Dark satire

Dark satire is a form of satire that includes themes and ideas that are considered dark or morbid, and which often uses these ideas to explore complicated or morally ambiguous issues. In basic structure or purpose, this is much like any other form of satire, in which humor is used for ironic purposes to make a statement about a certain idea or practice. Dark satire, however, uses dark humor that is not necessarily meant to be funny, but to use humor as a way to offset horror or unpleasantness. The essay A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift can be seen as this type of satire, as it proposes cannibalism as a solution to food shortages for the poor.

Much like other forms of satire, dark satire is the use of humor, though in this case dark humor, to assist in the delivery of a particular message or criticism. For example, someone might use satire to point out flaws in a particular political system, such as a joke that satirizes an ineffectual political process by equating it to people trying to keep a boat from sinking by drilling holes into the boat. In dark satire, however, the images and ideas presented to make a point are often darker and grimmer in tone.

Nearby pages
Darling, Darlington, Darmstadt, Daroi, Darshan, Darshap, Dartmoor