In Justin Simien’s presentation regarding his film “Dear White People,” he remarked on the role that satire played in furthering the message of his film. It was interesting to hear his beliefs regarding the use of satire in addressing social issues. In the informal question and answer session, it was discussed how satire is an important tool, one that can make volatile topics such as race more accessible to a wider audience.

This notion is backed up by a few historical parallels that I wanted to point out. An interesting anecdote that relates to the force of satire can be seen in the  decline of dueling in the 19th and 20th centuries. Dueling was a means of settling disputes in England and Continental Europe. It also existed in the early days of the United States. It was based on a code of honor, and revolved around a participant’s desire to “gain satisfaction” and restore one’s honor by demonstrating a willingness to risk one’s life. However, this practice began an irreversible decline by around the time of the civil war. This decline occurred, not because of legislation, but because of public opinion. Cartoons and news articles began to mock the unnecessarily violent practice.

Benjamin Franklin denounced the activity as unnecessarily violent and George Washington encouraged his officers to abstain from dueling. As the historian William Oliver Stevens put it: “Solemn gentlemen went to the field of honor only to be laughed at by the younger generation; that was more than any custom, no matter how sanctified by tradition, could endure.”

Satirists of the time furthered these critiques of dueling in their literary works. Political cartoons enjoyed poking fun at the activity by depicting pictures of lavishly dressed men wielding oversized pistols as they carried out an elaborate ritual to fight for their honor. This seemed to contrast the masculine nature of the activity with the excessive, almost feminine, theatrics with which it was associated.

I thought that this anecdote related to Justin Simien’s usage of satire to address to topic of racism in modern society. Its sensible that humor can be an effective vehicle with which to highlight absurdities in the world around us. Similarly, satirical portraits of Hitler in Nazi Germany were also used to undermine the absurdities of his beliefs. This served unify those who disagreed with his inhuman political ideologies.

The idea of a ‘post racial society’ is contested by many. America and other countries straddle an ambiguous and uncomfortable line; a line where legislation asserts equality for all while social beliefs and practices continue contradict what is professed to be a societal colorblindness. By confronting these issues more directly, a satirical critique allows an audience to witness the absurdity of certain view points.