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Anthony Grant

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Mrs. Olivia Rines

Commented [O1]: Remove spacing after paragraph (see

line spacing)

UWRIT 1101
04 February 2015
Satirical Websites
Satirical websites bring a newer genre into the digital age. Due to their satirical websites
nature of being so new, not much many formal research or papersresearch papers or formal studies

Commented [O2]: What is the purpose of this project?

This should be expressed in the title.
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Commented [O3]: How do we know this is a newer
genre? Support this claim.

have been written completed about the subject breaking it down to the genre that is fallsit falls
into. This is not to say satire has not been analyzed, however the this newer digital version is still

Commented [O4]: Are you claiming then that the digital

version is a separate genre?

being felt out by academics about what it typically entails and the rules it typically would follow.
If one you takes the broad satire genre as the basis for analyzing website satire, you will define it
the same as a literature offline satire piece. Satire literature is defined as forms of humorous

Commented [O5]: This should be supported with a

citation.

expression that, by definition, deploy irony to criticize vice and raise awareness. (qtd in Lehman).

Commented [O6]: Make sure you introduce your sources.

Also, this should read qtd. instead of qtd

In laymans terms, satire informs the general public of an issue quickly and ironically drawing
attention to points over looked but do bring questions to the subject at hand and typically are trying

Commented [O7]: Overlooked by who?

to start a movement towards an end goal. The more official definition of online satire is a form

Commented [O8]: How does this differ from your first

definition? What differentiates online from offline satire?

of art as well as a critique which exposes, ridicules, and criticizes human and social vices, follies,
and shortcomings by use of parody, irony, travesty, and grotesquery (qtd in Tang, Bhattacharya).
To understand the genre of website satire. most things will be understood without much
explanation. The location of the genre is online and will most always focus on a current event, be
it political or cultural issues. Almost every satire will start with a bold, captivating, and often witty
title followed by a picture that has been taken far from context. Often times the picture used for

Commented [O9]: I feel like you have a clear idea about

what you are trying to say; however, its not really coming
across to the audience. What claim are you trying to make
in this paper? What is your thesis/main idea? This should be
evident in the introduction.

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the article would show someone or something that actually had has very little to do with the issue
at hand. An example would beFor instance, if an article is poking fun at the Democratic Party they
will typically use a picture of any of the Democratic Partys representatives that are in a
compromising situation or with an odd expression on their face regardless if the representative was
directly involved in the said issue they are talking about..

Commented [O10]: All the claims/facts that you are

stating in this paragraph need to be supported by citations.
Where did you get this information?

Traditionally Typically any good satirical websites article will not exceed three to four
paragraphs. This is due to the need to hold the audiences attention and not lose them that attention
before the punch line is delivered. The most important part to consider with the audience is that
they (the audience) must be more for the writers view and not sympathize with the person or idea
being ridiculed or the writing itself will have the opposite effect that is wanted. For instance, if a

Commented [O11]: What is the effect that is wanted

then?

writer is against the Democratic Party, he needs to target a conservative group or at least someone
who is not a diehard Democratic supporter, or they will not accept the message. Typically the
audience will also be part of the public that a social change is being directed toward.
Lets begin to dissect a particular article found on The Onion. The Onion is a well-known
and quite possibly the best known satire site. The Onion that had has very few topics that it will
not raise into question so concern about a current problem facing the world. The article Biden
Arrives Early to Set up State of The Union Fog Machine is a prime example of political satire.

Commented [O12]: Why?

The article says that Joe Biden is setting up a fog machine that will also use with lights and strobes
for the upcoming State of the Union address by President Obama making it a spectacle with all the
fanfare of a rock concert. It says that he is going to make the event fun so it get the crowd going.
(qtd in Biden Arrives Early To Set Up State Of The Union Fog Machine)
In this particular article, the main audience is the voting age public not specific to party
affiliation. The article primarily poked fun at the amount of fanfare that politics of late have

Commented [O13]: How do you know this?

