Can You Even Critique The Office?

The media plays a big role in creating social norms in our society, whether it’s through advertisements, television shows, or movies. According to the Nielsen Company, 96.7% of people own a television, this shows why TV shows have so much power in our society. They have the power to emphasize and reinforce stereotypes or they have the power to change social norms. More often than not we see shows reinforcing gender stereotypes. People watch so much television that a lot of the times they believe and think what they see. A show that has become widely popular over recent years is The Office. The Office is an American TV series that aired from 2006 to 2013 and has won several awards throughout its airing, including 5 Emmy Awards. The Office depicts the everyday lives of office employees in Scranton, Pennsylvania who sell paper and printers while also going in depth into their personal lives. While The Office does continue dominant gender stereotypes and ideologies of woman as being sex objects, seductresses, and dependant on men, The Office uses satire to show real life issues going on in the workplace and bring attention to major problems that are taking place.

The Office has a lot of characters that continue the social norms in society that women are sex objects and seductresses. While doing this, it also objectifies women and degrades them to a lesser role in society. For example, Michael Scott, the boss of The Office, gets into a relationship with his corporate boss, Jan, but later breaks up with her. Later in the show, Jan comes back with new breasts. Jan uses her looks and her new breasts to seduce Michael into thinking that she is the perfect person for him. She controls their relationship and controls all the power in it. Jan is the typical gender stereotype for women because she is a controlling, attractive, and a powerful woman. While Jan is a seductress, she is also used as a sex object because all Michael wants from her is her sex. Throughout the show, Jan and Michael have sex everywhere and he does whatever she says to be able to keep that up. He tries countless times to break up with her but he cannot do it because of her looks and sex, not her personality. In fact, Michael tells other people in the workplace that he wants to break up with Jan, but he always falls through. Later in their relationship, Michael realizes that he only cares for her sex and breaks up with her. Michael’s associates were the ones who pushed for Michael to break up with her and he finally did.  Here, The Office uses satire to show relationships that happen in the workplace and how they affect everyone around them.

Another example in the show that continues the ideology of a sex object is with Meredith. Meredith is an office worker that constantly has sex with anybody that’s willing. All she does is fulfill male’s sexual needs. One time, she had sex with an Outback Steakhouse worker for coupons and sales deals. She carries on the stereotypes that women are “sluts” and dependant on men. These two examples show continued social norms and gender stereotypes that are seen in this show and everywhere in our society even though they might not even be true. While continuing these gender norms the show also shows that women do not have to be restricted to the homelife and can do things outside of caring for the family.

The Office has consistently had five female leads in the show: Pam, Kelly, Phyllis, Angela, and Meredith. Throughout the show, these woman represent strong and dynamic workers that are involved all over the workplace in places such as accounting and sales. Although some of these women do possess some typical female gender roles such as being emotional, they were given enough development and they were very complex characters which allowed for them to be more than just average stereotypes. Many shows have a big male cast and a very small female cast, The Office is an exception. TV shows and movies continue to cast men way more than women which does not accurately depict the real world. In the real world, women represent 51% of our population and The Office enforces that statistic. The Office usually always has 6 female characters and 6 or 7 male characters depending on the season. An example of this is seen in the episode "The Beach Games".  In this episode, Michael has received job offers at a new office and he needs to decide who will be his predecessor.  He created four teams to compete in various games with four male leaders who are the obvious candidates for the job.  Michael assigns Pam the job of being a note taker to help him decide.  Throughout the episode, Pam acts as a valuable source of insight by completing all the tasks, showing off her leadership skills, and shows her plans for the future office.  While Pam is obviously the best candidate for the job, Michael still over looks her for her male counterparts. This episode gets at a real issue with the treatment and fairness between men and women in the workplace. The show uses this strong core group of women to show that they can have success in the workplace and compete with men in the same fields. It is defying the sense of a patriarchal society because men are not dominating the office place.

