HELP WITH SATIRE

Question

I need to find Techniques Employed on the article http://www.theonion.com/articles/american-airlines-now-charging-fees-to-nonpassenge,2614/?ref=auto

Answer 1

Amy,

 

     Remember this is coming from the Onion, satirical in everything.  Assume by your question, you need techniques the article uses, rather than critiquing the article itself.  Remember that satire often uses real entities (in this case, American Airlines); and uses a real life situation (current hard times), to make light of the SITUATION.  They are using this made up story to provide a funny look at our economy, as well as demonstrate how far corporate greed will go to line their own pockets.  Everything is a metaphor.  The airline may stand for corporations, the fee may stand for attempts at geed and so on.  To use the techniques the Onion does, is to make creative and funny use of metaphorical writing.  Things in the articles stand for something else, I.e. metaphors.

 

Write like this and you'll get people laughing because they see what you're trying to say without quite relating the "true facts."

 

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Hi Amy, I would suggest focusing on the areas of the article which discuss fees for services rendered, or in some cases, not rendered, as the article points out. Since satire is intended to be funny and sometimes biting or sarcastic, do you see any humor in aspects of the article which "make fun" of the airline industry? If so, what aspects of the article did you find most amusing?

 I hope this was a helpful start. Best of luck!

Answer 3

Well, I suppose it's too late to ask, but I would have liked to know what your teacher taught about the exercise you've been given.  Sometimes being able to better understand the teacher's instruction(s)helps to see more clearly what's called for in the exercise.;-p

Johanna

Answer 4

Amy, satire is a sophisticated form of humor The intent is to poke fun at some important statement or event and present all sorts of ways it can be exaggerated or ridiculous if it is directed at another situation. Look for the humor or "tongue-in-cheek" statements and you will find the article looks formal and informative but is actually hilarious. It makes you wonder what the airlines actually did do. Satire makes you think. Often it can be sarcastic or snippy but it gives the author a way to say something about the topic that lets you know it is of questionable merit.