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incorporated into the most mundane political happenings, specifically the recent attempts to bring
in the younger voting generation, Democrats have begun to try to make everything more hip so
they can show they can relate to the younger generation. Also brought inmentioned into the article
is the brief mention of money, this primarily shows that most of the extra fan-fare involved in these
sessions costs more money than it would have if the State of the Union went on as it normally
should have. This reference though vague, is in response to how the political game as of the past
few years has actually set many records for money spent and money raised that would not have
been thought of a few decades ago. This article, hHowever, does have one piece of framework

Commented [O14]: Support this claim.

that is missing compared to most other articles considered satirical, it does not bring into play any

Commented [O15]: You have yet to explain what the

framework is.

major movements to be changed, however it is still showing the movement that is going on at this
time in politics.
The final piece of the framework that is shown in this article is of what appears to be Joe
Biden setting up a fog machine on the floor of the Senate. Obviously, this is a photo shopped
picture of Biden doing something obviously unrelated, however, its shows how pictures that are
used for such articles can be completely unrelated to the subject at hand. It is almost a certainty
that Joe Biden would never set up the whole laser rig and shit (qtd in Biden Arrives Early To
Set Up State Of The Union Fog Machine) or any fog machine in such a place as the Senate, but
by depicting him as doing so adds to the humor one could imagine in someone going to that level
to create such a mood.
The second example I will use is from the site Spoof News. Spoof News is a satire site that
is lesser known, but growing in popularity over time. In this particular article, Republican Party
to Take over the Name "Democrats" the Republican and Democratic Parties tensions are played
on. It discusses how the Republicans are wanting the name Democrats, just because they always

Commented [O16]: Says who? Where did you get this

information?

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have. Again, as the last article did, it stays with the relatively short article not wasting time with
any background information. Also note that the picture used for the piece, again, is only a generic
photo of the Senate ,showing an empty Senate, not relating to any actual part of the article.
The articles humor is vague, but points out the fact that with the bickering between the
parties that has been going on for the past several years as well as the historical context that it does
hint at. The interesting thing about the parties is that they usein the past, the two parties used to
be completely opposite from what they are now, as in the Democrats now are considered left
liberal, however 100 years ago they were the right conservative group. The audience for this article

Commented [O17]: Support this claim

is the older generation due to its references to the climate changes of the parties. When asked if
the change might cause voter confusion, another prominent Republican/Fox Commentator said
that voting should be allowed to any American who can pass the poll test and pay the proper poll
tax. (N, Al) This statement reinforces the reference to the older Republican/Democratic Partys
views prior to the changing of party stance (progressive and conservative respectively) that only
recently changed in the 1960smid-1900.
The third article to be discussed is from The Duffle Blog. The Duffle Blog is a lesser known
satire site but is very famous well known among the military community across all branches. In
this particular article it isthe subject is speaking about the lesser known topic of award abuse going
on in the military now, specifically soldier members being awarded medals for things that a few
years ago were unheard of. An example is that soldiers are now awarded medals for conduct and
reporting bad conduct that use to be only awarded for valor in combat. It is a lot harder to
understand unless you understand the background of the situation, which is why I think it makes
a perfect satire article. It chooses the audience of the older military generation and pokes fun at
the new softer military.

Commented [O18]: Integrate this quote into your

paragraph. Dont just drop it in.

