“FRAUDCAST NEWS”[1]

A conglomerate is a corporation that is made up of a number of different, seemingly unrelated businesses. In a conglomerate, one company owns a controlling stake in a number of smaller companies, which conduct business separately. Each of a conglomerate's subsidiary businesses (a company that has a parent company) runs independently of the other business divisions, but the subsidiaries' management reports to senior management at the parent company.
The largest conglomerates lessen their business risk by participating in a number of different markets, although some conglomerates elect to participate in a single industry – for example, mining.

Satire Definition[2]Satire is a technique employed by writers to expose and criticize foolishness and corruption of an individual or a society by usinghumor,irony,exaggerationor ridicule. It intends to improve humanity by criticizing its follies and foibles. A writer in a satire uses fictional characters, which stand for real people, to expose and condemn their corruption.

A writer may point a satire toward a person, a country or even the entire world. Usually, a satire is a comical piece of writing, which makes fun of an individual or a society to expose its stupidity and shortcomings. In addition, he hopes that those he criticizes will improve their characters by overcoming their weaknesses.

Satire and IronySatire andironyare interlinked. Irony is the difference between what is said or done and what is actually meant. Therefore, writers frequently employ satire to point at the dishonesty and silliness of individuals and society and criticize them by ridiculing them.

Examples of Satire in Everyday LifeMost political cartoons which we witness every day in newspapers and magazines are examples of satire. These cartoons criticize some recent actions of political figures in a comical way.Some shows on television are satire examples likeThe Daily Show,The Colbert Report, andThe Larry Sanders Show. These showsclaimto target what they think are stupid political and social viewpoints.

Function of Satire

The role of satire is to ridicule or criticize those vices in the society, which the writer considers a threat to civilization. The writer considers it his obligation to expose these vices for the betterment of humanity. Therefore, the function of satire is not to make others laugh at persons or ideas they make fun of. It intends to warn the public and to change their opinions about the prevailing corruption/conditions in society.

Parody
Parody is an imitation of a particular writer, artist or agenre, exaggerating it deliberately to produce a comic effect. The humorous effect in parody is achieved by imitating and overstressing noticeable features of a famous piece of literature, as in caricatures, where certain peculiarities of a person are highlighted to achieve a humorous effect.

Although parody can be used to develop satire, it differs from satire to a certain extent. Parody mimics a subject directly to produce a comical effect. Satire, on the other hand, makes fun of a subject without a direct imitation. Moreover, satire aims at correcting shortcomings in society by criticizing them.

Explore The Simpsons here:

Answers the following questions and complete the satire chart.

1. How is Mr. Burns’ company a conglomerate?

2. How does Mr. Burns use the media to spread his own agenda?

3. What does Lisa attempt to do?

4. What is the message of this episode?

Note: Mr. Burns says the following at the end of the episode, "one cannot control all media unless one is Rupert Murdoch." (in 2004 Murdoch owned 35 American television stations that reached 40 percent of America’s population).

Satire Chart

Term / Definition / Examples / Purpose of device
Exaggeration:
(Hyperbole) / To enlarge, increase, or represent something beyond normal bounds so that it becomes ridiculous.
Juxtaposition / Intentionally putting two elements that don’t belong together (or are opposite) side by side for emphasis.
Reversal: / To present the opposite of the normal order (e.g., the order of events, hierarchical order).
Parody: / To imitate the techniques and/or style of some person, place, or thing.
Understatement / Expressing an idea with less emphasis than is the actual case. The opposite of hyperbole. Understatement is employed for ironic emphasis
Caricature / Caricature is the exaggeration of the traits of a person or type
Irony / Dramatic- when the audience or reader has more information that the character
Situational-when the opposite of what is expected happens
Verbal-Implying the opposite of what is said
Sarcasm / Biting humor at another’s expense. Sarcasm is always intentional while irony can happen spontaneously.
Double Entendre
Pun / Use of phrasing or words that could have a double meaning, and the second meaning is usually understood; double entendres are often sexually suggestive.
Cliché / Overused, hackneyed phrases, plots, characters, situations, etc.
Anachronism / an object or person that appears outside of its designated and appropriate time period
Allusion / A reference to another: artistic piece, historical figure or event, culture icon or event, political figure or event. It is ways has added meaning and purpose

Satire Chart Version 2

Examples / Purpose / Type of Device

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