Creating Satire: A Satirical Dictionary for GHS
In a Google Doc called "My Contributions to a Satirical Dictionary for GHS" (or using pen/pencil and paper) create five satirical definitions using satirical strategies. Include a standard definition for comparison. Bring these to class on Thursday (10/30).After sharing and getting some feedback on your satirical definitions. In the comment box below type in a revised, carefully proofread version of your satirical definition. (New and improved! Revised for super-sized satire!) Also, include a standard definition for comparison. Finally, write an explanation: What point are you hoping to make with your satire? How have you used satirical strategies to create an effective satire? This will be due by class time on Monday (11/3).
Like:
ReplyDeleteconj. as though; as if.
conj. the appropriate preceder for every word in the English language.
Explanation: For "Like" I am satirizing those who frequently use the term, particularly kids and teenagers. To do this I simply use sarcasm, and a little bit of hyperbole, as nobody would put "like" before every word they say.
Responsibility:
n. the state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone.
n. what kids want more of and adults want less of.
Explanation: In "Responsibility" I target those who wish for something, and get sick of it once they have it, specifically with responsibility. This is done with the contrasts of age, the desire for responsibility.
Printer:
n. a machine for printing text or pictures onto paper, especially one linked to a computer.
n. an intricately crafted device designed to function during the two weeks for an essay, then to break the night before it’s due.
Explanation: For "Printer" the target is the student population, who tends to put off work when they usually have plenty of time to do it. The fact that the printer breaks when it is needed and functions when it isn't is reversal.
Random:
adj. made, done, happening, or chosen without method or conscious decision.
adj. with careful consideration and intention.
Explanation: "Random" pokes fun at who are probable the same people who use "like" a lot. They misuse this word so much that it's dictionary definition has actually been altered. This is done with verbal irony, as it is basically the opposite of the dictionary definition.
Open-Minded:
adj. willing to consider new ideas; unprejudiced.
adj. when there’s no more Coke and so you have to drink Pepsi.
With "Open-Minded" I use a hypothetical; situation to make fun of people who don't appreciate their privileges and view something as little as drinking a different soda as being open to different views. I use a hypothetical situation to express this.
Sara Francis
ReplyDeleteMr. J. Cook
AP English 11
October 24, 2014
Homework noun: Work that is supposed to be done at home, but is usually done two minutes before class and is copied off another student’s paper. The answers may or may not be correct, but at least there is an answer. Target: Some teachers that don’t understand that too much homework doesn’t really get done by students. I exposed the truth with humor and also hoped to make it seem like the target does not know it happens.
school work assigned to be done outside the classroom
Goals noun: Abstract ideas students are supposed to set for themselves, but are actually impossible to reach unless superpowers or a winning lottery ticket is obtained. Target: The upper class powerful people in our economy who expect teenagers to reach certain criteria that no one except the wealthy or specially gifted can obtain. Exposed by subconsciously criticizing higher powers and revealing the truth through comparisons and proposals.
the result or achievement toward which effort is directed; aim; end.
Coffee noun: Gas is to a car as coffee is to humans. Withdrawal symptoms include: Headaches, nausea, irritability, confusion, drowsiness, and death. Target: The sellers of coffee and the people who add addictive ingredients in coffee. Exposed by using hyperbole (the death symptom) and listing with the truthful withdrawl symptoms of the usage of coffee. I also compared coffee with gas to show importance
a beverage consisting of a decoction or infusion of the roasted ground or crushed seeds (coffee beans) of the two-seeded fruit (coffee berry) of certain coffee trees.
Uggs noun: The best boots ever made, specifically designed for Australian surfers, but worn by middle and high school girls. Often accompanied by yoga pants, a sweatshirt from Pink, dyed hair, a Starbucks coffee, and a sequins covered backpack. (see “Ratchet”). Target: Everyone who thinks its okay to combine the most typical clothing into one outfit. Exposed by listing accompanied truths by hyperbole and releasing stereotypes. Paradox is also a form I used because I said the opposite if what I think.
known in Australia and New Zealand as a unisex style of sheepskin boot. They are typically made of twin-faced sheepskin with fleece on the inside, a tanned outer surface and a synthetic sole.
Vacation noun: Approximately ten days during the school year where a student has nothing to worry about, besides the twenty days worth of work their teachers have assigned them so they won’t get bored. Target: Teachers who decide it’s okay to give work over vacations. Exposed using paradox (when saying you won’t be bored) and hyperbole (20 days of work).
a period of suspension of work, study, or other activity, usually used for rest, recreation, or travel;recess or holiday:
Future:
ReplyDeleteDefinition- time that is to be or come hereafter
Satire- a reassuring time that guarantees to hold riches and successes
Explanation: The target in this definition is people who never put in work to create success. Lazy people that assure themselves that the future holds something greater than their current status.
Secret:
Definition- done, made, or conducted without the knowledge of others
Satire- passed on from person to person about a person, usually in quiet tone
Explanation: This satirizes the general gossip and drama people create by running their mouths and getting into peoples business. Done with verbal irony by being opposite of the dictionary definition.
Tweet:
Definition- a very short message posted on the Twitter website: the message may include text, keywords, mentions of specific users, links to websites, and links to images or videos on a website
Satire- a short meaningless message posted on the Twitter website for all intrigued eyes to view and ponder about
Explanation: The purpose is to satirize tweets and Twitter by pointing out how tweets are usually meaningless but at the same time exposing how people take such an interest in it. Using the contrast between this to create irony.
