Contemporary Satire and Comedy
Jamie Hayes
100798404
ENGL 2102
Prof. Rosemary Daniels
Comedy and satire are both strongly linked. Many comedies depend on satire for their humour, and many satires disguise their purpose through comedy. Thus, in a course on comedy and satire, both should be represented in the works studied. There are countless examples of works that intertwine comedy and satire masterfully, so there is little reason for comedy to be, for the most part, absent from a comedy and satire course. Television and film present a useful media because they can cover ground much faster than literature. Although the level of detail that is found in novels would be lacking, as a study in comedy and satire, visual media can show students many more forms of satire in their portion of the course than could be learned studying a single novel over the course of several weeks. By working with a film, a standout episode from a television series and a satiric speech in a public forum spending one to two classes on each, and with each portraying satire in a different light, a broad view of contemporary satire can be achieved.
In a half-semester course consisting of seven works, four works of satire from the eighteenth century are unnecessary. While all of the works studied in the course touched on different facets of eighteenth century life, they all also inevitably covered similar areas. There was merit in all of the works, from the mock-heroic tradition of Alexander Pope’s The Rape of the Lock to the sharp, political satire of Jonathan Swift’s” A Modest Proposal” and Gulliver’s travels, the lampooning of the gothic genre by Jane Austen in Northanger Abbey had the least significance to today’s readership. Replacing it with Stanley Kubrick’s film Dr. Strangelove, an episode from the NBC television series 30 Rock, Stephen Colbert’s performance at the White House Correspondent’s Association Dinner would provide a large base in contemporary satire.
It cannot be said that Northanger Abbey is not a classic satiric novel of the era, yet, as John Hudson states in “Gothic, Romance and Satire in Northanger Abbey,” the parody in the novel comes from “the folly of real people behaving as if in a novel” (Hudson). Specifically, Austen writes about the folly of people behaving as in a Gothic novel, the popularity if which peaked hundreds of years ago. This subject matter is considerably less potent and relevant to an audience of students today than the political satire of Jonathon Swift. Similarly, in regards to the format of the satire in Northanger Abbey is much less significant than in The Rape of the Lock. With two other novels in the course, there is much less to learn from another satiric novel than from a mock-heroic poem. While there is no problem with Austen’s novel, Pope’s poem has more to offer the course in terms of structure. Since there are already so many offerings from the eighteenth century, Northanger Abbey is not integral to the course; there is a sufficient amount of satirical literature from the era. The removal of the novel, and the addition of three different satires from television, film and live performance, would be beneficial to the course for many reasons.
As a replacement for the satire found in Northanger Abbey, Stanley Kubrick’s Cold War caricature film, Dr. Stangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb would provide a far more recent and knowable parody to students than the making of the Gothic genre. The film, like much of the existing course, tips the scales of that balance a little more towards satire, however it is one of the greatest examples of the genre in film. The nuclear scare of the nineteen-fifties and sixties was ridiculed by creating a situation that leads to a nuclear holocaust. While on the surface, it would seem the film affirms the fears of the population, the sheer ridiculousness of the situation instead shows the viewers where they err. A short background class on the cold war, followed by a screening of the film then an analysis and discussion could yield many useful insights into the genre of satire.
Yet, no matter how deeply and well done the satire of he film may have done, satire is something that the course is most definitely not lacking. Comedy, while perhaps not as intellectually stimulating as satire, is still a genuine art form that is worth studying. While many of the works from the course involved elements of comedy, they stood completely beneath the author’s satiric intentions. Comedy and satire, however, do not need to be mutually exclusive. Satire can still be funny. A larger focus on modern satire would bring out this element to the subject. As a television sitcom, comedy is obviously not lacking in the NBC series 30 Rock. It takes places behind the scenes of a sketch comedy television show on NBC itself, and features a cast of ridiculous cast members and writers, a socially inept show-runner and a hyper-conservative head of NBC (technically the Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming for General Electric). However, instead of merely finding comedy in ridiculousness, it also provides satire on many aspects of North American culture, specifically its corporate culture. In its episode “Into the Crevasse,” the show manages to find a perfect balance between the two, creating a hilarious tale that is not short on corporate commentary.
