The art of satire vs sarcasm?

[filmguy123]

Satire v Sarcasm seems to be a fine line... On one hand, I think the shortest distance between two people can be laughter, and sarcasm has a way of pointing out inconsistent, contradictory logic and hypocrisy.

On the other hand, sarcasm can quickly fall into a caricature that's nothing but an ad homium strawman attack. It may win a crowd, but it won't win "the other side". The fear is that in today's climate, sarcastic wit would only mark more clearly battle lines, rather than draw people into self reflection.

Is it even possible to create sarcasm that can reach the person being satired? How does one do sarcasm well?

Perhaps I am drawing an arbitrary distinction between satire/sarcasm, but in my attempt to articulate such, it seems satire could be at its ideal a potentially more mature and reflective form of sarcasm, funneled through story and art in a way so as to effect change in those practicing the thing being satired... rather than a lower form of sarcasm which may merely serve as fuel for those who already agree with the one doing the sarcastic mockery.

Put another way, is there a way to use sarcasm where it is not mockery, but an effective and yet kind tool to bring people together?

[Liam Hall]

Are you trying to be ironic?

[NorBro]

[Batutta]

In movies and tv, I hate when there's sarcasm but no actual joke. It's just somebody saying something in a sarcastic tone. It's a lazy laugh.

[mcbob]

I for one forward that we should appoint a blue-ribbon panel to research this issue, beginning with a series of talks with subject matter experts over several nice catered luncheons at a middling-to-nice hotel. We all know this is the only way true change is achieved.

That, or we start tossing bricks and pipe bombs at sarchastic people. Both seem accepted forms of debate these days, depending on your angle.

[DLD]

I write a comment today on a Russian language magazine page.

Some guys writes back, ~ "You're an idiot".

I write back, "Was this comment typed by 1,000 random monkeys?"

I don't go for cheap, quick insults. Knowhattamin?

[DLD]

Here's a great example of satire from a Soviet magazine "Crocodile" .



----------------------

Wolf - That hare insulted me. I demand justice!

Fox - Justice is being served.

(I slightly changed the word play)

[lambert]

I for one have been hoarding random monkeys and cases of spam because they both spell better than I do and they make me laugh when they throw poop at the ups guy.

[Greg_E]

I for one have been hoarding random monkeys and cases of spam because they both spell better than I do and they make me laugh when they throw poop at the ups guy.

Do you have typewriters for them? Just wondering how the works of Shakespeare are progressing.

[Imamacuser]

I for one forward that we should appoint a blue-ribbon panel to research this issue, beginning with a series of talks with subject matter experts over several nice catered luncheons at a middling-to-nice hotel. We all know this is the only way true change is achieved.

That, or we start tossing bricks and pipe bombs at sarchastic people. Both seem accepted forms of debate these days, depending on your angle.

I think that the most humane sentence for Satire & Sarcasm offenders would be "Twelve years in leavenworth or eleven years in tweleworth" Groucho Marx.