Writing a Witty Satire Essay

If your assignment is to write a satire essay, it shouldn’t be too difficult. First, is the essay about satire or is the essay to actually be satire? Or perhaps this type of essay on the subject of satire, itself? See all of the possibilities? So, you start research essay topics and all of a sudden there are many to choose from. Let’s go into a few.

Of all the satirical options, politics is the most popular and the best for attention-getting. If you can’t think of anything, right off the top of your head, try checking out the recent political cartoons. For example, the one that has a citizen yelling “Plug the *&^% hole!” without specifying whether the hole in question is the leaking oil pipe in the Gulf of Mexico or the hole in the U.S. southern border. Using the same words to cover two different situations is a prime example of satire.

Another very funny example would be a political cartoon showing a politician looking into a toilet with the president standing behind him. “So, you finally passed something?” asks the president. “Something historic!” replies the politician. This was in reference to the health care reform bill and the connotation is obvious.

Political satire goes back as long as politics have existed. Perhaps there was some of it even in cave paintings! It was surely used during both the American Revolutionary War and the Civil War (not to mention both World Wars and other conflicts). Sometimes the satire bites with sharp teeth and sometimes merely causes people to think.

One of the best movie examples of off-the-wall satire is an old movie called “Murder by Death”. It was a satire of murder mysteries. Lots of detectives, long famous in books and movies, were invited to a party and encounter a blind butler, a deaf maid, and a murdered host. Their sayings and antics made for hilarious entertainment, and in the end, each had a solution that almost worked.

Many movies have indulged in satire over the years. One classic moment was when actor Slim Pickens rode a nuclear missile, in much the same way he would have ridden a bucking horse in a rodeo. Satire of the atomic age was popular for several years.

Human emotions are often satirized. They might be worth mentioning in a satire essay. In movies and stage plays, when an actor exaggerates lines and gesticulations, that’s a form of satire, too. Even Halloween costumes can be satirical in nature, such as a politicians face in vampire guise.

Late night talk shows can be very funny when they satirize some aspects of politics. They can be extremely offensive and insulting when the joke goes from political to personal. It takes careful planning and good judgment to determine where the satire ends and the battle begins. A satire essay might include some successful examples as well as failed examples of satiric remarks or cartoons. Of course, it’s all subjective, as is humor in general. If your satire essay is going to include examples, it’s best to be selective and represent a wide variety. Depending on essay length requirements, there are plenty to choose from. Of course for those that lack humor and creativity, there is always a way to buy an essay.