The Office uses satire to play on issues that exist in actual corporate offices such as gender, race, sexism, and other stereotypes that they address through humor and and different storylines.  The Office represents a very diverse cast, but the show still reinforces gender stereotypes for the sake of humor.  Some episodes where this occurs is the "Sexual harassment" episode, where Michael and his friend poke fun at a scandal that is going on in the office. While the episode is obviously blown a little out of proportion for humor purposes, it still gets at an issue that a lot of people face in the modern workplace.  Another episode that we satire in is, "Gay Witch Hunt". In this episode, Oscar is offended by one of Michaels comments where he uses an offensive word,  Michael later finds out that Oscar is gay and proceeds to tell the whole office about it. This episode, while being hysterical, talks about an issue that many people face in our society and have trouble dealing with. While it might seem like The Office is reinforcing stereotypes and dominant ideologies, it uses those ideologies combined with humor as a gateway to express real life issues that a lot of people would not pay attention to without humor. There are countless episodes in The Office that use satire to get at real issues, stereotypes, and ideologies in our society which makes is so good.  Satire is used in countless shows but it stands out in The Office because of how it expresses things going on in the country.

In our society, the media controls what people think and what people believe in because everybody watches TV and movies. A lot of people do not realize that these shows are reinforcing dominant ideologies because they are so used to seeing them. If our society is going to change the typical gender stereotypes and ideologies to what our society is actually like, it starts with the media. In particular, The Office puts women in the workplace and uses satire to express societal issues but continues ideologies and stereotypes in the workplace that are seen as normal even though they might not be true. A lot of women in society have power and work outside of their homes but the media does not portray them that way. The Office uses satire to criticize todays culture and how it translates into the workplace. The Office uses satire to demonstrate the ridiculousness of discriminating by gender, race, or sexual orientation in a comedic way while also bringing attention to real life issues going on in corporate offices.  

The Humor and Danger of Female Body Standards

The concept of 'the perfect woman' is no secret to human society. All over the globe you see a wide variety of what is considered beautiful about the female body. Thigh gaps, cinched waists, big in some places, smaller in others. So specific and precise, no wonder most females are unhappy with the way they look. A sad reality can, however, make an interesting satire.
A Reductress article titled "Dying Woman Finally Achieves Body Acceptance" humorously responds to this concept by telling the story of a woman who finally loves her body, as she's dying. Martha Stanley finally accepts her body image right before she dies. Throughout the essay other woman speak on how proud they are of Stanley, as they physically highlight a part of their body that's not accepted. This is a example of situational irony, as they are promoting self-love by "squeezing their muffin top and frowning". Another example of situational irony is when Stanley speaks of when she went on a diet during the Great Depression. This could also classify as dramatic irony, since the readers clearly know no one went on a diet during that time to look skinnier. Though a short satire, this article is clearly heightening the feelings from females to look desirable and perfect. Yet from a girl's perspective the essay is much funnier. In order for a women to finally love and accept how they look, they must be on their death best with nothing else to lose. Just going to show that a perfect female body is impossible and ridiculous, and really shouldn't be to die for.

The Colbert Report: News Satire at its Finest

Satire is tough to perfect, especially if it is on a consistent and current basis. Stephen Colbert of The Today Show, managed to combine goofy humor, extensive knowledge of politics and current events, and his ability to stay in character, while simultaneously poking fun at conservative news talk shows.

Colbert's show, The Colbert Report, appeared for nine years on Comedy Central, quickly becoming one of the most popular and highest rated shows on the channel. Because Colbert was able to caricature such a good representation of the exaggeration of an uber-patriotic, stereotypical right-wing broadcaster, he was able to speak about current events, providing context and information of what was happening in the world today.

Although the show was mostly centered around US politics, people of all different ages can watch it for man different reasons. The show is also very well written; there are many jokes that can range from idiotic and ignorant (in character with Colbert's anchorman portrayal), or, extremely poignant and indicative of American politics, through a satirical lens. It also features several different bits, all of them clever in their own way, and more impressively, related to the very shows he is imitating and parodying. Colbert features several faux correspondents in his show, conducting interviews to spin a perspective that is intriguing and comedic.

Colbert had an incredible plethora of guests, from republicans, to liberals, that he would interview and often use his persona to instigate. One of the best traits of these interviews was that sometimes he would have an extremely conservative guest, and through Colbert's equally radical and loony character, would spout out nonsense that the guest would seem to be genuinely going along with Colbert.

As sad as it is that The Colbert Report is no more, it is still an excellent demonstration of news satire in the 21st Century.

The Simpsons: Comedy or Cultural Criticism?

