No.1 Satire

1.   The use of appropriation and intertextuality in satire:

Choose a novel which you have read, preferably one that would be well-known by the general public, and consider how it could be satirised in the way we have discussed the makers of “The Simpsons” appropriate famous texts.

Write a submission to the makers of “The Simpsons”, “Family Guy” or “South Park” to present your ideas for an episode. Include a brief 3-4 sentence synopsis of the main storyline of the original text, followed by 2-3 sentences which outline the major themes which your episode would focus on.   (10 marks)

Harry Potter the novel series is a non fictional book based around a boy called Harry Potter who goes to the school of Hogwarts where he faces many problems and evil where his final battle is against the evil Lord Voldemort who is the basis around the novel and why Harry goes through school. This could be a good satirical novel because things such as Voldemort's nose being massive even though in the movies and novels he has no nose and Harry Potter's scar is an capital L for LOSER instead of it being a lighting bolt shape. The novel could be satirical as many of the things that are in the novel that are not real and do not seem to be dangerous or very funny could have a satirical side to them.

Submission to Family Guy:

Dear Family Guy

I am submitting an idea for an episode based around the Harry Potter novel series for your next episode. Harry Potter could be used within Family Guy like you created Star Wars. Each character could represent another character from Harry Potter. 

Peter Griffin should be Professor Dumbledore because of the opposite that those two are Dumbledore being really wise and Peter an idiot.

Stewie should be Lord Voldemort because of his evil and his feelings towards his family as Lord Voldemort has towards Dumbledore and Harry Potter. 

Meg should be Hermione

Lois should Mrs Weasley

Bryan should be Ronald Weasley 

Chris should be Harry Potter

I believe that the episode should follow the last Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as this has some very good scenes of all the characters and can have some very funny and black humour during the fighting. This episode could also really focus on Harry (Chris) v.s Voldemort (Stewie) in battle.

Satire Handbook

Satire Poem No.5

5.       Write a satirical poem about school life.  A poem of up  to 12 lines is worth 10 marks; a poem up to 20 lines is worth 15 marks.

School is full of restrictions
With things like computers becoming our addictions
They are suppose to be the way of the future
But are only helping us spread more rumours


Classrooms are suppose to help us learn
And think of things to help fix the world concerns
But when the bell rings for us to go
Everything stops as if it was a show


Exams are always a hassle
And they give work to us just like it was shrapnel
Plus we've got extra-curriculum and sport
So by the end of it we fall short

Satire Project

End of Year Satirical Project

SATIRE

PERSONAL CHOICE WORKSHEET

Instructions:

·         Choose a range of activities which you feel you can do well.

·         The chosen activities must add up to 50 marks.

·         Submit each activity as it is completed.

1.       The use of appropriation and intertextuality in satire:

Choose a novel which you have read, preferably one that would be well-known by the general public, and consider how it could be satirised in the way we have discussed the makers of “The Simpsons” appropriate famous texts.

Write a submission to the makers of “The Simpsons”, “Family Guy” or “South Park” to present your ideas for an episode. Include a brief 3-4 sentence synopsis of the main storyline of the original text, followed by 2-3 sentences which outline the major themes which your episode would focus on.   (10 marks)

2.       Continue activity #1 and design a  storyboard of about 20 frames outlining your episode. You can only do this exercise if you have already submitted activity #1 for comment/marking.  (15 marks).

3.       You may do activity 3 and 4 with a partner:

“CNNNN” was a satirical programme by The Chaser which parodied the 24hour news channels. Imagine that the programme was to be resurrected. Consider ONE current news topic (within the last month) and write the script which the newsreader would give from behind the desk. Include at least one live cross to a reporter “on the spot”. You do not have to read out the segment, but as a guide to required length it should last for 1.5 – 2 minutes when read. (15 marks)

4.       Once you have completed activity #3 and submitted it for marking, you can act out the segment, using PowerPoint to create suitable backdrops for the newsreader and the live cross to the on-the-spot reporter. (15 marks)

5.       Write a satirical poem about school life.  A poem of up  to 12 lines is worth 10 marks; a poem up to 20 lines is worth 15 marks.