Exercise:
Definition- bodily or mental exertion, especially for the sake of training or improvement of health
Satire- a girls time for socializing and the occasional treadmill run, usually followed by a snapchat picture for proof of gym time
Explanation: This definition of exercise targets the girls that go to the gym to “exercise” when really they are just there to say they went. The irony in it is that when some girls go to exercise they indeed do not actually exercise.
Famous:
Definition- having a widespread reputation, usually of a favorable nature; renowned; celebrated
Satire- having come from senseless and foolish acts, celebritizing the dull and irrelevant
Explanation: My ‘famous’ definition targets both what is in society famous and the people that make these things and people famous. By using reversal between “favorable nature” and “senseless and foolish acts” to create this satire.
The definition for "tweet" is invective with slight hyperbole. The definitions of "exercise" and "famous" also include substantial invective.
Deletetelevision: the magical shrine at which the common man worships
ReplyDeletedefinition:the broadcasting of a still or moving image via radio waves to receivers that project a view of the image on a picture tube.
explanation: I am targeting the people who are obsessed with television and how in our society it has become a necessary staple. People think entertainment and tv is more important than health and life. The strategies I used were using dictionary language and religious language to show how obsessed some people are by tv.
fast food: a golden ticket to the pearly gates
definition: food, as hamburgers, pizza, or fried chicken, that is prepared in quantity by a standardized method and can be dispensed quickly at inexpensive restaurants for eating there or elsewhere.
explanation: I’m targeting the people that eat fast food, regardless of their health by using a reversal, it sounds nice, you want a golden ticket and the pearly gates seem nice but it really means that fast food will kill you, and is just a quick way of showing how the fast food industry glazes over the quality and healthiness of the food to only focus on the commercial image of the food. It is making fun of people for falling for their advertising, because the definition sounds nice but it really means that it eventually will kill you. I am also using an allusion to heaven to show that they fast food industry does also not refer to its food how it actually is, the make it sound better, just how I used “pearly gates” to make dying sound better.
Revolutionary War: the reason we all don’t have cool accents
definition: the war between Great Britain and its American colonies, 1775–83, by which the colonies won their independence.
explanation: My target is how some people love british things just because they are british. I used more informal language in the context of dealing with the revolutionary war, which was a big part of america’s history, but I am only referring to it as a slight misdemeanor on our part, the reason we don’t have cool accents. I am also using an understatement because i am summing up a big and serious event in America’s history as something not important in the grand scheme of things.
wit: an attribute in which most believe they are overly endowed, but few actually have
definition:the keen perception and cleverly apt expression of those connections between ideas that awaken amusement and pleasure.
explanation: My target is humanity and how humans tend to always think they are smarter and better than they actually are. I used a straight out statement to say this, and i used an ironic statement to say what they think and then what actually happens.
administrator: the dog that guards the gates of hell from styrofoam cups and hot coffee
definition: a person who manages or has a talent for managing.
explanation: I’m satirizing how school administrators take their jobs of discipline very seriously, and how students often get in trouble for the smallest, stupidest things, like having coffee. I used an allusion to Cerberus, the three headed dog in greek mythology to show the contrast between their opinion of what matters in the school and why they are often wrong. By using the styrofoam cups and hell in the same sentence I show that they tend to overreact to small things, and take rules too far, showing the contrast between what is actually important and what shouldn’t matter.
School:
ReplyDeleteActual Definition-An institution for educating children.
My definition: A loud and hectic place of stress, disagreement, and hallways filled with obnoxious creatures. A place where students inherit the roles of kings and queens ruling over their kingdom with little thought to how others feel.
Explanation: In this definition I am targeting the people in school who feel like they own the place. These people tend to forget that there are other people in the world and it’s not just them.These people can be aggravating. My strategies for this definition were to be blunt and direct.
Miley Cyrus:
Dictionary definition-an American singer, actress, and songwriter.
Mine: An obnoxious animal ruining young minds. This animal’s identification trait is her tongue. A tongue of a Miley is always stuck out long and straight. The hair of this animal is short and prickly. This animal tends to have her body bent and shaking, this must be her mating call.
Explanation: My target for this definition is people like Miley Cyrus using their power to ruin innocent minds. While some of these people are trying to help kids have more confidence they are also compromising kids innocence. My strategy for this definition was to use children to trigger emotion by using children and also to again be direct.
Drugs:
Dictionary Definition-a medicine or other substance which has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body.
Mine-Life. This stuff is the best. Life is so much better when drugs are involved. With this substance there are so many opportunities and possibilities.
Explanation: I am targeting the drug users not only in the high school but everywhere. These people feel that the use of drugs allows them to do things they normally wouldn’t be able to do. These people also feel that using drugs is the only way they can “fit in” or be happy and deal with life. For this definition I used hyperbole and sarcasm.
Music:
Dictionary definition-vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion.
Mine: An outlet for people to be someone they’re not making their life better or worse. For three minutes people suddenly live the life of the singer.
Explanation: Many people apply different types of music to the way they are feeling at the moment. People listen to sad music when they are sad and to happy music when they are in a good mood. My strategy for this was to again be direct and also to use some exaggeration.