Watch episode 12 of season 5 of The Simpsons

The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom, satirically depicting the life of a working-class family, named the Simpsons. In episode 12 of season 5 of The Simpsons, Bart learns the truth about fame in America and what comes with it. In the beginning of the episode, Bart is on a fieldtrip with his class at a box factory, which he and his classmates find very boring. In search of some entertainment, Bart stumbles upon a recording studio where Krusty the Clown shoots his sitcom. Coincidentally, Bart scores a job as Krusty the Clown’s assistant, just the excitement he had been looking for, but almost quits soon after because he grows tired of the work. However, during one of Krusty’s shows, he needs to use Bart as an extra. In Krusty’s sketch, Bart becomes an accidental star when he says his famous line “I didn’t do it”, after clumsily tearing down the entire set. He becomes famous for his catchphrase, acquiring the same fame he admired throughout the whole episode but soon grows tired of it.

In this episode of The Simpsons, Bart is used to satirically depict American culture. Generally, this episode suggests that American people are never happy living in the moment, but are always looking for something better. When they accomplish what it was they were looking for, they quickly forget its importance, taking it for granted, and move onto the next most important objective. This pattern repeats itself over and over again until they lose everything, neglecting to realize what they had until it was gone. This idea is supported throughout the episode. First, when Bart is at the box factory with his class, he is completely detached from the moment and he is only worried about escaping the factory and finding something better to do. He finds what he was looking for in the recording studio and becomes Krusty’s manager, however, ironically, he does not appreciate the opportunity. He is almost immediately turned off by his new job and is seriously considering quitting until he achieves stardom. Initially, he is excited by his newfound fame however, ironically, very soon grows sick of it, like he does of everything else in the episode. When his career ends abruptly, he cannot help but regret that he did not make the most of it while it lasted. He reflects on his career with remorse and a heavy heart because he did not realize what he had until it was gone.

This episode does not simply make fun of Bart’s ignorance, but also makes the audience acknowledge that their actions are often similar to Bart’s. Each time Bart neglects to acknowledge what he has, it makes the audience feel a little bit uncomfortable and think “Isn’t that what you just wanted, Bart?”. By the end, Bart is regretful and sad that he did not appreciate what he had until it was gone. This episode suggests that if we as a society were more concerned with living in the moment, then we could be overall happier by appreciating what we have for what it is worth.

Sorry Trump, Its Yet Another Biased Poll

This poll from satirical news site, the Onion, uses high amounts of sarcasm to poke fun both at Trump and the institution of mainstream media. The fake poll reads as though the country is split between many responses such as "Yes the media is biased, they read a speech verbatim" and "No the media is not, that would require a sense of purpose". Every potential response is dripping in sarcasm, forcing the reader to acknowledge how absurd Trump and oftentimes media itself are. Trump's incessant claims of the media's bias are satirized in the first and last listed responses, which claim that the media is biased for reporting exact facts, or that Trump's own bias makes the media biased. The reader is forced to acknowledge how absurd Trump's claims truly are that the media is biased because it doesn't always paint him in a positive light (which would, in fact, also be a bias).

Other responses poke fun at media as a whole. One option claims that the media is biased against Trump because he is a powerful white man, none of whom have had very much success at getting positive media representation. Given much of the criticism in the past few years about how the media does the exact opposite of that, and the call for more non-male non-white representation, this statement causes the reader to remember those criticisms and think of what biases the media does have and how they affect the way Trump and others are portrayed. Another potential response claims that the media would have to have a sense of purpose to be biased against Trump. The sarcasm here comes from a rather pessimistic perspective, claiming that the media has no principle or purpose anymore, and leading the reader to think hard about whether or not the media is trustworthy and useful or if it just all flashy and for show without a regard for facts.

A Message to Humans- WALL-E Satire

In the Disney movie, WALL-E, satire is used to make a bigger point about the world we live in. In this movie earth turns into one huge garbage pile and all of the humans leave earth and are put on spaceships. WALL-E is in charge of cleaning up earth. The humans in this movie are obese and live on floating chairs, they eat, drink and watch T.V. all day. This movie uses dramatic irony when the humans have no idea that they are living in a unnatural way. I think this movie is trying to tell humans that we are being consumed in our habits; constantly eating, watching T.V., and being on our electronic devices. The humans in this movie are more extreme than than average person in this country, but that is because the creator is trying to tell us something. Instead of trying to make fun of humans, the creator wants us to recognize the problem and our habits and change them before they turn into the habits that are seen in the movie.

Another point this movie makes is how much trash we produce as humans. This movie is an exaggeration of how much is actually in our landfill, but, again, it is trying to tell us to cut back on the disposable products before things get out of hand. I think this movie is funny and really makes you think about the life we as individuals and as a community are living and how we might need to change our habits.

