Instr: Moore, Kyla
Office: CRT 296; 229-5025
e-mail: kylam@uwm.edu
Office hours: TBA
Course Information: MW; 12:30pm-1:45pm; BOL B80
Many of us have laughed at South Park, Family Guy or Chapelle Show, but what is the purpose of satire, and can it be an effective political strategy? This seminar will explore the literary tradition of satire, what makes it "work," and its levels of political effectiveness. In addition to looking at modern popular satires such as Comedy Centrals's The Daily Show and Borat, students will read seminal satirists like Juvenal, Jonathan Swift, and Mark Twain. In doing so, students will develop critical reading skills, discussion skills, and an understanding of genre conventions associated with satire. During the course of the semester, students will also have the opportunity to select their own satire to add to the syllabus, as well as develop their college-level writing skills and ideas about political participation by composing a short satire on a topic of their choice.