Cellphone:
Dictionary definition-a telephone with access to a cellular radio system so it can be used over a wide area, without a physical connection to a network.
Mine-A doorway to a fake world filled with fake people. A no good use of technology in most cases. This device is often paired with people who are closer to Barbie then they are to a human.
Explanation: My target here is the many people who use their cell phones as a way to hurt other people when in real life they are just like them, no better but maybe worse. My strategy here was to exaggerate but to also have some truth and again to be direct.
In the definition of "school" and "cellphone" you use exaggerated invective, I think. The extended metaphor in the Miley Cyrus definition is funny.
DeleteCAFETERIA n. An area in a school where students are served meals that are considered slightly better than meals served to those whom reside in federal penitentiary. These meals are part of the government's plan to deter any students who dare to dabble in illegal activities.
ReplyDeleteDictionary Definition of Cafeteria: a restaurant or dining room in a school or a business in which customers serve themselves or are served from a counter and pay before eating.
Explanation: In this satirical definition of cafeteria I am attempting to satirize the administration of schools and their expectation for the students. This definition also undermines the reason for not wanting to go to jail which in this case is because of the abominable food found there. This definition also creates the idea that the government has created a grand scheme to deter all those who want to dabble in illegal activity. In this definition I used inversion and hyperbole to bring across the central point. Inversion is seen through the flipping of attitudes in the expectations for students and through the reason for not wanting to be imprisoned. Hyperbole is demonstrate by escalating how horrific cafeteria meals really are.
PHONE n. A small box that allows humans to focus on words and images instead of the new pimple on their enemies forehead. It allows many to store whatever garbage may pop into their heads. This box wonderfully is made to make anyone seem worthy.
Dictionary Definition for Telephone: a system that converts acoustic vibrations to electrical signals in order to transmit sound, typically voices, over a distance using wire or radio.
Explanation: This satirical definition attempts to show the reliance that society as a whole places on phones. This definition exaggerates the negative aspects of telephones obliterating the convenience of them. In this case phones represents an enabling agent of all idiotic thought, as well as an object that will make someone seem spectacular since they have such a device. In this definition I used inversion, hyperbole and invective to emphasize the point. Harsh language or invective is displayed by addressing individual's thoughts as garbage. Inversion is used when the attitudes towards phones is flipped from being a convenience to a device that make someone seem worthy. This definition also exaggerates the use of phones as well as their negative aspects.
PLEASANTRY n. A type of speech where acquaintances attempt to decipher the weather patterns of the day. Also known as small talk, this type of speech allows many a person to become a meteorologist for approximately five minutes each day.
Dictionary Definition of Pleasantry: an inconsequential remark made as part of a polite conversation. For example: "after an exchange of pleasantries, I proceeded to outline a plan."
Explanation: This definition of pleasantry satirizes those who frequently use small talk as their central means of conversation. Through this definition I mock those who use this speech and exaggerate it's use in daily life. In this definition I also utilized burlesque to exaggerate the amount of time many spend in deciphering weather patterns.
LIBRARY n. Rooms that are being burned to create space for the cloud.
ReplyDeleteDictionary Definition of Library: a building or room containing collections of books, periodicals, and sometimes films and recorded music for people to read, borrow, or refer to.
Explanation: This definition of library attempts to satirize those who resort to technology instead of books. I also attempt to satirize those who may hate books. I mock technology and it's attempt to replace rudimentary means of collecting and finding information. This definition alludes to the cloud and historical book burnings. In this definition I utilize inversion and hyperbole to make my point. The attitude towards a library as an intellectually sound place is shifted to become a place of inconvenience, an inconvenience that needs to be burned. Hyperbole is used to state that libraries are being burned. This so called burning exaggerates the situation, since libraries are not being burned only used less since technology has made it easier to find information.
HONESTY adj. The best policy until one learns that lies make people smile. The policy that allows many to tell someone they look stunning even if they look like a very bright pumpkin, since pumpkins can be stunning too, in their own right.
Dictionary Definition of Honesty: free of deceit and untruthfulness; sincere.
Explanation: This definition satirizes both those who don't really want to know the truth and those who lie to make others feel better about themselves. This definition of honesty also critiques what society teaches as opposed to what society wishes to hear. This definition inverts the idea of honesty making it something that it is frowned upon instead of an admirable quality. In this definition paralipsis is used to suggest that honesty is the best policy, however this idea is hidden by adding that lying is also a good thing.
Brilliant! Thank you for sharing these definitions. The explanations, too, show thought and care.
DeleteMath:
ReplyDeleteSatire: a foreign language taught at schools using numbers and unnecessary letters.
Definition: the abstract science of number, quantity, and space.
Explanation: The target in this definition is the subject of mathematics as a whole and also the teachers of it. I use a comparison as one of my strategies for satire. I compare math to a foreign language because of the complexity of it and how confused kids get while trying to learn it. Math is obviously not a foreign language, but by using the comparison it shows the point I am trying to get across in the definition.
Social Media:
Satire: addictive tools made by the Devil to keep anything successful from happening; usually filled with utter nonsense.
Definition: websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.
