According to Dictionary.com, satire is “a literary composition, in verse or prose, in which human folly and vice are held up to scorn, derision, or ridicule.” For my first #SatireSunday, why not begin with something close to home? After all, the best insight comes from within, right?
In a profound declaration of what Americans expect from their country, The Onion reports how our “Nation Just Wants To Be Safe, Happy, Rich, Comfortable, Entertained At All Times.”
The following is an excerpt of the findings:
WASHINGTON—In a new report released Wednesday by the Pew Research center, Americans indicated that when it comes to what they expect from their country, all they really want is to be safe, happy, rich, comfortable, and entertained at absolutely all times.
In addition, the U.S. populace reportedly wondered whether it was too much to ask that they always be healthy, fulfilled, successful, safe, loved, relaxed, inspired, motivated, worry-free, and content every second of their lives from birth until death “given that this is America, after all.”
Click here to read the rest of the article on The Onion website.
Personally, I think this is great. I really do find it interesting that so many US Citizens have these specific desires and expectations from their country (for the ones featured are only a fraction of the amount of people I’ve spoken to who wish the same). It is clearly an appropriate description of our mental state as a people in regards to what constitutes a happy and fulfilling existence. We really are a simple people.
Now that you’ve peeled the layers…
what are your thoughts, my friends? Think the research reported in The Onion portrays an accurate picture of Americans and their desires/expectations? What do you think was the function of reporting these findings in a satirical format?
Reference:
“Nation Just Wants To Be Safe, Happy, Rich, Comfortable, Entertained At All Times.” The Onion. N.p., 01 Aug. 2013. Web. <http://www.theonion.com/article/nation-just-wants-be-safe-happy-rich-comfortable-e-53662>.
