Good Satire Topics for a Paper

Writing satire is an aspect of writing nearly anyone can do. However, writing good satire is much more difficult. There is a fine line between bad satire and good satire that can easily be crossed if one is not careful. In order to develop good satire however, you must first pick an appropriate topic. In general, satire requires you to act as if you approve of something in order to mock it instead of attacking it directly.

Local Issues

While it is true you see examples of satire on the national level, that does not mean satirizing issues at the local level is off limits. If there is an issue in your local area that you believe would be a candidate for a good satire topic, write about it. For example, if you believe the mayor of your city is doing a terrible job and you want to write a satire about how he couldn't make a good decision if his life depended on it, write about it. You can even satirize your school you desire to do so, however make sure it is okay with your teacher before doing so.

Political

This is arguably the most popular for of satire. There are many things you can satirize in politics, be it the President, a nationally known governor or a famous congressman. Political satire has been around as long as there has been politics, so do not be afraid of satirizing this subject: chances are it has been done before.

Foreign Affairs

Sometimes the best subjects for satire do not occur in your own country. Therefore, it is perfectly fine to satirize events that have happened or are happening in other countries. Perhaps a country is being ill-treated and you want to satirize this subject somehow, or perhaps royalty in another country made a blunder in front of a large audience. For instance, Englishman Jonathan Swift's Swift's famous essay, "A Modest Proposal," made a bogus case for eating babies as the solution to famine in Ireland, as opposed to aiding the Irish.

Pop Culture

Pop culture is another topic that is very popular to satirize as well. The beauty about pop culture is that most people know about it, therefore you will not need to keep your audience as much in mind as you write your paper. Scandals and celebrity mishaps, as well as movies, music, and television shows, are all open to your satirical paper. Most important of all, open your mind and be creative; a satirical paper can be fun, but must also get a point across when the reader is finished reading your text. Perhaps you could introduce Lindsay Lohan or Charlie Sheen as your life coach and explain, with tongue firmly in cheek, what great role models they make.

References

• Val Writing: Satirical Essay Topics