Group Final Presentation Assignment: Satire

For this assignment, you will be placed in a group that will meet frequently for the remainder of the semester to develop a presentation to be given to the class during the last two weeks of the course.

Goal:Most of the time we take “thinking” for granted and are never really asked to question the assumptions that underlie our beliefs. Then, along comes satire. Satire often holds those assumptions and beliefs up for pedagogical ridicule, in other words, ridicule intended to teach a lesson to anyone watching.

For your group project, you will create a satire of your own of that uses humor in order to criticize and elucidate the misconstrued thinking and assumptions that underlie a subject. As a group, you will choose the topic to satirize. Your satire may be a cartoon strip, a song, an episode of a television program, a website, a “mockumentary”, an essay, a magazine, a speech, a short story, or another medium in which you wish to work. It is important that you satirize all viewpoints associated with the topic you choose to treat satirically rather than only attacking one perspective of the issue. Anger and hostility are often found in satire, but humor should be the dominant characteristic.

After creating your work of satire, you will present it to the class on one of the final days of class. During your presentation you will present the work of satire you’ve created and answer questions from your classmates regarding the messages you hope to convey. Your presentation should be no longer than 20 minutes.

The Process:

Step I: The Issue

Working with your group members, identify a current topic in society that would be a target of your satire. For example:

  • Political issues (illegal immigration, congressional ethics reform, the war in Iraq)
  • Social issues (gay marriage, stem cell research, abortion)
  • The media (reality TV shows, celebrities, 24-hour news channels, YouTube or MySpace)
  • Or another topic that your group finds interesting.

Look to satirical books, television, internet, radio, cartoons for inspiration. No issue should be considered sacred. Satire often offends people, so don’t be afraid to “go there.”

Step II: The Medium

Identify the medium in which you wish to work. Draw on all the talents of your group members when deciding which medium works best for your topic.

For example:

  • Create an episode of a reality TV show that satirizes reality TV shows.
  • Write and perform a song satirizing a political candidate or celebrity figure.
  • Draw a series of cartoons satirizing the debate over illegal immigration

Step III:

Presentation

Each group will present its satire to the class in the form of a creative presentation in which all voices have equal opportunity to be heard. Creativity is very important here. Do more than read from your notes. Create a connection between the audience and your message. Experiment with ways to entertain while informing.

Explain the following elements to your audience:

  • The audience of your satire
  • The intended target(s)
  • Your process, including why you chose the topic that you did and the involvement of each group member.
  • The assumptions people on all sides of the topic hold about this issue
  • Your rational for the satire. What does your use of humor demonstrate about the issue?

Be as creative as you can with your presentation as well as with your satire. The more you can involve your audience, the better. Your imagination is your only limitation.

Final Satire Presentation Grade (15% of your Final Grade)