Once Upon a Time…Political Satires

Ms. Ladanyi 2012-2013

Elements of Fairy Tales

• A. A fairy tale begins with "Once upon a time...” • B. Fairy tales happen in the long ago. • C. Fairy Tales have fantasy and make believe in

them. • D. Fairy Tales have clearly defined Good

characters vs. Evil characters. • E. Royalty is usually present in a fairy tale, a

beautiful princess/handsome prince.

Continue Elements of Fairy Tales

• F. There may be magic with giants, elves, talking animals, witches or fairies.

• G. Fairy tales have a problem that needs to be solved.

• H. It often takes three tries to solve the problem. • I. Fairy tales have happy endings – “they all lived

happily ever after.” • J. Fairy tales usually teach a lesson or have a

theme.

What is Satire?

• A literary work that ridicules its subject through the use of techniques such as exaggeration, reversal, incongruity, and/or parody in order to make a comment or criticism about it.

The Four Types of Satire

• Exaggeration To enlarge, increase, or represent something

beyond normal bounds so that it becomes ridiculous and its faults can be seen.

• Incongruity To present things that are out of place or are

absurd in relation to its surroundings.

Continue the Four Types of Satire

• Reversal To present the opposite of the normal order

(e.g., the order of events, hierarchical order). • Parody To imitate the techniques and/or style of some

person, place, or thing.

Political Satire says what??

• Satire has long been a tool of political criticism. Although the term satire may describe an entire work, a passage, or a tone, its characteristics are shared: among these, it employs comedy or humor; has a target and an ideal to compare it to; and describes folly or vice in detail.

Political Satire says what??

• From THE COLUMBIA ENCYCLOPEDIA: “From ancient times satirists have shared a common aim: to expose foolishness in all its guises — vanity, hypocrisy, pedantry, idolatry, bigotry, sentimentality — and to effect reform through such exposure. The many diverse forms their statements have taken reflect the origin of the word satire, which is derived from the Latin satura, meaning "dish of mixed fruits," hence a medley.”

The Written Word

Identifiably American forms of humor emerged in the late Colonial era. Benjamin Franklin published essays in the NEW ENGLAND COURANT that were widely read and acclaimed for their satire, and his POOR RICHARD'S ALMANACK (1733-1758) popularized the comic type of the "unschooled rustic whose natural simplicity masked an innate shrewdness and tenacity." Many other early American authors presented socially subversive characters through satirical writings, but perhaps none so celebrated as Samuel L. Clemens (Mark Twain), who blended comic passages with social criticism on the central issues of the late nineteenth century.

Funny Pictures

“Satire" is actually part of the very definition of "cartoon" given in the ENCYCLOPEDIA AMERICANA. According to the EA, cartoon "targets" are most often "in the field of political or public affairs, but they may be social customs, fashions, or sports events or personalities." The invention of printing laid the foundations of the modern political cartoon by making it possible to circulate pictorial satire to a large public, a tradition that was popular in the 16th century in Europe.

Funny Pictures cont.

In America, a new school of illustrator talent emerged with the election of President Jackson (dubbed "King Andrew"), the Mexican War, and the Civil War. Thomas Nast became nationally known and developed many of the symbols still familiar in American cartooning: the Democratic donkey, the Republican elephant, the Tammany tiger, and many more. Before the turn of the 20th century, the daily "editorial" cartoon was a feature of many newspapers, and these illustrations only became more and more popular as time went on. One of the better known comic strips of today, "Doonesbury" by G.B. (Garry) Trudeau, comes out of this tradition of pictorial political commentary.

Examples

May 10, 1973Unanticipated resignation of Watergate conspirator John

Ehrlichman causes GBT to withdraw a week of strips. Ehrlichman writes Trudeau, "I hear my resignation fouled upyour series.

Sorry. Next time, let me know what you are planning and I'll try to cooperate."