Comedy and Humor in Literature
Maskell
Wag the Dog Rhetorical Analysis (100 points)
The use of humor as a social corrective is a concept embedded in the motivation
of any satire. For this next serious piece of writing I want you to explore the
satirical elements of the film Wag the Dog, and evaluate the film's
effectiveness as a means of social corrective. Satire is, by definition,
persuasive comedy. So, from a humor theory perspective, you are discussing
how well the aggressor influences the audience’s opinion of the victim. Consider
the rhetorical triangle as well as the three rhetorical appeals: ethos, pathos and
logos as you develop your response.
As with any response to literature or film, you must develop a meaningful thesis,
and support any assertions, connections, and interpretations with specific
examples and concrete evidence. Be sure to draw thoughtful conclusions
supported by relevant evidence from the film and your notes.
Feel free to refer to our discussion of the aggressive nature of humor, as well as
more recent discussions and readings from class. However, remember the focus
of this paper is to analyze and evaluate Wag the Dog as a work of political satire.
Format:
You should follow MLA guidelines for this essay.
Visit: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ for
assistance with MLA formatting if necessary.
I expect nothing less than your best work on this assignment. You should always
revise your written work, and proofread it carefully after it has been printed. If
you do not know the difference between revision and proofreading, please ask.
Expectations:
 3 pages College Prep (Must include evidence from Ziv's article)
 4 pages Honors (Must include evidence from Ziv's article and at least one
additional secondary source) The class twitter and facebook pages may
come in handy over the next week.
Thesis statement due: Friday, 10/30
Final Copy Due: Thursday, 11/5 (This will be a term 2 grade.)
Be sure to refer to the Written Communication rubric page as you write.