Word Confusion: Parody versus Satire

Posted July 9, 2020 by kddidit in Author Resources, Self-Editing, Word Confusions, Writing

Revised as of
14 Dec 2022

I’ve always been confused over the difference between parody and satire, and it turns out to be a fair confusion, as both are very similar in that they make fun of things, people, events, etc.

The difference is that parody is a humorous imitation of a book, film, song, poem, etc., meant to poke fun at the original’s style or intentions.

A satire is a unique work that uses humor to point out how stupid or mean people can be, usually concerning contemporary issues, using biting humor, hyperbole, sarcasm, irony, etc., to lay bare the toxic absurdity of civilization.

You may also want to explore “Parity versus Parody“.

Word Confusions . . .

. . . started as my way of dealing with a professional frustration with properly spelled words that were out of context in manuscripts I was editing as well as books I was reviewing. It evolved into a sharing of information with y’all. I’m hoping you’ll share with us words that have been a bête noire for you from either end.

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Parody	Satire
This Magazine is Crazy, March 1959, is possibly by Tony Couch, courtesy of Comic Book Plus and in the public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. — A parody of Mad Magazine.	Satirical Restroom Sign is courtesy of Openclipart and is in the public domain, via Public Domain Vectors.org.
Part of Grammar:
Noun; Verb, transitive Plural for the noun: parodies Gerund: parodying Third person present verb: parodies Past tense or past participle: parodied Present participle: parodying	Noun Plural: satires
Noun: An imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect An imitation or version of something that falls far short of the real thing A travesty A burlesque imitation of a musical composition Any humorous, satirical, or burlesque imitation, as of a person, event, etc. [parody Mass] The use in the 16th century of borrowed material in a musical setting of the Mass Verb, transitive: Produce a humorously exaggerated imitation of a writer, artist, or genre Mimic humorously, poorly, or feebly Travesty	The use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues A play, novel, film, or other work which uses satire A genre of literature characterized by the use of satire [In Latin literature] A literary miscellany, especially a poem ridiculing prevalent vices or follies
Examples:
Noun: Did you see his hilarious parody of Hamlet’s soliloquy? Some followers of Teraoka’s work have wondered why an artist so closely identified with clever parodies of traditional Japanese styles would turn to a Western medieval format. His acting is a parody of his past greatness. He gave her a parody of a smile. “Jacques Offenbach in his operettas, e.g., Orpheus in the Netherworld, frequently parodied serious opera” (Parody). “The composer of a parody mass used as his model a vocal work such as a chanson, madrigal, or motet, freely reorganizing and expanding the original material, often inserting new sections between borrowed, modified passages” (Parody). Verb, transitive: Mr Punch’s Prize Novels parodies the leading writers of the day. Voltaire’s Candide, in which Pangloss takes the place of Mentor, will parody the genre. Funny and cleverly written (but for one misuse of the word inferred), this light-hearted and engaging story parodies the spy genre without sacrificing the reader’s involvement. Cast members pose as correspondents as they parody mainstream media’s failure to provide robust, independent journalism. The ridiculous metal guitars were parodied hilariously by worthy MIDI keyboards, but here they are reveled in, with no irony intended.	Three of the most common types of satire include Horatian, Juvenalian, and Menippean. Gulliver’s Travels, by Jonathan Swift, is a satire of eighteenth-century British society. Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and the farcical social engagements and light wit contained in Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest are both examples of Horatian satire. Saturday Night Live frequently presents skits of stinging satire on American politics. Mike Rendell specializes in the Georgian English time period and frequently employs artists such as Thomas Rowlandson, James Gillray, Henry William Bunbury, and others who created satirical prints. In English literature, satire may be held to have begun with Chaucer, who was followed by many 15th century writers, including Dunbar. About halfway through, however, the piece moves up a gear, turning into an entertaining satire on tourism that cleverly manipulates its audience while letting us think we’re in control. One of the oldest verse satires is the ancient Egyptian The Satire of the Trades.
Derivatives:
Adjective: parodiable, parodic, parodical, unparodied Noun: parodist, self-parody, self-parodies.	Adjective: satiric, satirical Adverb: satirically Noun: nonsatire, satirist Verb: satirize
History of the Word:
Late 16th century, via the late Latin from the Greek parōidia meaning burlesque poem, which is from para- (beside (expressing alteration)) + ōidē (ode).	Early 16th century from the French, or from the Latin satira, a later form of satura meaning poetic medley.

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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!

Satisfy your curiosity about other Word Confusions on its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.

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