Explanation: My target in this definition is the people that use social media for absolutely nothing. The people that use social media to waste their life away and get absolutely nothing productive out of updating people who don’t even care about their lives. I use exaggeration to show the faults of social media. The Devil didn’t make any social media, but by saying “addictive tools made by the Devil” is an exaggeration to make social media seem evil.
McDonald’s:
Satire: more important to human beings than the air we breathe.
Definition: a worldwide fast-food chain.
Explanation: With this definition I am targeting the people that believe it is okay to eat McDonald’s regularly and the people who think it is okay to get rid of rainforests to make more McDonald’s. My first target is more direct and I do it with hyperbole. Saying that McDonald’s is more important than air is the hyperbole. Indirectly that statement is targeting the people cutting down the rainforests because the rainforests give us oxygen to breathe and these people are taking that away for McDonald’s.
Phone:
Satire: a device for friends to call when they are in need but to ignore when they are needed.
Definition: an apparatus, system, or process for transmission of sound or speech to a distant point, especially by an electric device.
Explanation: My target with this definition is a fake “friendship.” I am targeting the people that always call their friends for help, but when their friends need help they won’t answer the phone to help them. I use juvenalian satire as a strategy in this definition. I’m attacking all the people that are guilty of doing this and I do it in a bitter way.
Money:
Satire: the primary religion of the world.
Definition: any circulating medium of exchange, including coins, paper money, and demand deposits.
Explanation: I am targeting the people that depend on their money for everything and believe that money is their life source. I use hyperbole as a strategy to get my point across. I exaggerate by saying that money is the primary religion of the world because it is like people basically worship their money and they would do anything to have more money than they already do.
Garbage can- An object your life is thrown in if you fail to test well.
ReplyDeleteDefinition: a container, typically plastic or metal, for household refuse.
Explanation: This satirized definition of a garbage can is targeted at society and the importance of tests in the modern day. It is clear that I based this from the expression “throwing your life away” which is often used towards people who fail to succeed.
Exercising-The act of giving a lot now for a little later.
Definition: engage in physical activity to sustain or improve health and fitness; take exercise.
Explanation: I am less direct in this satirized definition. I use the contrasting amounts at different times to leave the reader feeling uneasy but understanding.
Boxing- entertainment for the aroused, sport for the staunch.
Definition: the sport or practice of fighting with the fists, especially with padded gloves in a roped square ring according to prescribed rules.
Explanation: In this satirized definition I target the people that fiene for violence and action. I find a common interest between this bloodthirsty population and a more formal population and give the bloodthirsty population the inferior action towards this interest.
Battery- valued over anything yet never enough
Definition: a container consisting of one or more cells, in which chemical energy is converted into electricity and used as a source of power.
Explanation: In this satirized definition I target the young modern generation. Battery is used to power all portable electronic devices which are an important part of many peoples lives whether it’s for work, entertainment or to be connected socially. Therefore, it is becoming more and more valuable as people become more and more reliant on portable devices. It is not at the level of being valued over anything but I use a hyperbole in order to express its growing value.
Jobs- In the modern day, the amount of these available in a nation seems to determine the nations value.
Definition: a paid position of regular employment.
Explanation: In this satirized definition I target not a group of people but the structure of the economy. I took the term and converted it to a unit of measurement and totally overlooked the denotation.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSuicide- selfish.
ReplyDeleteDictionary Definition: the intentional taking of ones own life.
Explanation: this is directed towards those who end their own lives. the target is clear and the definition being so short leads to a lot of inferring by the reader. the selfishness is seen in suicide because these people do not consider how it will effect the lives of those around them, their parents, siblings, friends and other people will all be effected by their action. also suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. the problem in which people kill themselves over, is usually fixable if time and effort is applied. could also consider suicide as being the easy way out.
Money- a miniscule piece of paper, that beholds the power to control the entirety of human life, restricting those lacking in its presence.
Dictionary Definition: any circulating medium of exchange
Explanation: this satirizes the blindness to life values in american society. people in this country are valued by what they have not by who they are. their money means more than themselves. society holds back people who have all of the potential, but just simply can't afford to succeed.
School- where children are taught to memorize, and nothing useful in later life is taught; a place in which many years are wasted absorbing useless concepts and ideas.
Dictionary Definition: an institution where instruction is given.
Explanation: this attacks the school system of this country and the ineffective ways in which they attempt to spread knowledge. the ineffectiveness is seen mostly in the curriculum. this shows the most when you see that most of the things you spend years and years learning, are never applied to life out of school, therefore making them useless.
Education- an unjust judgement of someone’s intelligence
Dictionary Definition: the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life.
Explanation: this is a knock on the society in which we live. the target was at our school systems. they have kids learning for a grade, not to actually learn, schools teach kids how to memorize facts, which are then sooner that later forgotten. they do this instead of focusing more on progress and less on the letter grade in which a student will receive.
Pain- a satisfying feeling, ensuring oneself that they are alive; more often than not humbling
Dictionary Definition: physical suffering or distress, as due to injury, illness, etc..
Explanation: this shows the effect that pain has on ones life. also it shows that pain which is always considered to be a negative can be a positive thing that helps people in ways that are unseen. even if being hurt isn't good for someone, it may provoke a positive ending. the positive could be something as simple as causing the affected person to be understanding of their mistakes.
