Remember Satire… “If we see someone or some group acting in a way we think is morally unacceptable and we wish to correct such behavior, we have a number of options. We can try to force them to change their ways (through threats of punishment); we can deliver stern moral lectures, seeking to persuade them to change their ways; we can try the Socratic approach of engaging them in a conversation which probes the roots of their beliefs; Or….

Or… we can encourage everyone to see them as ridiculous, to laugh at them, to render them objects of scorn for the group. In doing so we will probably have at least two purposes in mind: first, to effect some changes in the behavior of the target (so that he or she reforms) and, second, to encourage others not to behave in such a manner. The essential attitude in satire is the desire to use precisely clear language to still an audience to protest. The satirist intends to describe painful or absurd situations or foolish or wicked persons or groups as vividly as possible. He believes that most people are blind, insensitive, and perhaps anesthetized by custom and resignation and dullness. The satirist wishes to make them see the truth - at least that part of the truth which they habitually ignore. At the basis of every good traditional satire is a sense of moral outrage or indignation: This conduct is wrong and needs to be exposed.”  - Ian Johnston

Anchorman And satire

Target 1 “newsonality” The personality, looks, general eye-appeal of the anchor is greater than the story itself

Target 2 “real news” Movie: Pregnancy of a panda!!! New York Post : John Kerry’s Running Mate Today Show: interview with Robert Redford Saddam Hussien’s court appearance (???)

Target 3 “fact checking” Gloria Borger accused Cheney of connecting two 9/11 hijakers ; he denied saying so Jon Stewart’s show– played the clip!

Target 4 “ratings” Sensationalized spectacle (satirizing a suicide/ satirizing a panda being born) Surrogate news families: Pics of dancing news casters-- Geraldo Rivera- “Eyewitness News Team: The reason people like them so much is that they like people so much.” CNN/ Fox- Husband and wife banter

Target 5 “pandering” 9/11- asking the tough questions= no answers

So what was used? Exaggeration Parody Diminution Inflation Role reversal Irony Reduction to the absurd

Exaggeration to enlarge, increase, or represent something beyond normal bounds so that it becomes ridiculous and its faults can be seen.

Parody To imitate the techniques and/or style of some person, place, or thing in order to ridicule the original. For parody to be successful, the reader must know the original text that is being ridiculed Mock Mimic

Diminution taking a real-life situation and reducing it to make it ridiculous and showcase its faults

Inflation taking a real-life situation and blowing it out of proportion to make it ridiculous and showcase its faults

Irony to enlarge, increase, or represent something beyond normal bounds so that it becomes ridiculous and its faults can be seen. Verbal, dramatic, situational

Reduction to absurd whereby the author agrees enthusiastically with the basic attitudes or assumptions he wishes to satirize and, by pushing them to a logically ridiculous extreme, exposes the foolishness of the original attitudes and assumptions. Reductios are sometimes dangerous either because the reader does not recognize the satire at work or because the reader fails to identify the target clearly.”

Reversal To present the opposite of the normal order. Reversal can focus on the order of events, such as serving dessert before the main dish or having breakfast for dinner. Additionally, reversal can focus on hierarchical order—for instance, when a young child makes all the decisions for a family or when an administrative assistant dictates what the company president decides and does.