Making a case for South Park

A Dr. Seuss political cartoon from WWII. Political cartoons take real events and put a fictional spin on them to make them humorous and get across the artist's political ideas. (Source)

In class we talked about the differences between history and fiction, and we also came to the conclusion that history and fiction mesh together more than it seems at first glance. Myths and religion are two examples that we discussed. Religious stories, myths, and legends give humans a common identity with a community. I think that satire could be another example of where history and fiction come together to unite a group of people. 

Take, for example, the popular television show South Park. It's a rude and vulgar show that pokes fun at everything from infomercials to religion to the government. There's one episode where one of the characters tries to infiltrate the NSA to expose how they collect data on American citizens. In twenty minutes the show manages to make fun of the NSA, the DMV, Jehovah's Witnesses, social media, and Americans.

What makes satire history as fiction is the way it takes events and stereotypes of the present and then puts them in a fictional world where the author or artist can then criticize and make fun of them. It's artistic expression of recent history with extreme amounts of bias and personal opinion thrown in for humor.

Satire is like the comedic relief in a good movie. The movie's plot thickens and the tension rises, and what keeps the audience sane and attentive is the occasional comedic relief that allows them to relax and chuckle even though the plot still looms overhead.

By combining current issues with offensive and/or witty humor, satire helps people process what's going on in their world. The laughter is contagious. It creates a common identity by having people side against the enemy of the politician. But it isn't just politicians who are made fun of. Stereotypes, institutions, pop culture, almost anything can be turned on its head for the sake of humor. Satire gives people a chance to laugh at themselves, but can also be a tool to point out the flaws where we might need to look deeper at what's happening in our world.

Other famous examples of satire today would include The Colbert Report, The Daily Show, and The Onion. 

The Colbert Report
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The Daily Show
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