"With Apologies to Jessie Jackson" Satirical Analysis

The first episode of South Park's 11th season titled, "With Apologies to Jessie Jackson", takes on a touchy subject about the use of the N-word.  At the beginning of the show Stan's dad, Randy, appears on wheel of fortune and has to guess a word that relates to "Somebody who annoys you".  He was given the letters n_ggers, and he guessed the N-word.  The audience was silent and he soon found out that the actual word was naggers.  The rest of the episode involves Randy trying to ban the use of the phrase "N-word Guy" while his son, Stan, tries to apologize to the only African American at school who's name is Token. 

This episode is a perfect example of a satire about race.  An example of satire in the episode is when Randy is giving a speech to an all black audience and he says, "When people call me N-word guy their bringing up a painful chapter of my history and all the negativity that went along with it...you just can't imagine how that feels".  When Randy is saying this he is referring to himself and what he said on Wheel of Fortune but that is actually how every black person feels when people say the N-word.  The truth is that no one can feel what African Americans feel when that word is said because we aren't them.  So we have to respect that. Another example of satire is when Stan tries to tell Token he is sorry that his dad used the word but Token tells him that he does not understand.  Towards the end of the episode, Stan finally realizes that he will never understand how bad the use of the word is and he will not understand how a black person feels when someone uses it.  It is easy for someone who isn't African American to say that they get it but in reality they never will.  Only African Americans will truly understand how it feels to be called that word and we have to respect that.  The writers conclude that it is necessary for Whites to understand that they will never experience what someone of another race feels when it comes to racism.  

While this episode may be funny and laughable it does a great job of showing the words impact on individuals and how some people may never truly understand what the word means and how much it hurts.  

Football Games

In a skit by Key & Peele, called "Pre-Game Pump Up", Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele go over something that is very important to think about. During the skit, they play two football players trying to pump up their football team. They start off working together just yelling and eventually it turns into aggression and they start fighting and in the end Keegan-Michael Key get's killed. During the skit there are so many things to laugh at but if you look at it closely it shows many examples of Irony. Near the end of the skit, Keegan-Michael Key thinks he has Jordan Peele cornered and is going in for the kill, as the audience we know that it's not him due to his hair being different and the way he stands being different. This shows Dramatic Irony because as the audience we know that it isn't Jordan Peele but Keegan-Michael Key doesn't know that. There is also a ton more of Satire within the skit. Also you learn more about Male aggression and violence in sports and how bad it is. This skit can relate to Geno Smith and how he got his jaw broken by one of his players and then he had to sit out for multiple weeks.

http://abdekh.com/watch/URklD1ipsoo/key-peele-pre-game-pump-up.html

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog and Satire

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is a 40-minute long 3-act musical miniseries published online in 2008. Despite being rather low-budget, the production boasts big names like Nathan Fillion, Joss Whedon and Neil Patrick Harris. The dramatic comedy has become a cult classic over the years. It depicts the life of Dr. Horrible, a down-to-earth, relatable, generally adorable supervillain.

Yes, that's right. The protagonist is a supervillain. Not an anti-hero, not a morally ambiguous veteran who has to make compromises for the greater good, just a straight-up bad guy. The antagonist, Dr. Horrible's nemesis, is a superhero by the name of Captain Hammer- an obnoxious, chauvinistic beefcake who only saves the day to get the glory. Dr. Horrible, to contrast, is polite and witty, and it becomes incredibly easy to root for him and his half-baked malicious schemes wholeheartedly.

In this regard, Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog is an excellent example of multiple forms of satire. First, there is situational irony- the villain is the hero, and the hero is the villain. This is very important since it serves as a deconstruction of tropes in American culture. American media likes to tell stories as simply as possible. According to most TV shows, there is a force for good and a force for evil, and everyone should want the former to win. In reality, questions of morality and justice are much more complicated and difficult to rationalize. If Horrible's intentions are good but his actions are evil, how does that compare to Captain Hammer, whose actions are good but intentions are selfish?

Additionally, the musical serves as a hyperbolic parody of several superhero movies. One of the frequent complaints of superhero movies is that the characters are not well-rounded. For example, the hero is often portrayed as brave and heroic, without much else going into his personality. Captain Hammer parodies that idea by taking it to the extreme- making him completely superficial and shallow to the point where it's ridiculous. Similarly, Dr. Horrible's sidekick Moist, whose only superpower is to constantly be sweaty, seems to mock the uselessness of supporting characters in superhero movies. To quote Moist himself, "at my most badass I make people want to take a shower."

