Although Satire is offensive and can
be a huge put down, it is effective to expose the ills of society. This is
proven many times through many satirists including Jonathan Swift, the first
satirist in history, and those existing today. Satire’s use of irony, sarcasm, scandalizing
and targeting are offensive but make satire what it is and can shine light on
societal ills.
The extreme feeling of discomfort
and dismay of the readers will gain their attention and bring light upon the
ills the satirist is trying to expose. In the
modest proposal a literal meaning of eating baby’s catches the readers
attention due to the appall of the idea. He brings to light just how horrifying
the society is by saying that eating and selling children would over all help
society. He uses discomfort and symbolism to show the ignorance the rich are of
where their stuff comes from and how horrifying the work place is where they
get their stuff from really is. “Those who are more thrifty (as I must confess
the times require) may flay the carcass: the skin of which artificially dressed
will make admirable gloves for ladies and summer boots for fine gentlemen.” (Swift
4). Though it is horrifying to be horrified, it will bring the attention of
readers to the subject needing addressing.
By shining a spot light on the ills
society can change simply because the readers will then become aware of the
change that they should be making. In the
modest proposal light is put on the rich peoples ignorance to where their
stuff comes from by saying they will be the ones eating the children. “…Besides
the profit of a new dish introduced to the tables of all gentlemen of fortune
in the kingdom who have any refinement in taste.” (Swift 6). Using verbal irony
as a spotlight, Swift can point out just how badly the poor are being treated
and looked down upon. “It is a melancholy object to those who walk through this
great town or travel in the country, when they see the streets, the roads, and
cabin doors, crowded with beggars of the female sex, followed by three, four or
six children, all in rags and importuning every passenger for an alms.” (Swift
1). By shining a light on a subject many will become aware and change their
behavior for the better of society.
The use of satire is so effective it
is still being used today in many social media sources. People like John Oliver
and John Stewart shine light on things in our current political problems in the
modern day. This is shown in videos such as frisky
business where it uses irony to show just how outrageous it is to stop and
frisk someone simply on their dress, targeting the rules of the paranoid
government fixating on stereotypes to go about the business of public safety.
It is also shown in the adorable care act
how politics need to change and see the needs of the people. This targets
the politicians and their need to look for the needs of the people and not the
“need” of a political debate. In inner
beauty makeup tutorial it targets girls and their need of being perfect and
beautiful and covering up their natural beauty that society refuses to see. It
targets the media and our society expecting unnatural things from our
population. There are many satirists
today using irony, sarcasm, scandalizing, and others to bring light on ills and
fix them for a better future.
Ever since Swift published the modest proposal, the first satirical
piece, satirists have used satire to effectively inform the public of the ills
of society and give them the awareness as though to fix it. Wherever there are
ills, a satirist can shine light on the things hidden in the dark and allow
people to do what they need to do to bring society to a better future.