The episode was aired at the peak of the United States recession, specifically at the time when many American car companies required government bailouts. The satiric plotline of the episode features the head of Television and Microwaves, Jack Donaghy scrambling to prove to the government that the microwave division of G.E. is still profitable. He holds a brainstorming session and the ideas that arise are to make a larger microwave that is poorly built, so consumers will have to buy them more often. When it’s pointed out that this is very similar to the auto industry’s follies, Jack states: “This isn't the auto industry, … the auto industry was run by a bunch of out of touch white guys selling consumers a product they didn't want. We're GE damn it, and we're going to make a giant, flimsy microwave!” (Into the Crevasse, Robert Carlock). Later in the episode, the writers manage to make and even more direct satiric connection to the auto industry. Jack and two employees manage to take a microwave and, while attempting to make it sell, turn it into the Pontiac Aztec, which has been seen as a metaphor for the problems with the auto industry since its debut and rapid cancellation, being named one of the worst cars of all time (http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1658545_1658544_1658540,00.html) and one of the worst inventions of all time (http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1991915_1991909_1991765,00.html) by Time Magazine.
The episode is a shining example of how satire can be used not only as commentary, but also as genuine, hilarious comedy. While its commentary on American corporations is not the most cutting edge or controversial, a study into how that comedy was formed through a parody of the auto industry would provide students with at least some idea as to the comedic nature that is at the base of satire. But, like all of the other works studied, is a work of fiction. The writers create the satire from their own inventions and stories. However, satire can be created out of real life as well.
Stephen Colbert’s performance at the White House Correspondent’s Association Dinner in 2006 did just that. In his persona as a mock, conservative political pundit, Colbert used his time to lampoon the Bush White House, while standing an arm’s reach away from the president himself. He did this by satirically praising the government by way of his character’s ridiculous ethics. He covered the president’s foreign policy, lifestyle and approval ratings, looking directly at the president and saying such things as: “I believe the government that governs best is the government that governs least. And by these standards, we have set up a fabulous government in Iraq“ and “Sir, pay no attention to the people who say the glass is half empty, because 32% [approval rating] means it's 2/3 empty. There's still some liquid in that glass is my point, but I wouldn't drink it. The last third is usually backwash” (Stephen Colbert).
Not only is this routine a sharp political satire, it is also a reminder of the role that satirists play in society. The speech severely angered many of Colbert’s targets. According to Paul Bedard of usnews.com, several of Bush’s aides and supporters left before Colbert had finished, and said that he’d “crossed the line”. The president himself looked like “he’s ready to blow” (Bedard). This is what satirists do. The message that they want to get across will undoubtedly anger its subject matter. While satire coming out of literature, television and film provides the same comedy, the immediate, negative response is lacking. Colbert reminds us of the controversy caused by satire. While it has always existed alongside political satire, all the way back to Aristophanes’ Lysistrata, this modern example shows this face far more clearly than reading about it happening years ago could. While not exactly the most reputable of sources on satire, at Spike Tv’s annual Guy’s Choice awards Colbert was awarded with the award for Gutsiest Move (http://www.spike.com/blog/spike-tv-announces/65336), and this is one time when anyone has to be inclined to agree with Spike. He took satire to America’s political forefront and tore it apart, all with an unwavering smile. His performance was the ultimate balance between comedy and satire.
Whether it’s through that perfect balance that Colbert achieves, the priceless hilarity found in 30 Rock or the hard-hitting satire of Dr. Strangelove, contemporary parodies have much to offer. Northanger Abbey is a light-hearted eighteenth-century novel that, after the staunch political criticism of Jonathan Swift, feels almost an afterthought to an era whose satire has already been covered in great detail. A modern take on the form, using different media than literature, would provide a refreshing contrast for students in a comedy and satire course. They could learn, and see from where the comedy of today was born.
Works Cited:
Robert Carlock. “Into the Crevasse.” 30 Rock. NBC. October 22nd, 2009.
Stephen Colbert. White House Correspondent’s Association Dinner. Hilton Washington Hotel. Washington D.C. April 29, 2006.
John Hudson. “Gothic, Romance and Satire in Northanger Abbey”. The English Review. September 2001
Spike TV Guy’s Choice Awards. http://www.spike.com/blog/spike-tv-announces/65336)
Time Magazine’s The 50 Worst Cars of All Time. http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1658545_1658544_1658540,00.html
Time Magazine’s The 50 Worst Inventions.
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1991915_1991909_1991765,00.html
