How to Be a Political Satirist

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By eHow Contributing Writer

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There have been funny pages with a political bent since newspapers went into print. However, the Internet and the popularity of many political television shows and books has brought political satire to the forefront. Follow these steps to begin your foray into political satire.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Step 1

Become familiar with the current style of political satire. As with most comedic arts, what may have worked 10 years ago may not now. It's a mystery how humor fluctuates on a massive cultural scale, but it affects the way many comedic performers deliver. Keep your work current.
Step 2

Learn as much about the political climate as possible. The most successful political satirists are highly intelligent, well-informed people who use humor to express their views.
Step 3

Practice your material on tape or video and in front of groups of people. It can take a while to develop your style. Often, how you think we look and sound is far cry from how you actually appear to an audience.

Tips & Warnings

In many countries, people use political satire to subtly convey opinions which may be illegal to express outright.
Don't simply imitate someone else. A person who imitates is rarely as successful, and people often dismiss them rather quickly as an untalented copycat.
If you are planning to do political satire in print, it may be easier to judge your own work, as the performance element is removed. However, it's still a good idea to get outside, objective opinions.

Resources

Comments

cmoorecole said

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on 11/2/2007 Step 4 - Recognize that Republicans find Democrats funny only if they don't realize they're listening to a Democrat, at which time, they dummy up and stop laughing. Try to find a liberal audience if you are liberal, or expect a really tough house. Should you be hoping to become a Republican satirist/comic the world is your oyster as there are actually no funny right-wing comics or pundits, unless you count Ann Coulter who is the Republican version of Sarah Silverman, only far more foul.