There was a joke going around in the 1960s…
“Some people think *satire means putting an extra cushion on their chair!”
I suppose most comedian’s acts contain elements of satire – though to they must tread much more carefully today about who and what they make jokes about than comedians of previous decades did. Or they run the risk of receiving social media attacks or even physical attacks from those who can’t take a joke!
One definition of satire is “The use of humour, irony, exaggeration or ridicule to expose and criticise people’s stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues”.
The 1960s is often referred to as the decade of the satire boom and while it’s true that the success of the satirical revue “Beyond The Fringe” on the London stage in 1960 led to the BBC’s ground-breaking satire show “That Was The Week That Was” two years later, satire had been around since Punch magazine first appeared in 1841.
While Punch continued until 2002, other magazines like MAD and National Lampoon also cocked a snook at celebrities and other public figures.
There hasn’t been a satirical TV programme with real bite and huge viewing figures (15 million at its peak) since ITV’s “Spitting Image” finished its 12-year run in 1996.
Why?
The brilliantly witty songwriter/performer Tom Lehrer (still with is at the time of writing at 94!) famously said “Political satire became obsolete when Henry Kissinger was given the Nobel Peace Prize”.
Tom also said, “At college there were certain things you weren’t allowed to say in front of a girl. Now you can say them, but you can’t say girl”.
Clever. Funny. And it makes a point. It’s satire. And it’s hidden inside any TV news programme or newspaper that covers stories about politicians who tell us we must follow the rules…and then proceed to do whatever they want, believing they’ll get away with it. And it’s all over the saga of the two members of the royal family who, tired of being members of the royal family, moved to the USA where, because they make a living from being ex-members of the Royal family, they’re treated like royalty!
*Sat…higher!
Get it?
I didn’t say it was a good joke.