Satirical Fake News

In 1729, Jonathan Swift wrote a satirical essay called A Modest Proposal which offered an unrealistic solution to deal with the economic troubles of the Irish. He proposed the idea of poor people selling their children to the upperclassmen who would then eat the kids. Swift’s economic views were not taken seriously unlike today where his essay is known for inspiring the ironic editorials we read in the paper.

The reason why satirical fake news influences my opinion and that of so many others is a result of our inability to pay attention to ‘generic’ news. In other words, the audience relies on jokes and funny anecdotes to maintain their concentration. Though more and more people are relying on humorous satire to deliver their news, it is not necessary a bad thing. People are still being educated on the events taking place in their country and surrounding countries. As well, it removes the typical serious attitudes people see on news stations. South Park is known for its harsh script directed at the functionality of the United States but rather than having 20 minutes of people reading you words from a TelePrompTer, you are watching a show about 4 boys saying rude jokes while pointing out the immorality of the country. People are paying less attention to the satirical implications of fake news and instead focusing on the amusing joke. To understand the joke, the viewer must understand the issues the joke is surrounding.

"Jonathan Swift- A Modest Proposal." The Art Bin 1 Nov 2008 .