Global Warming: a fantasy, created by the minds of the Amish, with the hope of reverting the world back to travelling via wagons and, eventually, defecating in holes. The scientific data that has been collected, proving the existence of global warming, is irrelevant.
ReplyDeletenoun: global warming
a gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere generally attributed to the greenhouse effect caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, and other pollutants.
My target is people who don’t believe global warming exists, or refuse to believe it. My strategy was to use the voice of someone who doesn’t believe in global warming by making it seem like they are making fun of people who believe it is real. I used inversion by having the joke rely on the second sentence which shows how I really feel about people who don’t believe in global warming.
Evolution: a myth conceived by Satanist Charles Darwin. It has been proven with scientific evidence, but defies Creationism, and therefore it can not be true.
noun: evolution
1. the process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth.
My target is Creationists who refuse the theory evolution despite the loads of evidence to support it. My strategy is using exaggeration to call Charles Darwin a Satanist, an extreme view of what some people might actually think of Charles Darwin for proposing a theory that works against what the Bible says. Again, I used inversion to flip the second half of the definition by having my reader admit to the fact that there is plenty of scientific evidence to prove evolution makes sense, but still discredits that evidence because they believe the Bible is all factual and the only source to go to when questioning the creation of Earth and all its residents.
Makeup: false advertisement used by women to attract mating partners. It is applied to the face solely as a strategy for becoming an object of desire. An example of a technique used by women to disguise their true selves in order to please men. The act of applying makeup is often described by women as a means of art or an enjoyable hobby, which is a myth. They only do it for attention.
noun: make-up
cosmetics such as lipstick or powder applied to the face, used to enhance or alter the appearance.
My target is people who think women only use makeup to appeal to men. My strategy was speaking as an ignorant person and immediately shutting down the suggestion that women apply makeup because it’s fun or a work of art. They make it clear that they think the only purpose makeup serves women is to please men, and even states a very good reason many women actually wear makeup, but immediately claims it to be a lie and demeans women more by saying they only do it for attention. The hint of satire comes from the speaker suggesting that women might simply just where it for fun or as a piece of art.
Homework: Work, usually in the form of paper, students are not paid to do at home. It serves as an excellent source of fuel for summer bonfires.
ReplyDeletenoun: homework
schoolwork that a student is required to do at home.
My target is homework and the massive amounts we have to do. The joke comes from the fact that we have so much of it that we can use it for summer bon fires. I also focused on the fact that the extra work we get we are not paid to do, which many students feel is ridiculous. So a subtarget of this definition may be those students and their resentment towards the homework given by teachers every night.
Slut: A female who chooses to engage in sexual relations with multiple partners and do what she wants with her own body, therefore lowering her status in society to sub-human. A female with this the status of sub-human is to be ashamed for making decisions about her sex life that has little to no affect on the lives of others.
noun: slut
a woman who has many casual sexual partners.
My target is people who give respect to certain women based on the sex they have. My strategy is talking about how these “sluts” are not to be respected because it makes them into a person less than human in the eyes of society. The satire appears at the end when the speaker admits to the behaviors of these “sluts” have little to no affect on their lives. It shows the ignorance and judgmental attitudes of society and their disrespect for women. By not respecting sluts, people are not respecting women, because that is showing that they only respect women who do things the way they think women should, which is completely sexist.
Madison, overall you do an excellent job undermining the positions you seem to take but actually satirize with irony. However, the make-up definition does not so clearly undermine the position the definition seems to take. Including something obviously absurd like "women are known to have no thoughts other than of what men think about them" might help. What do you think?
DeleteLiterally, adv. It is literally the best way to emphasize the importance of a sentence.
ReplyDeleteReal Definition , In a literal manner or sense; exactly.
This definition is targeting all the people in society that use the word literally way to often to emphasize a point. This definition uses connotation to emphasize my opinion on the word.
Originality, n. A talent on the brink of extinction. Yet everyone claims to have the last remains of this ancient talent.
Real Definition , The ability to think independently and creatively.
This definition is targeting the fact that so many people claim to be original, however it is obvious that original are a dying breed. This definition uses comparison between originality being dead and people thinking that they are original to show how people aren't original anymore.
Swagger, v. The ability to walk and talk confidently with your pants at your ankles.
Real Definition , Walk or behave in a very confident and typically arrogant or aggressive way.
This definition is mocking the people in society that think they are so cool, and are better than anyone else, but they look and sound ridiculous.
Barista, n. A name for an employee at your local Starbucks that makes you feel like you're in chemistry class again.
Real Definition , A person, usually a coffeehouse employee, who prepares and serves espresso-based coffee drinks.
This definition is mocking the fact that a barista bores the customer by making coffee into such a long process.
Plagiarism, n. No, I didn’t steal these definitions. I made them up myself.
Real Definition , The practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own.
This definition is targeting the people, especially students that claim something as their own, even when there is proof that they didn't make it. The definition is voiced in as if I didn't make these definitions, but I am claiming I did. It is also ironic because I did make these definitions.
Greer, the definitions are great! (The explanations use the vocabulary of satire a bit sloppily, but that doesn't change the sharp, inventive humor of the definitions.)
DeleteDEGREE, n. A piece of paper as expensive as 200,000 dollars that over qualifies you for the job you will most likely have for the rest of your life.