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog accomplishes all of this and at the same time manages to be extremely funny and surprisingly emotional. Its clever dialogue and interesting characters stand out as excellent examples of satire. The entire thing is in HD on Youtube and watched in under an hour, which I highly suggest you do.

21 Jump Street

The film 21 Jump Street tells the story of two young adult males who both desire to be police. The boys attended the same high school when they were growing up, but were in very different social groups at the time. When aspiring to be police men, the two males offer each other help in the category that the other one lacks in, so that they can both succeed. In one of the first scenes of this film, the boys stop a drug deal between bikers. While the two guys are very proud of themselves, the cops are unable to keep the bikers captive due to the fact that the boys forgot to read the men their Miranda Rights. When asked what they were, the new cop was unable to recite the rights. This demonstrates situational irony because everyone would expect a policeman to know the Miranda Rights and when to apply them. It also makes fun of the police system.

Another act of situational irony is shown when the two main characters are assigned the roles that they are to play when they go to a high school for an investigation with drugs. The less athletic and nerdier of the two boys is given the role of a cool jock, while the more athletic one is forced into acting like a nerd. This unexpected plot twist is quite funny, and draws attention to the hierarchy in high school and how easy it is to manipulate it depending on social status.

Boondocks

The cartoon, Boondocks, follows an African American family and their daily lives. One character by the name of "Uncle Ruckus" is African American male who constantly bashes and degrades other African Americans. Uncle Ruckus is a dark skinned, African American male. Physically, he fits the description of an African American but, mentally, he feel that he is too sophisticated to be classified as an African American.

He feels that he is too superior to be classified as an African American. Boondocks depicts this by using situational irony. This is situational irony because he is an African American and he down talks other African Americans. He feels that African Americans do not fit the criteria to be accepted in society.

Boondocks criticizes society because it shows the possible mindset of some African Americans. Some African Americans may feel that the actions of other African Americans may separate them. Others may feel that they are too educated or superior to be classified with other African Americans. In today's society, African Americans still face many stereotypes. Some feel that they can rise above this, while others cannot.

A High School of Satire

From humble beginnings the web series Video Game High School has received quite the cult following since its inception in May of 2012. The show follows a group of friends that all attend a video game high school due to their skill at gaming. The characters go through average high school scenarios like having a crush, falling in love, struggling between work and play, and bullies. The show is described as an action/comedy, but satire is also a genre the show can fall in.


The satire of VGHS comes from the world the show's creators have made. The show is set in a futuristic world where professional gamers are giant celebrities and the video game industry is running the world. The over exaggerated actions of the characters and the ridiculous norms of the society are made to make fun of the way the world sees gamers.

Every character is really a caricature of a type of gamer. For example, The Law is a very skilled gamer who constantly tries to prove he is the best by challenging others to games. Jenny is a "pretty girl" who also happens to be a hardcore gamer. And Brian D, the casual gamer sucked into a larger gaming world. All of the actors over-play their roles for comedic effect, but it also illustrates the ridiculous stereotypes society has of the gaming world. Society has been limiting the gaming community to a bunch of "nerds" playing games in their mom's basement, but that is not the case.

Gaming has become more mainstream in modern culture than ever. Games like Grand Theft Auto V and Call of Duty: Black Ops have broken entertainment records surpassing film, music, and television. Anyone these days can become a gamer, the access is there and may take the opportunity. Although gaming has become such a staple in our communities there is still a stereotype to overcome. The stereotype is the one society has of gamers being odd recluses living in their mother's basement, which isn't the case. Today, a gaming system is a part of most households, so th think that everyone who plays games will fall into society's stereotypes is crazy.

VGHS uses satire to fight that stereotype. The creators try to show people how the world would be if everyone who plays video games tried to fit that stereotype. A strong use of hyperbole put the characters into wild situations, poking fun at gaming stereotypes.

VGHS is a perfect example of using satire to enlighten you're audience to their own prejudices and stereotypes.

Link to find out more about VGHS, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2170584/?ref_=nv_sr_2

A completely serious announcement.

Sky Williams is a YouTube star and comedian, specializing in video game humor, providing reviews, commentaries, guides and announcements within his channel, all while exercising his comedic talent. In this particular video, he speaks out on Riot Games, the developers of the worldwide phenomenon League of Legends, and their marketing/advertising decisions. Williams poses as Riot Games' CEO, talking about the changes made to the game, and why they were made.

