Earnest Intentions

Kasun Weerasinghe sets out to unravel the true intentions of satirists and reveal why satire shouldnt be taken so lightly. Today you may come across a piece of comedy, whether it is a cartoon or a text, and you may simply view it and, like usual, laugh at the joke it presents. Most of the time the joke will end there, we will simply dismiss it with it only provoking laughter. This type of comedy, the slapstick and the surreal for example, probably wont imprint a lasting image on you, it probably wont provoke and manipulate the opinions of your mind, and you would simply consider it trivial like those one off jokes your friends tell. Satire, however, is more than just trivial comedy; it is the comedy of a critical thinker, the comedy that provokes thought and alters views. It is the secret weapon, the trump card of those who strive for change on the political or social playing field. Satirists incorporate their observations of human folly with humour and wit to create entertainment with a bit more meaning than just trivial comedy.

the day to day lives of the dysfunctional Simpsons family, creating a satire that is more than just trivial comedy. Matt Groening, for 23 seasons now, has been focused on satirising the lifestyle of middle-class Americans. In one episode Homer, to the congregation of townspeople in a park, toasts: To alcohol! The cause of and solution to all of lifes problems", this ironic quote displays Groenings ability to wittily critique even the most conspicuous lifestyle issues like alcohol consumption through the use of irony and sarcasm. Through the fictional town of Springfield, Groening has been able to parody many aspects of society and culture ranging from media to religion.

says: You know, I spend all day with Maggie, sometimes its like I dont even exist, Homer insouciantly replies with Sounds interesting. This satiric view of Marge uses the incongruous nature of Homer to ridicule this view of an invisible housewife. The writers of this episode dont want us to pass this as trivial comedy, they want us to see that in modern times housewives should receive more respect; not the ignorance that Homer commonly exemplifies. Although not as modern as The Simpsons, The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde is regarded as Wildes last and greatest play and has its own humorous but enquiring nature. This satirical play set in the Victorian Era, revolves around the central conflict of a man being denied marriage because of the strict aristocratic social conventions of the time; Wilde has cleverly used this situation to not only provoke laughter but also to change the opinions of viewers in regards to the social conventions of the days.

hand in marriage to his lover Miss Gwendolen Fairfax by her mother Lady Bracknell because she doesnt want Gwendolen to marry into a cloak-room, and form an alliance with a parcel. Lady Bracknell here was referring to the unfortunate mishap of Jack being found in a handbag as a baby; this not only reduces us to a giggle because of its ridiculous nature but also shows Wildes intentions, through exaggeration, to ridicule the Victorian aristocratic ideology of deciding a mans hand in marriage only on the prospects of his wealth and family ties and in this process altering the opinions of viewers. Oscar Wilde, like the writers of The Simpsons, has targeted gender roles in his satire. Through good use of reversal and some young, futureseeking characters Wilde has created humorous instances on the topic of gender roles. One such instance is in Gwendolens mentioning of her Father: Outside the family circle, papa, I am glad to say, is entirely unknown. I think that is quite as it should be. The home seems to me to be the proper sphere for the man. And certainly once a man begins to neglect his domestic duties he becomes painfully effeminate, does he not? And I don't like that. It makes men so very attractive. Here Oscar Wilde, through Gwendolen, has created a reversal of the conventional roles of male and female contriving a rather unusual argument making us laugh but at the same time challenging the stereotypical view of women being the household cleaner and child-raiser and instead suggesting that women could assume positions of normally male-oriented power. Wildes intentions of his play seem a lot more than to produce trivial comedy. All things considered, satirists dont concoct their texts or cartoons for the sole purpose of ones humorous entertainment. Satirists instead combine their observations of human folly with humour to produce a glorious mix that drives changes of opinion and is really more than just trivial comedy.

To alcohol! The cause of and solution to all of lifes problems"

Doh! exclaims Homer in just about every episode of Americas longest running primetime scripted television series The Simpsons by Matt Groening. Even though Homers iconic catchphrase Doh signals his recognition of impending failure and is normally followed by the laughter of viewers, The Simpsons is a comedy that shouldnt be taken so lightly. Growing up as kid I naively watched The Simpsons only laughing at Homers everpresent shortcomings or Barts hilarious practical jokes not realising the true intent of the writers. Now, however, being a politically and socially informed young adult I realise how truly brutal Matt Groening and his colleagues are in exposing human folly and vice through

The TV Series The Simpsons created by Matt Groening An aspect of society that satire has been targeting for centuries now is that of gender roles and The Simpsons are eager to continue this tradition, with a more modern touch. With Homer and Marge ever present in episodes, conflict between the two is not a rare sight and when it does occur, Marge attempts to break stereotypical views. In a scene of the episode A Street Car Named Marge, Homer is watching a beauty pageant on the television when Marge

A photograph from the original production of The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde The Importance of Being Earnest tells the story of Jack Worthing, well off but prohibited to a