6.        We briefly discussed in class why it is that some topics seem to be off-limits to satire (The Holocaust, 9/11, Islam etc), although that is not to say they are NEVER satirised. Choose a topic which you believe should not be satirised, and use it to write a speech to be given at a Public Speaking Competition. Your speech should last about 2 minutes when read – you do not have to give the speech, simply write it. (15 marks)

7.       Convert your written speech to notes on palm cards and present it to the class. (10 marks)

8.       You have been invited to design the cover for a handbook to be given to Year 9 students studying Satire. The brief requests that the cover has a montage containing definitions, famous satirical comments, caricatures, and at least one satirical cartoon. Put forward your design. (5 marks)

9.       Write a submission as to why your favourite satirical television show should be shown to the class. Your submission should include a brief synopsis of the plot, and a listing of all the elements of society which are parodied in the episode, as well as a listing, with examples, of techniques used. If your submission is chosen (assuming the programme is of a suitable censorship rating and is available on DVD or on-line) we will watch it together in class. (5 marks)

10.   Design a worksheet, suitable for Year 9 students, which could be completed after viewing your suggested programme. It must have at least 5 short answer/multiple choice questions; 2 questions which require 3-4 sentence responses; a research question (such as the history of satire in English literature) which requires at least a paragraph response.  (5 marks)

11.   GROUP PRESENTATION – 4 STUDENTS

Many families do not allow shows like “The Simpsons” to be watched because they are seen by some parents to be almost subversive, teaching incorrect moral values and showing bad examples of behaviour to the young. As a group, script a dinner party discussion between two parents who are against allowing their pre-teen children to watch shows like this, and two other parents who feel there is much to be gained by allowing their pre-teen children to view it. Use example from actual episodes of the show. You must present this interesting dinner party conversation to the class and it should last for about 2-3 minutes. (15 marks – this is the total for both writing and presenting)

End of Year Satirical Project

SATIRE

PERSONAL CHOICE WORKSHEET

Instructions:

·         Choose a range of activities which you feel you can do well.

·         The chosen activities must add up to 50 marks.

·         Submit each activity as it is completed.

   1.       The use of appropriation and intertextuality in satire:

Choose a novel which you have read, preferably one that would be well-known by the general public, and consider how it could be satirised in the way we have discussed the makers of “The Simpsons” appropriate famous texts.

Write a submission to the makers of “The Simpsons”, “Family Guy” or “South Park” to present your ideas for an episode. Include a brief 3-4 sentence synopsis of the main storyline of the original text, followed by 2-3 sentences which outline the major themes which your episode would focus on.   (10 marks)

    2.       Continue activity #1 and design a  storyboard of about 20 frames outlining your episode. You can only do this exercise if you have already submitted activity #1 for comment/marking.  (15 marks).

   3.       You may do activity 3 and 4 with a partner:

“CNNNN” was a satirical programme by The Chaser which parodied the 24hour news channels. Imagine that the programme was to be resurrected. Consider ONE current news topic (within the last month) and write the script which the newsreader would give from behind the desk. Include at least one live cross to a reporter “on the spot”. You do not have to read out the segment, but as a guide to required length it should last for 1.5 – 2 minutes when read. (15 marks)

    4.  Once you have completed activity #3 and submitted it for marking, you can act out the segment, using PowerPoint to create suitable backdrops for the newsreader and the live cross to the on-the-spot reporter. (15 marks)

    5.       Write a satirical poem about school life.  A poem of up  to 12 lines is worth 10 marks; a poem up to 20 lines is worth 15 marks.

