Modern satire

Traditionally, satirists have either been writers or cartoonists. This, however, is something which has come to change lately, with the new technological advances of our modern day society. In my last blog post, I discussed how a new satirical genre, parodic news, has emerged as a result of this. Another example of how satire has developed over time is the creation of so-called "animated caricatures." Those of you who are used to reading The Washington Post will most likely have seen some examples of these, drawn by political caricaturist Ann Telnaes (if you haven't seen her political cartoons, you can see examples of her work here). This, I think, could serve as an inspiration to all of you out there thinking about using satire for some purpose or other; those of you wanting to convey a message so that people will understand it. Since satire is always centered on current issues, ridiculing contemporary views or behaviors, the different media tools used to deliver satire must also keep up with current technology. This is yet another reason why satire is so powerful; it can never be out of fashion, becomes if it is, it can never be classified as satire.

One of Ann Talnaes' caricatures of the former Secretary of Defense's, Donald Rumsfeld's, ideas and behavior in connection to the War in Iraq

Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld