by 
Satire
isn’t
just
about
making
people
laugh—it’s
about
making
them
uncomfortable,
exposing
hypocrisy,
and
holding
a
funhouse
mirror
up
to
society.
Whether
you’re
writing
about
politics,
culture,
or
billionaires
taking
rocket
joyrides,
here
are
15
essential
techniques
to
master
satire
like
a
pro.
1.
Exaggeration
(Go
Big
or
Go
Home)
If
a
politician
tells
a
lie,
make
them
a
pathological
liar
who
can’t
order
coffee
without
fabricating
a
backstory.
If
a
tech
billionaire
is
out
of
touch,
make
them
so
rich
they
haven’t
seen
a
normal
toilet
since
1999.
➡
Example:
“Jeff
Bezos
is
so
wealthy,
he
doesn’t
blink
unless
Amazon
Prime
delivers
moisture
to
his
eyelids.”
2.
Irony
(Say
the
Opposite
of
What
You
Mean)
The
best
satire
often
says
one
thing
while
meaning
another,
forcing
readers
to
think.
➡
Example:
“Thank
goodness
politicians
never
lie.
Otherwise,
we’d
be
in
real
trouble.”
3.
Deadpan
Delivery
(Say
Something
Absurd
with
a
Straight
Face)
Act
like
your
ridiculous
claim
is
completely
rational.
The
calmer
you
say
something
insane,
the
funnier
it
is.
➡
Example:
“New
study
shows
that
billionaires
do,
in
fact,
breathe
a
higher-quality
oxygen
than
the
rest
of
us.”
4.
Parody
(Imitate,
but
Make
It
Ridiculous)
Take
an
existing
format—news
articles,
self-help
books,
political
speeches—and
crank
it
up
to
hilariously
absurd
levels.
➡
Example:
A
TED
Talk
on
“Why
Eating
Gold
Leaf
Improves
Your
IQ”
5.
Logical
Fallacies
(Use
Dumb
Arguments
on
Purpose)
Satire
thrives
on
bad
reasoning
that
sounds
just
smart
enough
to
fool
someone.
➡
Example:
“Since
more
people
are
getting
diagnosed
with
anxiety,
clearly,
therapy
is
causing
mental
illness.”
6.
Reductio
ad
Absurdum
(Push
an
Idea
to
the
Extreme)
Take
a
real
argument,
extend
it
to
its
most
absurd
conclusion,
and
watch
it
collapse
under
its
own
weight.
➡
Example:
“If
we
truly
want
to
help
the
economy,
let’s
just
have
everyone
marry
Jeff
Bezos
and
split
the
assets
in
the
divorce.”
7.
False
Authority
(Use
“Experts”
Who
Know
Nothing)
Quoting
someone
completely
unqualified
makes
satire
even
funnier.
➡
Example:
“We
spoke
to
Chad,
a
professional
DJ
and
part-time
astrologer,
about
the
economic
collapse.”
8.
Misdirection
(Lead
the
Reader
One
Way,
Then
Pull
the
Rug
Out)
Start
with
something
serious,
then
turn
it
into
nonsense.
➡
Example:
“Many
believe
climate
change
is
humanity’s
greatest
threat…
but
have
they
considered
the
real
problem:
too
many
avocado
toast
options?”
9.
Hypothetical
Absurdity
(Invent
Something
So
Stupid
It
Feels
Real)
Make
up
a
fake
law,
trend,
or
crisis
that
almost
sounds
real.
➡
Example:
“New
law
mandates
that
all
babies
must
have
LinkedIn
profiles
by
age
two.”
10.
Playing
the
Clueless
Narrator
(Act
Like
You
Don’t
Get
It)
Satirists
often
pretend
to
misunderstand
reality,
forcing
the
audience
to
see
the
flaw
themselves.
➡
Example:
“If
minimum
wage
workers
want
to
afford
rent,
why
don’t
they
just
buy
a
house
instead?”
11.
Appeal
to
Tradition
(Argue
Something
Should
Stay
Because
It’s
Old)
Mocking
outdated
customs
by
pretending
they’re
still
relevant.
➡
Example:
“Sure,
leeches
don’t
cure
disease
anymore,
but
what
happened
to
respecting
history?”
12.
Absurd
Solutions
to
Real
Problems
Offer
comically
unhelpful
solutions
to
actual
crises.
➡
Example:
“Can’t
afford
groceries?
Try
fasting!
Monks
do
it
all
the
time.”
13.
Sarcastic
Headlines
(Summarize
a
Problem
in
the
Most
Cynical
Way
Possible)
Headlines
are
half
the
battle.
Make
them
punch.
➡
Example:
“Nation
Shocked
That
Extremely
Rich
People
Don’t
Pay
Taxes”
14.
Role
Reversal
(Swap
Power
Dynamics
for
Maximum
Effect)
Turn
the
tables
to
highlight
hypocrisy.
➡
Example:
“New
Law
Requires
CEOs
to
Live
on
Minimum
Wage
for
a
Month—They
Die
Within
Two
Weeks.”
15.
Social
Commentary
(Make
the
Joke
Mean
Something)
The
best
satire
isn’t
just
funny—it
exposes
real
problems.
➡
Example:
“In
response
to
housing
shortages,
billionaires
are
now
buying
starter
planets.”
Final
Thought:
Satire
Is
a
Weapon
Satire
isn’t
just
about
making
jokes—it’s
about
punching
up,
exposing
hypocrisy,
and
making
people
laugh
while
they
rethink
their
world.
Go to Source
Author: Ingrid Gustafsson