    6.  We briefly discussed in class why it is that some topics seem to be off-limits to satire (The Holocaust, 9/11, Islam etc), although that is not to say they are NEVER satirised. Choose a topic which you believe should not be satirised, and use it to write a speech to be given at a Public Speaking Competition. Your speech should last about 2 minutes when read – you do not have to give the speech, simply write it. (15 marks)

    7.  Convert your written speech to notes on palm cards and present it to the class. (10 marks)

   8.       You have been invited to design the cover for a handbook to be given to Year 9 students studying Satire. The brief requests that the cover has a montage containing definitions, famous satirical comments, caricatures, and at least one satirical cartoon. Put forward your design. (5 marks)

   

   9.   Write a submission as to why your favourite satirical television show should be shown to the class. Your submission should include a brief synopsis of the plot, and a listing of all the elements of society which are parodied in the episode, as well as a listing, with examples, of techniques used. If your submission is chosen (assuming the programme is of a suitable censorship rating and is available on DVD or on-line) we will watch it together in class. (5 marks)

    

   10. Design a worksheet, suitable for Year 9 students, which could be completed after viewing your suggested programme. It must have at least 5 short answer/multiple choice questions; 2 questions which require 3-4 sentence responses; a research question (such as the history of satire in English literature) which requires at least a paragraph response.  (5 marks)

   11.   GROUP PRESENTATION – 4 STUDENTS

Many families do not allow shows like “The Simpsons” to be watched because they are seen by some parents to be almost subversive, teaching incorrect moral values and showing bad examples of behaviour to the young. As a group, script a dinner party discussion between two parents who are against allowing their pre-teen children to watch shows like this, and two other parents who feel there is much to be gained by allowing their pre-teen children to view it. Use example from actual episodes of the show. You must present this interesting dinner party conversation to the class and it should last for about 2-3 minutes. (15 marks – this is the total for both writing and presenting)

Satire

Analysis of Satirical Cartoons

The event that is being inspired for this cartoon is when Prime Minister Julia Gillard created the Carbon Tax to help lower Australia's carbon uses which many people do not think is necessary and is wasting tax payer's money. There are a few known people who include American President Barack Obama, Prince Charles of England and Julia Gillard and there are also the Prime Minister's of the U.K, China, India and Canada. There is only one symbol which is of the poo in the water which represents the Carbon Tax and that is represents that no one wants it or wants to be near it and people are running away from it like the characters in the cartoon. I believe the cartoonist's opinion is that he does not like the Carbon Tax as well as the other countries and the Australian public. I don't think he is alone about his opinion as this Carbon Tax has had a lot of controversy and criticised discussion and represents the publisher because many articles that publisher are showing are about Julia Gillard and her Carbon Tax. I do agree with the cartoonist's opinion as it is something that not many people want to have or be near and a turd in a swimming pool is the perfect symbol to be used for this.





This cartoon is of the back end of a Qantas plane which instead of having a kangaroo, has a crossed fingered hand which is about how Qantas engines were having problems and many flights had to be cancelled because of them. There are no know people in this cartoon besides the international business Qantas. The only real symbol which signifies this cartoon is the crossed fingered hand which represents how this plane and the company of Qantas hopes that their planes are safe and that there will be no crashes. I believe the cartoon's opinion is that he feels that Qantas does not really know how good their engines are and how reliable they are and that they are very worried about their planes flying because of the engine problems that they have had. I do not agree with the cartoonist because a company as wealthy, powerful and respected as Qantas would never put their planes back into the air unless they were 100% sure that their would not be any problems either with their engines or anything else. I also think that the author is with 50% of the public but is also with the Herald.

Satirical Cartoons

Text Number	Why it made me laugh	Techniques Utilised
15	It made me laugh because how David Hicks who looks so small and innocent is being prosecuted by this big monster who is representing the American government and the American army has weapons sticking out of him of mass destruction.	The author has used caricature and exaggeration,
13	It made me laugh because they have put two important faces of the world onto two evil characters of an Austin Powers movie.	The author has used exaggeration, parody and reversal.
14	It made me laugh because it shows John Howard lying to the Australian people like he supposedly did throughout his time as PM.	The author uses exaggeration and parody.
2	It made me laugh because the PM is getting numerous portraits of her being painted where she is shown to have a big nose even though in real life she does not.	The author uses exaggeration and caricature.
1	It made me laugh because the man is wearing a shirt to symbolise a revolution within his country	Irony

Anh Do - Winner of Australian Literary Prize 2011

1.  Who did Anh’s father rescue from the concentration camp?

a)      His eldest son who would later become Young Australian of the Year

b)      His wife’s two brothers who had worked for the Australian military

c)       Two of the armed guards at the camp who were really employees of the Australian military and were in disguise.