Part of what makes this video funny and satirical is that you don't have to entirely understand how the game works to find it funny, as the points he makes apply to a lot of the decisions that CEO's make in regards of their companies. A lot of it revolves around how companies don't truly care about their community and how happy they are, and if they don't like it, they can "fight me." Williams also touches on the fact that part of what Riot Games is doing by releasing a set of "chroma packs," which are just the recoloring of in-game models. "We're releasing chroma packs just to distract you from the things that have a negative effect on the game," the video at this point cuts to pictures of sad children.

Mean Girls: Satire in the Burn Book

Mean Girls is a popular movie that made its debut in 2004. The movie follows Cady Heron as she navigates the world of high school. Cady is supposed to be spying on the "plastics", the mean popular girls at her school, but she soon becomes caught up in that life that she forgets about her real friends. The idolization of the "plastics", mostly the leader Regina George, in the movie is a satirical tool. Regina George is seen as the girl that every girl wants to be friends with as the queen bee of the school. The movie uses verbal irony to show the satirical motives behind girls in the movie idolizing Regina George. When the "plastics" are introduced there is a section of girls from the school talking about Regina George. A girl talks about how Regina George punched her in the face once and how it was awesome. This is verbal irony because it is clear that no one likes being punched in the face but it is awesome to this girl because of who punched her. 

The movie also uses situational irony in the form of the "burn book". The "burn book" is a book that the "plastics" have where the write mean stuff about all the girls that they go to school with. The book ends up being seen by all the girls that are talked about in the book. This is situational irony because in reality people know that it is wrong to have a book made specifically to bash people that you go to school with.

The movie Mean Girls is a genius satirical work that targets how girls treat each other in high school. The movie as a whole is an over exaggeration of how girl treat each other once the reach high school. It is an attempt to open the eyes of society of how the way some girls behave is acceptable because they are popular. The movie exposes the idea of what it means to be a popular girl in high school society and what you have to be to make that happen.

The Onion Criticizes SeaWorld

The Onion is a Chicago-based, American news satire organization. The Onion reports on real and fictional current events and reports on all events with a satirical tone. The Onion’s hilarious and often shocking posts always have a deeper meaning and insight on national and international issues.

The Onion is no stranger to poking fun at SeaWorld, a chain of animal theme parks who have often been criticized for their treatment of their animals. Some of The Onion’s SeaWorld posts include, “New SeaWorld Show - Just Elephant Drowning In Large Tank Of Water With No Explanation”, “SeaWorld Responds To California Drought By Draining Animal Tanks Halfway”, and “SeaWorld Debuts New Controversial Orca Whale Burlesque Show.”

One of The Onion’s most recent posts about SeaWorld is titled, “SeaWorld Employees Place Orcas In Plastic Bags Of Water While Cleaning Tanks”. The post is a tweet and has no article, just a simple picture of orcas waiting for their tanks to be cleaned. The orcas are photoshopped to look like they are waiting in plastic bags barely filled with water, similar to the bags goldfish are placed in after they are purchased at a pet store, so the fish can be transported home.

This picture uses the satirical technique of parody to mimic the classic scene when a new pet fish is brought home in a bag. One of the saddest facts of this post is that some people actually believed it was true - that SeaWorld really put their orcas in confining plastic bags. When searching this post online, there are related posts confirming that The Onion post is fake.

The post uses parody to open the American people’s eyes to the terrible abuse SeaWorld inflicts on orcas and other marine and land animals that they use in various park attractions. The plastic bags are almost more funny because of the fact that they are far too similar to the confining temporary tanks that SeaWorld orcas are forced to stay in during tank cleanings and non-performance hours.

This post also opens the American people’s eyes to the strange traditions regarding certain domesticated pets. Putting a fish in a plastic bag seems harmless until it is perceived on a large scale. Seeing a large whale in a plastic bag seems cruel and wrong, though it is the exact same things Americans do each time they purchase a fish at the pet store. The Onion post opens American’s eyes to the the potentially abusive and cruel aspects of confining and owning certain pets.

The Onion post reminds readers to rethink their decisions next time they go to the pet store, buy a ticket to SeaWorld, or other places that use the domestication of animals to promote amusement. Not all of these places promote proper animal care and trapping these poor animals in small confined places is often unnatural and cruel. This post promotes animals rights and shames the domestication of certain animals with just the use of a simple picture.