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The framework is again the same, a few quick paragraphs with no real background
assuming the reader is aware of the current feel news in the military. The picture used isnt far
from the background of the subject, however, and is used in context, which is a very seldom
occurrence with this type of genre. The article uses a picture of a Sergeant that is being awarded
the Army Commendation Medal from a Major General for reporting bad attitudes and
commentary that she found on Facebook. The picture is the only background information that
the article is referencing so that you can follow the argument.
The movement the article is hinting at is the militarys move to enforcing cyber political
correctness and awarding soldiers for reporting any unwanted acts online. It does refer to this as
a new development and suggests going back to the way the military was years ago. This particular
statement: most combat-experienced soldiers expressed outrage that she did not receive a higher
award, such as the Distinguished Service Cross (Updated Army Evaluation Now Includes
Mandatory Facebook Presence Requirement) expresses that intent great wit andwith great
sarcasm known in the satire genre.
As you can see, the website satire genre is not easily defined but does stay relatively on
line with expectations of the framework. With these three examples you can see that some of the
satire will stay right on par and deliver the genre to a definition, but even with some variance it
can still fall in line as seen with The Duffle Blog. With this information you should be able to
analyze the satire better and be able to see the subtle humor found within every article published
and have more appreciation for the genre itself.
I really enjoyed reading your paper. I think that this is a strong start. However, there are also some
significant issues that need to be resolved, specifically in terms of following directions. A number
of the questions (please see rubric below) were not answered in your paper. Also, when you were

Commented [O19]: You didnt really show this in your

paper.

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analyzing your examples, you were focusing too much on the information presented in the genre
and not enough on the aspects of the text that make it fit or not fit the genre described. This paper
should be focused solely on the genre of the satirical website. You should include a step-by-step
breakdown of the framework of the genre, including aspects such as discourse modes, features,
communicative purpose etc. I would strongly encourage you to reread the assignment sheet and
come to me with questions. Also, please make sure that every claim that you are making in this
paper is supported by evidence and/or citations. All facts, unless they are commonly known by the
general public, must be supported by evidence/citations. Finally, the paper should be written for
an audience that may or may not know what the assignment is. Make sure that you are not assuming
any knowledge on the part of the reader that is only known because you are taking this course.
The following is the rubric for the assignment, including what you would have received had this
draft been your final draft. This grade will not be recorded anywhere. It is simply a chance for you
to see where you stand.
Genre Analysis Rubric
Category

Scoring Criteria

Content
(60 points)

Is focused, clear, purposeful, and meets the needs of the audience

States the main function/communicative purpose of the genre and how
the purpose is accomplished
States the discourse mode(s) commonly used in the genre
States the core features of the genre and how the features are shaped by
the communicative purpose
States the context, intended, actual audience, and biases at play for each
text
States if each text fits the genre
All claims made are supported. Writer uses specific references to sources
to support claims.
Introduction establishes a framework for the rest of the paper and
includes a thesis statement.
There is an obvious conclusion summarizing the paper that discusses the
evolution of the genre and what the writer learned

Total
Points
5

Score
3

10

10

10

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Organization
(10 points)

Style and
Conventions
(30 points)

Score

Utilizes a strong internal structure and purposefully moves the reader

easily through the text.
Vocabulary and word choice are precise and varied.
Sentences are all well-crafted and consistently varied in structure, length,
and beginning.
The writer demonstrates a firm grasp of the conventions of written
English (spelling, capitalization, punctuation etc.). There are no typos.
Is formatted according to the conventions of MLA
Is 1500 2000 words
Total Points

10

10
5
100

10
5
54
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Works Cited
Biden Arrives Early To Set Up State Of The Union Fog Machine. The Onion. 20 Jan 2015. Web.
24 Jan 2015.
Lehman, Molly. Is Nothing Sacred? A Study of Recent American Satirical Forms. College of
Wooster, March 23, 2009.
Tang, Lijun and Bhattacharya, Syamantak. Power and Resistance: A Case Study of Satire on the
Internet. Cardiff University, University of Plymouth, 26 Jan 2011, Web. 11 May 2011.
Biden Arrives Early To Set Up State Of The Union Fog Machine. The Onion. 20 Jan 2015. Web.
24 Jan 2015.
Tang, Lijun and Bhattacharya, Syamantak. Power and Resistance: A Case Study of Satire on the
Internet. Cardiff University, University of Plymouth, 26 Jan 2011, Web. 11 May 2011.
Updated Army Evaluation Now Includes Mandatory Facebook Presence Requirement. The
Duffle Blog. 18 Jan 2015. Web. 24 Jan 2015.