   2.       What was the length of the fishing boat in which they escaped and how many people were on it?

a)      40 metres long with 9 people

b)      9 metres long with 40 people

c)       20 metres long with 20 people

   3.       What honour was Anh’s brother given in 2005?

a)      Australian Refugee of the Year

b)      Australian of the Year

c)       Young Australian of the Year

   4.       What was the main lesson which Anh’s parents insisted that he learn after coming to Australia?

To get everything out of being in Australia and take all the chances that are given to them.

   5.       Why was Anh able to attend a prestigious school like St Aloyisius?

a)      He worked in a sweatshop to earn enough money to pay his fees

b)      He won a half scholarship

c)      St Aloyisius always takes in a certain number of refugees as part of their charity work

   6.       Explain how Anh tried to overcome the problem of having no text books for his lessons.

   7.       Describe what he wore instead of the official sports uniform.

His mother would buy similar-looking clothes from the local St Vincent’s de Paul shop and sew on an Aloysius’ badge.

   8.       True or false:

a)     His mother earned less than $7 an hour as a cleaner in a hotel.  T   or  F

b)      At school, Anh was the class clown and this was when he knew he had a future as a comedian.    T   or   F

c)      He was often punished at school with a strap.    T   or   F

d)      No-one at school knew at the time that Anh and his family were poor.  T   or   F

e)      Anh’s father left the family when Anh was growing up.   T   or  F

   9.       What did Anh study at University?

a)      Fine Arts, majoring in Drama

b)      Law

c)       Pure Mathematics

   10.   What did Anh do for his mother when he was only 23 years old?

a)      Gave her money for a holiday back in Vietnam

b)      Arranged for her to come and see his first public performance as a comedian

c)       Bought her a house

   11.   How old was Anh at the time of this interview?

a)      30

b)      33

c)       40

   13.   Was Anh the victim of racism as he grew up? Anh was a victim of racism as he grew up because he was a Vietnamese immigrant who could not speak English properly and did not allow him to fit in to many 'Australian' kids.

   14.   Write ONE extra question which you would like Adam to have asked Anh, and what do you think the answer would have been? One extra question which I would have like Adam to have asked Anh was 'Throughout your whole life there have been numerous struggles and complications that could not have been good for anyone. How did you and how do you cope with these problems and stay so happy in life even though you know you are an immigrant, you were bullied at school, your childhood wasn't the best childhood someone could have asked for etc'. 
      I think that Anh would have replied with saying that he felt so thankful for his whole family and himself to be able to survive the trip to Australia and be able to leave within Australia where they could all start their lives over again.

Wei-Lei and Me (Aditi Gouvernel)

Wei-Lei and Me (Aditi Gouvernel)

  1.  What word in the opening sentence means ‘short and flat’? Pug

  2.  What is so ‘Australian’ about Barry West? He has a red stained face which is because he has become so burnt from the Australian sun.

  3.  What is the opening interaction between the two characters about? They were playing tag and Barry did not want to be tipped by the author's 'dirty' hands.

  4.  What is the protagonist’s home country? India

  5.  What word means “noble and splendid”? (p75) Aristocrat

  6.  In what way is the protagonist’s home country “aristocratic”? 

  7.  Where did the protagonist’s father move his family to? Why? He moved his family to Canberra the ACT. So that their family could be added within history and the history of the new country Australia.

