Click on the box below to watch
a clip from The Simpsons.
Make a list of the topics that
are being satirized in these few
minutes.

A literary work that ridicules its subject in
order to make a comment or criticism
about it
 To ridicule is to make fun of or to criticize
something
 Exaggeration
 Incongruity
 Reversal
 Parody
Exaggeration
To enlarge, increase, or represent something
beyond normal bounds so that it becomes
ridiculous and its faults can be seen.
Caricature is the exaggeration of a physical feature
or trait and is often seen in political cartoons.
Incongruity
To present something that is out of
place or absurd in relation to its
surroundings
Oxymoron, metaphor, and irony are
used a lot here.
Reversal
To present the opposite of the normal order (the
order of events, hierarchical order)
Order of events…ex. serving dessert before the
main dish or having breakfast for dinner.
Hierarchical order…Like having a young child
make the decisions for a family or a delivery boy
making the decisions for a company president.
Parody
To imitate the techniques and/or style of some
person, place, or thing in order to comment
on or criticize the original
Audience must be familiar with the original
text/person/situation that is being ridiculed
in order for parody to work.

The Simpsons
South Park
The Daily News with Jon Stewart
The Onion
Police Academy
Austin Powers
Scary Movie
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Weird Al Yankovic
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Saturday Night Live
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The Simpsons—satirizes ordinary American life &
institutions: education, family life, religion,
politics, etc.
South Park—satirizes American culture & politics
The Daily News with Jon Stewart—satirizes
current news
The Onion—satirizes American culture
Police Academy – spoof on police movies of 80s
Austin Powers – spoof on James Bond movies
Scary Movie – spoof on horror movies
Weird Al Yankovic – spoof on popular songs
Saturday Night Live – spoof on culture,
celebrities, politics…
SATIRE.
ANALYZING SATIRE
USING COMPLETE SENTENCES, answer the following
questions about the political cartoon you were given. Be
prepared to share with the class.
1. Describe the cartoon’s images and text.
2. What is the artist’s viewpoint regarding the subject
of the cartoon? Be as specific as possible.
3. In what specific ways does the cartoon mock its
subject? Try to identify & explain the use of specific
techniques: exaggeration, incongruity, reversal, and/or
parody.
1. A test administrator sits behind a desk. In front of him, lined up in a straight line, are a bird, a
monkey, a penguin, an elephant, a fish in a fishbowl, a seal, and a dog, all of which seem to be
smiling. Behind the animals is a tall, large tree. The test administrator tells the animals that the
selection test will only be fair if all the animals do the exact same task: climb the tree.
2. The cartoonist seems to be saying that in an effort to be fair, educators give everyone
regardless of background and strengths/weaknesses the same test, but giving everyone the
same test is inherently unfair. A goldfish and seal would pass a swimming test easily, while the
monkey would perform well on a climbing test. Humans, like animals, have a variety of
strengths and capabilities.
3. Incongruity is used in showing the test administrator’s sitting behind a desk outdoors and in
having wild animals lined up, calmly listening to the man’s directions. The animals are a
metaphor for children, and irony is used in the cartoon’s message about fairness: Educators
think that being fair is giving the same test to all children although doing so is inherently unfair.