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Anthony Grant
Mrs. Olivia Rines
UWRIT 1101
24 January 2015
The genre I have chosen to write about is satirical websites. After doing some research
on the topic, it is clear that not many people have analyzed the digital aspect of this genre,
however, referring to satire in a more broad scope allows you to see the parallel that the satirical
websites show as compared to satire in general. Satire literature is defined as forms of
humorous expression that, by definition, deploy irony to criticize vice and raise awareness. (qtd
in Lehman).
The first source I found was written by Molly Lehman for the College of Woosten in
Woosten, Ohio. I found her article very helpful because it was the most direct article defining
the genre of satire itself. She explains that satire is used for change by ridiculing some person or
idea and, by doing so, it tries to make that person or thing apart of a social change. She discusses
how the audience of a satire must be more for the writer and not sympathize with the person
being ridiculed or the writing will have the opposite effect that is wanted. By clearly defining
the audience and the reason for the satirical genre it will be easier to analyze the examples I am
using later in my writing.
The second article I am using was written by Lijun Tang and Syamantak Bhattacharya. It
is a useful article because it digs a little more into the definition of satire in websites. They
define online satire as something that is a form of art as well as a critique which exposes,
ridicules, and criticizes human and social vices, follies, and shortcomings by use of parody,

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irony, travesty, and grotesquery (qtd in Tang, Bhattacharya). These two authors do go into a
lengthy discussion explaining how different satirical moments were seen during different times
they were published and exactly what the meaning of each piece was meant to convey. This
article can help me be able to see how to analyze different pieces when I am working on my first
draft which will include real life examples of satire found online.
The first example I will use to show how satirical websites work is from the infamous
Onion website. The article I found to discuss poked fun at Joe Biden and the Democratic party
preparing for the upcoming State of the Union address. It is an interesting article because it is
very subtle in its wit, however, points out a few issues with the way the ironic way that the State
of the Union address is being more of a spectacle for people to enjoy than the informational
speech it was once intended. I will go into some detail about how the address is being marketed
more to the younger voters now than ever before and the odd ways they are going about doing
such a thing. The audience for this article is the younger voting people poking fun at the political
institution trying to make themselves more hip to the younger generations.
The second example I will use is from the site Spoof News. In this article, the
Republican and Democratic Parties tensions are played on. It discusses how the Republicans are
wanting the name Democrats, just because they always have. It is a relevant article today with
the bickering between the parties that has been going on for the past several years as well as the
historical context that it does hint at. The interesting thing about the parties is that they use to be
completely opposite from what they are now, as in the Democrats now are considered left liberal,
however 100 years ago they were the right conservative group. Also, the more humorous aspect
of this article is showing how the two parties sometimes fight with each other over what most

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people consider minute and irrelevant issues. The audience for this article is the younger
generation by poking fun at the frame work of the political climate now.
The third article is from The Duffle Blog. The Duffle Blog is a lesser known satire site
but is very famous among military people. In this particular article it is speaking about the lesser
known topic of award abuse going on in the military now, specifically soldier members being
awarded medals for things that a few years ago were unheard of. It is a lot harder to understand
unless you understand the background of the situation, which is why I think it makes a perfect
satire article. It chooses the audience of the older military generation and pokes fun at the new
softer military.

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Works Cited
Lehman, Molly. Is Nothing Sacred? A Study of Recent American Satirical Forms. College of
Wooster, March 23, 2009.
Tang, Lijun and Bhattacharya, Syamantak. Power and Resistance: A Case Study of Satire on the
Internet. Cardiff University, University of Plymouth, 26 Jan 2011, Web. 11 May 2011.
Biden Arrives Early To Set Up State Of The Union Fog Machine. The Onion. 20 Jan 2015.
Web. 24 Jan 2015.
N, Al. Republican Party to Take Over the Name "Democrats". The Spoof. 16 Jan 2015. Web.
24 Jan 2015.
Updated Army Evaluation Now Includes Mandatory Facebook Presence Requirement. The
Duffle Blog. 18 Jan 2015. Web. 24 Jan 2015.