ideas and actions. The satire on the king, especially during the Irish king’s regime, was liable to result in his dethronement or even death. Political satire has been used in the past periods and continues to be used to criticize the political scenes in a humorous way. The use of satire over centuries as a literary tool has made it possible for essential thoughts, themes, and ideas to be passed across and expose the malfunctions and flaws in the society in a humorous manner. Over...
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...The major goal of writing a work of satire is to subversively expose social ills through the use of outlandish exaggerations that reveal moral truths. The satire does the work by utilizing the dominant mode of communication during a given historical moment. The satirist holds a social responsibility and that responsibility is to draw attention to the moral failings of the government as well as the people using various means of communication. In A Modest Proposal, Swift adopts the pamphlet genre to deliver his social criticism on the problem of poverty in Ireland as well as the expose the indifferent attitudes of the more disadvantaged toward those experiencing economic disparity. Swifts use of economic language as well as his creation of images...
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