From Dictionary.com:
sat·ire
[sat-ahyuh
r]
noun
1.
the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc.
2.
a literary composition, in verse or prose, in which human folly and vice are held up to scorn,derision, or ridicule…
Satire is a genre of literature, and sometimes graphic and performing arts, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement. Although satire is usually meant to be funny, its greater purpose is often constructive social criticism…
See also:
Yes… it is the infamous musical number that ruffled a million feathers. I’ve read angry, “Seth is a dick” articles. I’ve read defensive, “this is comedy” articles. I’ve read thoughtful, “Seth isn’t the head writer… or the problem” articles.
I watched the musical and laughed at some parts. I was also offended at some parts. I also had a big smile on my face when the gay chorus, the sliver of the population that could care less about boobs, sang so joyously about seeing them.
Yes, I know that four of the actresses he called out in the song were depicting rape scenes in those films. The sad truth of it is that even in a movie as disturbing as The Accused, there are still young men smacking each other on the arm while watching the gang rape scene saying, “They showed her boob. Did you see her boob?” The impact of that scene is actually lost on a large percent of the population. I can’t tell you how many times as a young adult I heard movies described as the “one where so-and-so shows her boobs”. Even in a rape scene, many young men rejoice in seeing breasts, many women are shocked or put off by it, and only a small number of people can actually take the scene for what it’s worth. Yet, women in Hollywood still feel pressured to show their breasts to be “artistic”, to make it “real”, or simply to get the part.
The entertainment industry makes sex… and violence…
and we consume it.
The “We Saw Your Boobs” musical number took very talented, Oscar nominated actresses, and reduced them to the sum of their parts – something we as a society are still guilty of doing. It highlighted an already very prominent societal ill. Some people found it funny. Some people found it in very poor taste. I found it to be both. It made us uncomfortable to look in the mirror – to see a sick part of society magnified. I’ve watched it spur the most amazing debate. I found it guilty of trying to shame society into improvement.
I found it to be the very definition of satire.
I found it to be both funny and in poor taste. And I can really see how it is satire. But I’m still bothered by the fact they used rape scenes as a part of it. It would have been possible to use those same actresses with different movies – and then, I would have cheered it wholeheartedly.
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I 100% agree with you. My husband and I were talking about it while we watched it, laughing. He was like “whoa, those are rape scenes he’s talking about.” and I was like, “yeah, but this is the reaction of tons of guys no matter what the scene. and it was prefaced with ‘this is the tacky thing you did to get Worst Host Ever.’” It is exactly what satire is. Showing society how stupid they are and hoping they will change.
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I’ve never been a big fan of satire…
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YES YES YES.
I didn’t know the movies that most of them were referenced so I didn’t realize what kind of scenes they were. I found the song amusing. I didn’t feel like it shamed the actresses. The actresses who chose to be in those movies, who chose to be in those scenes. Who made the decision that for them it was okay to display their body that way. That it was necessary to convey the scene of that particular film. That’s their prerogative. After all it is their own bodies. I didn’t take any offense. And when the chorus came out, the intention of the number became clear to me. Who else should sing about boobs other than men who couldn’t care less. The satirical nature became evident to me.
And then the discussion it started, while often times I feel like its been pulled in extreme directions I’m so glad it’s happening.
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