ReplyDeleteDictionary: an academic rank conferred by a college or university after examination or after completion of a course of study, or conferred as an honor on a distinguished person.
Target/ Explanation: The American educational system as well as those who look down on people who don’t go to college. I used an inversion here by stating that it's not wise to spend so much money on an education that is not worth the time to many students.
BITCH, n. A woman with an opinion, also a female dog.
Dictionary: [1] a female dog [2] a malicious, unpleasant, selfish person, especially a woman.
Target/ Explanation: People who call women (or others) this term when they are merely speaking their mind and it is inconvenient to the listener. The word itself is invective and may not be deemed appropriate to many. It's definition is simple and straightforward yet unexpected.
OCD (OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER), n. A mental disease that all white girls have when they are organized.
Dictionary: an anxiety disorder in which people have unwanted and repeated thoughts, feelings, ideas, sensations (obsessions), or behaviors that make them feel driven to do something (compulsions).
Target/ Explanation: People who make light of mental disorders. Here I see I've used meiosis to criticize those who make light of mental disorders that people abuse in every day conversation by incorporating it into the definition.
HIPSTER, n. A type of creature found within independent North American coffee shops. They are usually seen sporting a combination of eccentric haircuts, skinny jeans, and band T-shirts that were popular in the 90s. They are becoming progressively more common in today’s social society, in short: mainstream.
Dictionary: a person who follows the latest trends and fashions, especially those regarded as being outside the cultural mainstream.
Target/ Explanation: Poking fun at “hipsters” and people who claim to be them. In this definition I used verbal irony to poke fun at hipsters that claim to be anything but "mainstream.” I also pointed out common cliches that are usually attributed to hipsters to highlight their aspects and habits.
AMERICAN, adj. 20% Italian, 20% Irish, 15% Greek, 5% Dutch, 10% Swiss, 15% German, 5% French, 5% “Native American,” 3% Polish, 2% Serbian. 100% “we need to close our borders to all these illegal immigrants stealing our jobs and tax money.”
Target/ Explanation: American bigots. America, both now and in the past, has claimed the title of "melting pot." I provide this for the majority of the definition, however I then used reversal to flip around this factor, which is ironic in itself, to criticize the racism and bigotry that still exists despite our "melting pot pride."
In the definition of "degree" you have also used hyperbole.
Delete1.) Homework: An option, given to teachers, allowing them to assign work, which causes the students to teach themselves. This is used when the teacher is unable to complete their job requirements.
ReplyDeleteDictionary: noun
schoolwork assigned to be done outside the classroom (distinguished from classwork).
2.
paid work done at home, as piecework.
Explanation: Satirizing: teachers who assign unnecessary homework in order to slack off more in class. Also, those teachers which assign busy work as homework.
Strategy: an exaggeration, also a juvenile satire, coming from the point of view of an angry student.
2.) Teaching: The act of passing on someone’s personal prejudice’s to the younger generations.
Dictionary: noun
1.
the act or profession of a person who teaches.
2.
something that is taught.
Explanation: Satirizing: People who think that all teaching has become is, people passing on their hatred. Those people who have little hope in humanity.
Strategy: Coming off as someone who has that opinion, irony.
3.)Internet: A place where pretentious authors, and melodramatic teenage girls, can avoid seeing a professional therapist, by acting as one.
Dictionary: noun
1.
a vast computer network linking smaller computer networks worldwide (usually preceded by the). The Internet includes commercial, educational, governmental, and other networks, all of which use the same set of communications protocols.
Explanation: Satirizing: Those who act as though they know everything, when on the internet.
Strategy: Invective language to describe the people on the internet, and then hyperbole to describe how they ALL act like therapists.
4.)Youtube: A website, created for people who want to observe creativity, but never partake. Similar to sports fans.
Dictionary: Trademark.
1.
the name of a website on which users can post, view, or share videos.
Explanation: Satirizing: Those who assume that people who spend on of their time on YouTube, do not do anything, or that the have no creativity. "Why would you watch someone else doing it, when you can just go do it yourself?" Strategy: I do this by comparing those viewers to sports fans, who may watch and enjoy sports, but may not necessarily participate in them.
5.)Glasses: Lenses attached to the faces of people with inadequate vision, saving those who natural selection would normally destroy.
Dictionary: glasses, Also called eyeglasses. a device to compensate for defective vision or to protect the eyes from light, dust, and the like, consisting usually of two glass or plastic lenses set in a frame that includes a nosepiece for resting on the bridge of the nose and two side pieces extending over or around the ears (usually used with pair of).
Explanation: Satirizing: People with glasses
Strategy: invective language, and hyperbole which says that people now a days with bad eye sight, would die off. Which they obviously would not.
#1 not "juvenile" but "Juvenalian": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satire#Juvenalian
DeleteFaggot: A humorous term used commonly by males to demean their acquaintances by referring to them as a perfectly normal and functional homosexual human-being.
ReplyDeleteDictionary Definition:Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. A contemptuous term used to refer to a male homosexual.
Explanation:The target is ignorant boys mostly who use harmful words as supposedly "funny" insults but they are really hurtful to others. I used paradox because I took a harmful word and described it as humorous, but I also included the fact that being gay is a completely normal thing and is not offensive.
Bitch: A powerful woman who is as successful as a man. Her success gained from hard work and determination is often undermined because of her gender.