Key and Peele Show Truth in Teachers

The popular comedy show Key and Peele never ceases to entertain its audience. Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele create hilarious sketches that, while funny, also reveal some rather depressing truths about American culture. One such sketch is called TeachingCenter. The short video shows two men talking heatedly about teachers and their salaries, similar to the popular TV show SportsCenter. The men go on to describe how certain teachers are "first-round picks", and even analyze a "game changing" play that a teacher makes.

The satire is a parody of popular sports review shows like SportsCenter. By using "footage" of the annual "teacher draft", the sketch mocks the amount of attention given to sports, while simultaneously pointing out the fact that teachers are not given enough recognition for their work. The video even uses a parody of a car commercial (with a teacher in place of an athlete), to draw attention to the huge imbalance of attention given to sports and teachers.

The satire also uses hyperbole within the parody. It is a widely known fact that most teachers get paid very little; in the video, however, the teachers are paid millions of dollars. At one point, the announcers describe a teacher who was very successful despite being raised by a father who "lived paycheck to paycheck on a pro-footballer salary". This overstatement of reality again emphasizes the fact that teachers are rarely justly rewarded for their hard work and dedication. The satire is trying to get people to realize the amount of commitment and devotion that it takes to be a good teacher.

Hell not Large Enough for Society's Ills: Examples of Satire in The Onion

The Onion, "America's finest news source," is a a media and news company based in Chicago that mocks conventional media and news sources. The website itself mimics that of a traditional news source. For example there are various headings for topics on sport, business, politics, entertainment, etc. There is even a division of the news source called "After Birth" that calls itself a "definitive guide to parenting, providing every answer you need from the greatest moment in your life to the ensuing 18 worst years of your life." The Onion also has videos, political cartoons, and a section where voices of the American public make insightful comments.

Satire can be found throughout almost every facet in the Onion; in its articles, videos, reviews, etc. One example of one of many satirical articles is, "Tenth Circle Added to Rapidly Growing Hell."
This article makes fun of American corporate and business high level workers. The article describes Hell, and its previous nine layers adapted from Dante's Inferno, as a real entity, similar to a country with a government. The proposed plan of Hell is to create a new level to help contain the exponential growth of those damned to this inferno.

The article employs a lot of hyperbole and parody. Hyperbole is used when describing the outlandish punishments that "demographers, advertising executives, and tobacco lobbyists," have to endure. For example, as one Disney lawyer said, "I'm being boiled upside down in lard while jackals gnaw at the soles of my feet. If I could just reach the fax machine on the nearby rock, I could contact some well placed associates and work something out, but it's just out of my grasp, and it's out of ink and constantly blinking the message, 'replace toner cartridge, replace toner cartridge...'"

The overall parody of the article also adds to its satirical effect. The idea of Hell being portrayed as an actual country with leaders, in this case Satan, and political parties, such as the Hell purists, makes fun of American government, in addition to making fun of corporate society. Overall, the article brings to light the corruption of the corporate sector, with workers who deserve to be in the lowest pits of Hell. The article ends with a bit of irony with a quote from Grogar Malefic (a captain from Hell's elite Demon Corps), saying that, "Hell's future looks bright," and that "'We're are really on the grow down here, this is an exciting time to be in Hell." While based on a conventional definition, Hell cannot be 'bright' nor grow upwards, but this irony adds to the overall parody that the article attempts to bring across.

Key and Peele: The Substitute Teacher

In Key's and Peele's satirical episode of "Substitute Teacher" (seen below), Keegan-Michael Key plays the role of a black substitute teacher to a classroom of white students. Immediately, Key is seen establishing strict order in the classroom, and takes attendance. Key repeatedly mispronounces the students' names, for example, stating that 'Jaqueline' is 'Jac-qually,' 'Blake' is 'Bla-lack-ay,' 'Denise' is 'Dee-nice,' and 'A-a-ron' is 'Aaron.' This example in the clip may also apply to how white individuals may pronounce the names of black individuals. This element of the sketch suggests the difference between the 'standard English' and 'black English' dialect. The language is similar, but the way the language is said varies. This exaggerated distinction in the clip represents how dialect should not matter when discussing/referencing superiority over another race. Additionally, the way the names are said may be different (but are not incorrect) for different people due to one's cultural background.

