November 23, 2003
HOW TO WRITE FUNNY
Satire -- not that I’m an expert -- can involve exaggerating a known circumstance for intended comic effect. For example, we know that The Independent is easily frightened by stories of environmental destruction and also believes George W. Bush to be evil. So to satirise The Independent you might take these elements and boost them to an absurd level, perhaps by claiming that Bush was prepared to kill people with deadly sun rays just to score a few votes. Something like this:
President George Bush has brought the international treaty aimed at repairing the Earth's vital ozone layer close to breakdown, risking millions of cancers, to benefit strawberry and tomato growers in the electorally critical state of Florida, The Independent on Sunday can reveal.
See? It’s so easy! Why, with a little work you could almost pass this off as a real story.
Posted by Tim Blair at November 23, 2003 09:06 PMAlongside this wacko story is a huge banner ad reading, "Robert Fisk -- Read our Middle East correspondent's challenging reports." How many papers boast about distorted coverage?
You are right Tim, you're not an expert at satire, and would barely qualify for entry to the remedial class.
Why not try commenting on the actual article? Or is it that you can't do "intelligent" either?
Posted by: True Brit at November 25, 2003 at 05:18 AM