Dictionary Definition:A malicious, unpleasant, selfish person, especially a woman.
Explanation:The target it men who believe that all powerful women are "bitches" because they are intimidated by them I show how women have worked hard to get where they are. I use irony here.
Football Players: The almighty God’s of the High School; the men boys hope to be and girls hope to marry. Commonly seen on Friday’s wearing their jerseys like badges of honor. When the jersey comes off the Gods transform into normal teenage boys. See Cheerleaders.
Dictionary Definition: A person who plays football.
Explanation:The target is the High School Hierarchy that puts the football players on the very top, for example our principal. I used hyperbole here describing the players as Gods.
Boyfriend: A personal sunshine in your life. If too strong the UV rays from his light can lead to things including burns, skin cancer, and even death. Use with caution.
Dictionary Definition:A frequent or favorite male companion.
Explanation:I am satirizing the abusive tendencies that relationships can obtain. I use metaphoric irony here comparing the boyfriends to the sun.
Father: A man that recites unhumorous jokes repeatedly until you laugh.
Dictionary Definition:A male parent.
Explanation:I am satirising my father. I use Horatian satire because it is a light hearted and silly explanation.
Dictionary Definitions:
ReplyDeleteDream-- a succession of images, thoughts, or emotions passing through the mind during sleep.
Sight--the power or faculty of seeing; perception of objects by use of the eyes; vision.
Tattoo-- the act or practice of marking the skin with indelible patterns, pictures, legends, etc., by making punctures in it and inserting pigments.
Drug-- any substance intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation,treatment, or prevention of disease in humans or other animal; any substance intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation,treatment, or prevention of disease in humans or other animals.
Gym--a building or room designed and equipped for indoor sports, exercise,or physical education.
Satirical Definitions: *Target includes explanation*
Dream-- A business man’s fantasies, a student’s hell, a dropout’s loss,and the raging fire that a worker gave up on when he lost sight of the spark.
Target- Dreams because I am trying to show that without dreams we are nothing, that they allow us to strive and live everyday. I am mocking adults in a way because they seem to forget about dreams and because of this loose sight of them. I use hyperbole and also symbolism to convey my target.
Sight-- A sense that is improved when it is lost, being more useful to the blind man than the idiot.
Target- I am mocking humans for being so blind to all the things that go on around them, and opinionated to one perspective. I use paradox mainly in this piece to show that I am not really talking about a more figurative view of sight.
Tattoo-- The most permanent method for people to reveal their deepest secrets and desires to the general public.
Target- People with tattoos, criticizing but also commending them for being so open to other people. I use understatement to get my point across
Drug-- The fast and easy way to brighten your day, and dim your life.
Target- People who do drugs or drugs in general. I use contrast or juxtaposition to show how drugs actually are not good.
Gym-- America has a membership, but they still haven’t used it.
Target- The people of America as a whole because the issue of weight and health is constantly addressed yet many still do nothing about it. This is done through exaggeration or hyperbole, America is not actually a member at the gym or is going to go to the gym.
Nail Polish- adorned talons for social judgment-
ReplyDelete-Standard definition:varnish applied to the fingernails or toenails to color them or make them shiny.
-The girls who paint their nails and care much about their looks. Also society that cares so much about looks and insignificant details of a persons.
I'm using understatements to make the person think more about the problem, and also using incongruity to express what they are “adorned talons” have very opposite feelings to them.
Refrigerator- domesticated wall of “accomplishments” and faked happiness-
-Standard definition: an appliance or compartment that is artificially kept cool and used to store food and drink.
-the norms of house life and what people value in their lives. We have the need to show off our accomplishments subtlety and the pictures that are magnified are satirizing the people who show the pictures that are taken when posing.
I m using reversal to take a normal situation and turning it upside down.
Bouquet- The collective sacrifice of natural beauty to honor civilized affections.
-Standard definition:an attractively arranged bunch of flowers, especially one presented as a gift or carried at a ceremony.
-Satirizing society and how they value beauty with no thought on what effects and casualties it causes.
“Collective sacrifice” is invective when talking about plants.
Remote Control- The captives leash used to create happiness for the individual trapped in their sofa cushion.
-Standard definition: control of a machine or apparatus from a distance by means of signals transmitted from a radio or electronic device.
-Making fun of lazy people ( which is most people in today's society) who can't escape the control of temptations of the entertainment world.
I am using hyperbole and dramatic irony. Calling it a leash makes the people feel helpless and they don't have any control, and they don't realize that they are helpless which makes it dramatic.
Wifi Password- 42(the meaning of life)
-Standard definition: a facility allowing computers, smartphones, or other devices to connect to the Internet or communicate with one another wirelessly within a particular area.
-It is satirizes how people value their privacy o a point of extreme and how the entertainment business have the top priority.
It is an Allusion because the readers needs some context to the supercomputer.Also I am using incongruity to exaggerate how valuable our privacy is too us.
Make sure you check the definitions of the vocabulary (see: understatement) and proofread carefully (affections or affectations?).
DeleteGina Ciarametaro
ReplyDeleteJames Cook
October 30, 2014
D Block
School: A place where everyone loves to go from Monday-Friday
Formal Definition: an institution for educating children
Explanation: im targeting school students. And the strategy I used is reversal. And this is because a majority of students dont like school
Friends: People that are always there for you and never make fun of you
Formal Definition: a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically exclusive of sexual or family relations.
