Satire is an unfamiliar territory for me and is not a form of comedy I have seen a lot of. In class, we watched three different forms of comedy. ‘Brass Eye’ (1997-2001), a British comedy that parodied typical “current affairs” type shows, ‘Chapelle’s Show’ (2003), with a sketch from Dave Chappelle, and finally ‘Corey White’s Roadmap to Paradise’ (2018). Through analysing these examples, it was realised that there is never only one target of satire or only one way that it can be done. This was clear from the fact that all three pieces approached the same issue very differently, which was debated to be just a product of its time, despite the key themes throughout. We also discussed how closely tied parody and satire often are, and why. It was evident that satire was much easier to achieve through parody as it doesn’t come off as just cynicism.
Our group decided we wanted the major target of our piece was the rental crisis/cost of living crisis, and the consequences of it on young adults. We attempted to achieve this through a parody of the American daytime TV show ‘House Hunters’, where people are shown multiple properties as options to move to and decide on in the end. Using this form, we could create a hyperbole of how few properties were available, with all 3 options being terrible and mostly unlivable spaces.
From what we discussed in class this week and the way we shaped our piece, I learnt that satire is not a direct attack on the issues or those causing them. It is not in any way just pointing a finger and saying “You are the issue”, but rather mocking the normalisation of many concerning issues and their consequences. Whilst it is often interpreted as quite tongue in cheek, the mode of satire allows for a wide array of issues to be picked apart, sometimes fairly brutally, in a way that catches audiences’ attention and draws attention to something by making people laugh. I believe our project hit these points effectively and is capable of furthering the conversation about a pressing social issue.
REFERENCES
Meikle, G. (2012), “‘Find Out Exactly What to Think—Next!’: Chris Morris, Brass Eye, and Journalistic Authority”, Popular Communication, 10(1–2), pp. 14–26.
Caterson, S. (2005), “A Preposterous Life”, Griffith Review, 8 (June 2005), pp. 186–192.