How to Analyze the Rhetoric of Satire

SATIRE LINKS:• http://thecolbertreport.cc.com/• http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=fW2Bo8FD0aE• http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=MAuWztI1Eec• http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=kIhFVF6v2f0

Claims

• Are the claims believable? Are they exaggerated?– In my essay “Setting the Expectations,” I ridicule

the educational system by suggesting that we fault teachers for not setting thousands of clear expectations. This claim is clearly ridiculous and tongue-in-cheek

– In “A Modest Proposal,” Jonathan Swift advocates eating the young as a solution to hunger problems caused by poverty.

Evidence

• Is the evidence biased? Does it have a “spin” to it? Is it even credible?– Colbert refers to Bush’s 36 % percent approval

rating as a sign that “67 % approve of the job he’s not doing.”

– In my article, I use mock interviews as evidence. Each “interviewee” provides a ludicrous explanation for the Columbine tragedy, blaming themselves and the educational system, but never the actual killers.

Diction

• Look for loaded diction—words with heavily positive or negative connotations that are clearly intended to persuade. – Claims of “evil” or “goodness” and similar terms

suggest conscious exaggeration and verbal irony.– Check for bias—are the connotations mostly

positive or mostly negative?

Syntax

• Short sentence structures cause the speaker (his or her persona, in actuality) to often appear thoughtless or simple-minded.– Conversely, these types of sentences can, depending

on the piece, cause the speaker (persona) to seem straightforward and truthful.

• Lengthy sentences either:– Cause the speaker to seem thoughtful and

considerate OR

Confusing, overly academic, and pedantic

Imagery and Details

• Does the speaker attempt to evoke pathos through sensory details and description?

• Is the imagery humorous or exaggerated?– Colbert describes “drinking crude oil out of Keith

Olberman’s skull” in Dowd’s preface to his column. This is a highly exaggerated image.

Rhetorical Appeals

• Satire is basically a logical argument, because we are supposed to disagree with the ridiculousness of the idea under scrutiny.

• However, the logic often masquerades as pathos– In my essay I use the fake interviews to ostensibly

cause the reader to feel sorry for the Columbine killers and angry with the teachers and faculty.

Jargon and Technical Language

• Is there a heavy use of highly specific terminology?– Terminology can be a clue as to who or what is the

target—think “who uses these terms in reality?”– I repeat “expectations” ad nauseum. It’s a jargony

educational term. – Colbert coins mock terms like “truthiness” and

“factinista” in his White House Press Corps speech.

Persona• Determine whether or not the speaker is taking

on a persona– Satirists often assume the personality and viewpoint

opposite their own. – Stephen Colbert takes the role of a highly

conservative journalist to ridicule biased journalism, particularly right-wing biased journalism.

– In my essay, I take the viewpoint of a journalist who advocates setting thousands of excessively obvious, overly specific expectations that no faculty or student would even need.

– Swift certainly does not support eating children.

Look For Symbolic Representations

FROM THE INTRO TO The Simpsons: – Bart writing on the blackboard: Public education – Bart on his skateboard: The riddles of childhood – Homer leaving and driving home from work: Plight of

the working man – Marge at the supermarket checkout: Consumerism

(Note: Maggie costs $847.63) – Lisa playing the saxophone: Restrictions of public

education and free thought – The family racing for the couch in front of the

television: Impact of television on the modern family

Tone

• What is the tone of the piece?– Use a tone word list for help (there’s one on my

website—put it in your binder!)– Satire is usually critical in some way—look for

tone words that indicate this.

Finally…

• Decide who/what is being mocked/ridiculed– A person, type of person, and/or idea or viewpoint is

the target– Specify who or what is being targeted and for what

reasons. – Link the previous elements (diction, etc. ) to the

argument—how does the satirist (speaker or writer) create the humor and ridicule?

– Ex. “Stephen Colbert demonstrates the bias and foolish partisanship of news media pundits by assuming a hyperbolically conservative persona.”