Just Satire

What possible function might satire play in an age of echo chambers and algorithms, where fake news reigns supreme and politicians speak and act in a constant state of hyperbole? At a time when satire is adopted and championed by the same powerful forces it was originally meant to critique, can it ever truly be just?

Drawing on examples from two thousand years of comedic history, including his own sendup of contemporary Mennonite culture, award-winning satirist Andrew Unger explores the diverse functions and limitations of satire in our present political and social climate. Unger argues that the greatest threat to satire comes not from twenty-first century political correctness, but from the same factor that has always challenged its effectiveness—a lack of literacy. In Just Satire, Unger asks: what is satire? Why should we use it? Who should we target with it? How can we detect, understand, and write it? From Desiderus Erasmus and Jonathan Swift to Borat and Barbie, Unger raises questions about politics, religion, and public discourse with implications that extend far beyond the world of creative writing and comedy.