Key increasingly gets angry when the students are hesitant to correct him (in their eyes what they believe is the correct way) or to reply, 'here.' He claims that the next person to say some silly name 'will feel his wrath.' The clip uses an element of satire, hyperbole, to exaggerate the substitute's aggressive response of when the student corrects him. Key continues to disregard what the student says, assuming what he says is always right. Furthermore, when Key hears how Blake speaks his name, Key becomes wildly irritated. Key says, 'Do you want to go to war, Bla-lack-ay? Because we could go to war, I'm for real. I'm for real.' The form of irony used, dramatic, is shown through Key's statement of war, and how we, as the audience, know the war he claims may be the civil war (given him being black and the students white). This usage of dramatic irony demonstrates how ridiculous people may seem when they become too obsessed with the many versions (dialects) there are to express words. Additionally, how absurd that the little differences may be the ultimate concerns that divide us among different races.

Satirical Impersonation of Sarah Palin by Tina Fey

Saturday Night Live is an American sketch comedy and variety show. After its debut in 1975, this show has been successful in American culture for over three decades. This success is largely due to effective cast members such as Tina Fey. In one particular episode, Fey and costar Amy Poehler impersonate politician Sarah Palin in an interview.

Aside from dresssing and talking like Sarah Palin to make fun of her, Tina Fey uses satire to make fun of Palin as a person and politician. When asked about her recent trip to New York, Fey as Palin mentions how her family went to a "goofy evolution museum" and how she had 30 false alarms because she thought she saw Osama bin Laden driving taxis. While American citizens are laughing, their opinions of Palin are being shifted negatively due to Fey's satirical impression of her.

Also mentioned in the interview was Palin's thoughts on foreign policy. Fey was able to make fun of Palin's political views on foreign policy in her mock interview with Poehler. When asked about her views on foreign policy, Fey as Palin would repeat questions into answers and not finish sentences. FOr example, when asked how she would specifically spread democracy, Fey answered, "Specifically we will spread democracy abroad to those who want it." This creates an opportunity to make Palin seem unknowledgeable on the topic of foreign policy. When Palin is given another opportunity to explain her claim of her expertise on foreign policy with respects to Alaska and Russia, Palin dumbfoundedly says that people in Alaska are only separated from Alaska by a mere boarder of the Atlantic Ocean. Here, Fey and Poehler are presenting Palin as an imbecile not only because she named the wrong ocean and finds it to be a "mere boarder," but Poehler's facial expressions and tone of voice also hint at the satire being portrayed.

While Fey and Poehler's intentions here were for mostly comic relief, the satire presented in this mock interview shapes American citizens to look at Palin differently when considering her ethos and how effective she would be in office.

Black Widow: Age of Me

When Scarlett Johansson hosted Saturday Night Live on May 2nd, 2015, the audience knew there had to be a Black Widow skit in store. Her faux movie trailer for a Black Widow movie was set up like a classic romantic comedy: Black Widow is a secretary at a fashion magazine in New York who is simultaneously battling her evil boss and seeking a true love. The "trailer" makes the claim that Marvel truly understands women by creating this new trope of female stereotypes.

This work of satire is clearly a parody of 27 Dresses and Devil Wears Prada due to the imitation of the plot and characters of both movies, but it isn't necessarily making fun of romantic comedies. The SNL skit is making a point about women heroes in popular movies. Marvel and DC just cannot seem to get women superheroes right; the movie interpretations of comic books seem to treat female superheroes not as they would treat Batman or Spider-man, but as super-sexualized sidekicks.

This parody, however, garnered huge media attention eleven days after its appearance on SNL due to DC's show Supergirl. Although Johansson's social commentary on female superheroes was released prior to the first look of Supergirl, it seemed as though Black Widow: Age of Me was a direct parody of the new television show.

Not only is Supergirl a secretary at a fashion magazine, but she is also very concerned with her love life. It seems as if the creators stole the soundtrack of 27 Dresses, and then added in an awkward male friend that thinks the only explanation for his rejection is that Supergirl must be homosexual. If the trailer wasn't released by CBS, I would have thought it was a parody as well. Sadly, Supergirl is, indeed, a real show.

Scarlett Johansson's statement about the portrayal of women heroes in movies and television shows might have reached Marvel, however. The new Netflix series Jessica Jones does not perpetuate the sexist representation of female superheroes and captures the same mood as the male superhero show Daredevil. Hopefully CBS will recreate Supergirl in the near future and focus on her super-strength instead of her love of clothes and men.