In this article, I’ll look at three examples of different types of satire writing. That is not to say that all satirical articles or stories should use only one of them, because there is some overlap between the different forms and it would be quite common for a work to use more than one, or fall into a gray area between them. Having put in that disclaimer, here are the forms:
- Parody: Parody is probably the main type of satire, both in terms of how often it is used and the breadth of different styles it encompasses. The main feature of parody is extreme exaggeration. Basically, you pick certain points you want to make fun of and then blow them out of proportion, thereby reducing them to absurdity. This can be done in cartoon form or in parody form. An example of a caricature would be impressionists who imitate celebrities and politicians but make fun of them by over-emphasizing their quirks or flaws. A parody usually doesn’t portray the real life person, or whatever it is that makes fun of it if it’s not a person, but instead creates a total fiction that somehow mirrors real life and has enough comparisons to things from the real life so people know who you are. referring to. The same exaggeration technique is still used, but you have more freedom with a parody, so they are often more outrageous. Common examples include fake news or movies like ‘Scary Movie’.
- Sarcasm: It’s pretty hard to be sarcastic in prose when you’re not speaking in your real voice. Therefore, written sarcasm usually comes in the form of articles or comes from a specific character in a work of fiction. Obviously, there is a crossover between a sarcastic piece and a parody, but in general, the sarcasm will be more understated and less outrageous, more biting and maybe even cruel, and involves pretending to take the opposite point of view from the real one and then making it seem stupid or wrong Usually this would involve writing about how great something is while at the same time making yourself look stupid using ridiculous or shockingly immoral arguments.
- Irony is something that reveals the perversity of fate. Here are a couple of real-life examples of irony that clearly show how he, too, could use it to build a scenario in his writing: Tony Blair got the job of UN peace envoy to the Middle East. Many people think it’s ironic that he was chosen for this job, since he started two wars there. And an example from a newspaper: ‘the local school’s Noah’s Ark play was canceled due to flooding’.
