Satirical Music For Students: What Problems Does It Make Fun Of?

Satirical Music For Students: What Problems Does It Make Fun Of?
Photo by Tamarcus Brown on Unsplash

As a student, you’re probably aware of what satire is. Satire is a relatively new tool of social change. It refers to the act of using humour to criticize a person’s actions or beliefs. It’s often used today regarding political topics or other social issues. While satire was relatively unknown only a few decades ago, it is widely used in pop culture today. Whether it be novels, songs, or movies, satire is employed everywhere. In fact, satire has now actually become its own music genre.

In your time at college, you may find yourself needing to analyze or discuss satirical music. So, it’s important to be knowledgeable about it. Keep reading to find out about satirical music for music and what problems it makes fun of.

Types of Satirical Music

When it comes to satire, there are three primary times. These include:

  • Horatian: this type of satire is a light-hearted comedic social commentary, meant to be entertaining.
  • Juvenalian: this type of satire is dark and aims to highlight social issues.
  • Menippean: this type of satire combines the previous two. It can be light-hearted, entertaining but also points to serious social issues.

When it comes to satirical music, there are two types you should know:

  • Parodies: these are insanely popular. Parody music imitates existing well-known songs, changing the original lyrics to ones that highlight an existing problem.
  • Comedic satire: these are original songs that contain strains of satirical comedy.

Now that you know the types of satirical music let’s look at what problems these songs are making fun of. Many students may find themselves in a position where they need to write a paper on satirical music. It is very common to write essays about music and everything related to it. This is a tricky topic, so don’t worry if you’re lost. You can check out examples of satire essays at https://gradesfixer.com/essay-types/satire-essays/ to know more. If you’re still worried, though, you can opt to get your essay written or edited by a professional who really know satirical music in different types.

Problems That Satirical Music Are Making Fun Of

The best way to see what problems satirical music is making fun of is by looking at the best satire music artists and the music they’re creating.

Here are some problems satirical songs make fun of:

·       Other Music

Many satirical songs make fun of other music genres, especially mainstream music. For example, Blur’s Song 2 was meant to be a satire of grunge music. Similarly, Fight For Your Right by the Beatie Boys was intended to be a satire of hard rock music.

·       Consumerism and Materialism

Many people have become increasingly materialistic in today’s world, absorbed into a world of brands and luxury. This superficial and shallow lifestyle has been the target of much satire music. One such example is He Who Ate All The Caviar by the late Mac Miller.

·       Media

Celebrities are often the target of harsh criticism, especially from media outlets. More often than not, they’re portrayed to be much different than what the reality is.

Satirical music often portrays this poor sensationalized journalism as well. Taylor Swift’s highly successful album ‘Reputation’ included many satirical songs about how the media paints her out to be.

·       Politics

A lot of parodical music is a satire of current political situations. Recently, the 2020 US Presidential Election was the subject of many satirical songs.

Many of these satirical songs are released by small musicians on platforms such as YouTube. One popular satirical song is POLTICLASH: Donald Trump vs. Joe Biden by the creator Paint on YouTube.

How To Use Satire In Music

Suppose you’re pursuing an education in music or just interested in satire. In that case, it’s good to know how to employ the use of satire in songs. These are the most popular techniques used by satire artists:

  • Irony
  • Hyperboles
  • Allegories

Summing Up

Satire is a great tool to use in all kinds of writing. It does a great job of addressing issues in a way that’s easily understood by many. Satirical music, in particular, has become increasingly common, and now you know all about it!

 

Xsnoize Author
Mark Millar is the founder of XS Noize and looks after the daily running of the website as well as hosting interviews for the weekly XS Noize Podcast. Mark's favourite album is Achtung Baby by U2.

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