Satire: A Many Splendoured Thing?

When is satire not satire? Or rather, can satire be broken down into subtypes according to subject? The reason I'm posing this question is that there seems to be some perception, both in the online satire world and the wider media, that 'celebrity satire' (I presume that by this is meant satire which focuses on celebrities, rather than satire by celebrities), is somehow different than 'political satire', and, according to no less a publication than the New York Times, is more difficult to write. Indeed, an article there recently stated that: "Addressing life-or-death stakes, political satire is often driven by anger and partisanship. Celebrity culture is more elusive. Its genuine appeal is that it offers the escapism of a demented fairy tale, playing to the public’s envy of wealth, beauty and fame, as well as to its schadenfreude about sham marriages, drug problems and other common blights of celebrity life."

Obviously, the first response to such assertions is that there is no such thing as 'celebrity satire'. Or 'poltical satire', for that matter. There is simply satire - the techniques remain the same, only the targets differ. Before enlarging on this argument, it would, perhaps, be instructive to restate what 'satire' actually is: "the act of attacking any wickedness, folly or abuse by mockery, sarcasm etc...that which reveals the faults, pretensions etc of a person as ridiculous." (Penguin English Dictionary). Now, I'd say that the latter part of that definition, in particular, pretty much sums up what so-called 'celebrity satire' does. What better target for 'mockery, sarcasm' is there than the "escapism of a demented fairy tale" which constitutes celebrity culture? Which individuals are more deserving of having their "faults, pretensions etc" revealed as ridiculous than celebrities, with their "sham marriages, drug problems and other blights"? And isn't the "public's envy of wealth, beauty and fame" equally deserving of being satirised? So, I'm really not sure why anyone should think that writing satire about celebrities is any more difficult than writing it about politicians.

In fact, I'd go further, and argue that there is actually no difference whatsoever in satirising celebrities and politicians, for the simple reason that celebrities are political. The fact that 'celebrities' appear to have replaced religious, artistic or even political figures as aspirational role models for modern society, is deeply political. The fact is that these 'celebrities' are used to sell, via the media, a whole (primarily consumerist) lifestyle to the masses. They are also conveniently used to distract attention from unsavoury political developments when the need arises. Let's face it, with the popular media (here in the UK, at least) currently obsessed with trivia in the form of celebrity gossip, discussion of the real issues, such as social deprivation, the war on terror, the erosion of our civil rights, for instance, are being increasingly marginalised. Consequently, outside of the highbrow broadsheets, proper debate of such issues is non-existent. If Marx was alive today, I'm sure he'd be telling us that celebrity gossip was the opiate of the masses.

But these celebrities are political in more overt ways: we seem to have reached a stage where no issue is taken seriously unless it has been endorsed by some has-been pop singer or fading actor. Hell, Africa didn't even exist until Bob Geldolf told us they have famines there! But seriously, this extends increasingly to political campaigns and even endorsement of political candidates (or in the case of Governor Schwarzenegger, the celebrity is the candidate). While I'm about it, let's not forget that most of these celebrities are effectively media constructs, their images manipulated not just to sell products, but to influence opinions. I don't know about the US, but here in the UK the media, particularly the print media, are often overtly political, owned by the likes of Rupert Murdoch, who shamelessly use their outlets to try and influence both politicians and public opinion, in order to create an environment more favourable to them.

So, and I can only speak for myself here, when I satirise celebrities and their whole sub-culture, I am satirising politics. The two are inextricably linked.