Explanation: In this Im targeting specific people in my life. Because when most people think of friends they think of people that are always there for you. And the strategy I used is reversal.
Cell Phones: Something people never use to cheat on a test or bully each other
Formal Definition: Cellular Phone
Explanation: In this im targeting teenagers that know that they use there phone to cheat and they think teachers dont know. And the strategy I used in this is reversal.
Street Chat: A phone app that people use to post nice pictures and write wonderful things about each other
Formal Definiton:Street Chat is gaining popularity with students and has stirred up a mess of controversy after reports surfaced that naked pictures were being posted in news feeds. The app, which is formerly called Gaggle, uses GPS coordinates to help generate a list of schools in the area.
Explanation: in this Im targeting people who use this app to bully people and post nasty things. And the strategy I used is reversal.
Makeup: Something girls where just impress and get guys.
Formal Definiton: cosmetics such as lipstick or powder applied to the face, used to enhance or alter the appearance.
Explanation: In this im targeting people who make fun of girls who wear to much makeup. And they think that the only reason thety do it is to get guys. The strategy I use in this is sarcasm and reversal.
Satire: A completely serious way that you are taught to write and read in English Class.
Formal Definition: the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.
Explanation: in this Im targeting is people who read satire and think that it is a completely serious thing. The strategy I use exaggeration and sarcasm.
Mr. Anderson: A well respected man in Gloucester High School that everyone looks up to because he always makes the right decisions
Formal Definition: GHS school principal
Explanation: In this im targeting the principle of our high school. Many people in this school dont really like him. And many teachers dont agree with his desisions
Proofread carefully and remember this blog is public.
DeleteMoney- The greatest object to ever exist, its value is second to none and worth more than life itself. Maybe even their own life.
ReplyDeleteDefinition: A current medium of exchange in the form of coins and banknotes
Explanation-I’m targeting the greedy people who value money above all else and will do anything to get it. I over exaggerate the subject
War- The only way to settle a difference or disagreement between two forces, the first and last course of action no matter the cost. A so called day of battle for an eternal “peace”.
Definition: A state of armed conflict between two states, nations, or groups.
Explanation- My target are the people who advocate war as the only solution and don't take into account the alternatives and the real cost of war. I emphasize my point through a contradictory statement
School- Overrated, unnecessary, and just a complete waste of time and resources. After all what has education ever done for anyone?
Definition: An institution for education
Explanation-People blow off an education because it's "no big deal" and never think of how it will affect their lives. Use of an absurd strategy.
Ebola- The disease that will destroy all of mankind. Nothing can stop the virus that leaves the obese, drunken, pro gun, americans awestruck in its rampage.
Definition: An infectious and very fatal disease spread through contact and located mainly in Africa
Explanation-Americans are worrying about Ebola and while it is a terrible virus it is overshadowing many other killers in the U.S like Heart Disease and Drugs. Uses strategy of hyperbole
Books: A form of printed writing that does little to help the human race as a whole and doesn’t add to culture or intelligence.
Definition:A written or printed work consisting of pages glued or sewn together along one side and bound in covers.
Explanation- This focuses on people who are ignorant to cultural importance of reading books and all they have to offer.
When defining "books" and "school," you use verbal irony to state the opposite of what you mean. When doing this it is useful to suggest that you are being ironic by including detail that undermines the logic of the statement, so "school" might include the question "when was the last time you saw someone get a better job just because they had been to college?" The answer is, of course, *all the time* so the inclusion of this question would signal to the reader that the definition is intentionally ironic.
Deleteyouth- a time in life where people do not care about anything of importance, and it does not matter when they do.
ReplyDeletedictionary-the condition of being young.
explanation- I am trying to satirize older people who at one moment say that the opinions of younger people have no real value because they are too inexperienced, but then say that younger people don't care about anything that really matters.
traditional- a form of values from a time that brought many people unhappiness, values that must be preserved.
dictionary-of or pertaining to tradition.
explanation- I was trying to satirize the people who try to defend their own beliefs or someone else’s by calling them “traditional”. People of the past with these values were very intolerant of many groups of people, and now people brush off bigotry by calling it "traditional".
emotions- Something humans possess, that, if shown at all, it is shown too much.
dictionary-an affective state of consciousness in which joy, sorrow, fear, hate, or the like, is experienced, as distinguished from cognitive and volitional states of consciousness.
explanation-I am trying to show how some people are uncomfortable with showing emotion, and then get uncomfortable when others do.
textbooks- items of no importance, highly irrelevant, until the night before a test.
dictionary-a book used by students as a standard work for a particular branch of study.
explanation- My target was students who put off studying until the night before the test.
disorganized- sometimes in some kind of order, depending on who is asked.
dictionary- functioning without adequate order, systemization, or planning; uncoordinated.
explanation-I am trying to show how people often think that their way of doing things is the only right way of doing things.
Don't forget to discuss the strategies you use in the definitions. Also when using verbal irony it's useful to include information that undermines the stated position so it's clear to the reader that you mean the opposite: you do this effectively in the definition of "textbooks". In the definition of "traditional" you might have included "values that must be preserved, like "bigotry, prejudice, and fear of all things new and different."
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