  8.  What is the protagonist’s attitude towards the citizenship ceremony? (pp75-6) She does not remember much which shows she did care much about being Australian unlike her parents who kept their citizenship awards locked in a vault with other precious and important items.

  9.  How is Barry West the antagonist? He bullies her a lot and is the main person within the story that she talks about the most who seems to be the 'bad guy' within the author's story.

  10.What is the irony of the comments made by Amy and Cris? (p76) Their last names suggest that they are also foreigners and it is ironic that they are bullying someone who is an immigrant but they are immigrants themselves.

  11.What is “you have to face the world” a metaphor for? (p76) It is a metaphor for suggesting to the author that she must go into the world and face any problems that are shown to her.

  12.What is the teacher’s hair compared to? Is this an example of a metaphor or simile? (p77) Her teacher's hair is compared to the warmth of the heaters because she has red hair which usually symbolises fire or heat. This is an example of a metaphor.

  13.How is the children’s cruel creativity put into action once Wei-Lei arrives? (p77) They change his last name from Lei which sounds like wee to piss which is another name for wee. They also start to tease him about his name, what he looks like and everything Asian about him.

  14. Explain the relevance of the ‘cat and toy’ metaphor. (p77) The relevance is that the cat are all of the school children who are bullying Wei-Lei and the toy is Wei-Lei who is being bullied and controlled by like a toy who is being played with by a cat.

  15.How does the children’s cruel creativity have a more sinister side? The children cruel creativity start to get Wei-Lei physically hurt by Barry West which started from just names and to physically bullying and cruelty.

  16.What does the protagonist mean by “the afternoon passed like a death sentence”? (p78) The afternoon passed as if the protagonist was being sentenced to death and the feeling that comes with that.

  17.Why does the protagonist see everything Indian “lit by a spotlight”? (p78) Because she has never had anyone come to her house before who wasn't Indian and so the culture that she lives would be completely different to someone else and she realises that when Wei-Lei arrives.

  18.How does the story build to a climax? (p79) The story builds to a climax as the author and Wei-Lei become best friends and try and avoid Barry West until they go on a school excursion which means that they may be separated and Barry West will be with one of them.

  19.What is the irony of Barry’s fate? (p80) It is ironic that Barry moves to Jakarta which is in Indonesia and is a completely foreign place which is exactly like when the author moved from her home country of India to a foreign place of Australia. This means that Barry will be the odd one out when he moves and may be bullied as the new and different kid just like the author and Wei-Lei was from Barry.

  20.Explain what the protagonist means by “as our faces changed, so did Canberra” (p81). The protagonist means that when she and Wei-Lei started to become happy and enjoying life more that Barry West had gone it was as if Canberra felt that Barry had gone and everything thing felt better and happier and filled with more joy then when he was in Canberra.

  21.What do you think the protagonists’ definition of being Australian would be? (p81) I think that the protagonist's definition of being Australian would be people who like to drink alcohol, go to university and talk to their friends about their longed for difference.

Why Does it Matter No.2?

Read any story that we haven't read yet and write a review of the story and explain why it matters. Why should anyone care about the story/read it?


Relatives of Learning My Language by Amy Choi


This story matters and is one that people should care about or take an interest in as it tells the reader about the guilt that the author faces when she realises that over her childhood years she had never wanted to listen or be with her grandfather because of the language barrier that the author had made for herself.


The author feels that the barrier between her grandfather and herself through her language  is something that she does not take to much worry about in her younger years and this is something that she should not be blamed for. Younger children, whether they are Australians or Asians do not want to talk to old people when they have friends to play with and school to go to but those feelings soon to catch up to her when she is in her late teens and the author and her family are at their grandfathers funeral 'At the funeral, my sadness was overshadowed by a sense of regret. I'd denied my grandfather the commonest of kindness.' The author feels that her relationship with her grandfather was a struggle because of the language barrier and that family is something that should never be something of an effort to be with and talk to.


The author's feeling of regret strives her to re-learn her native language and be not only willing but able to speak to Chinese elders when they want to speak to her. This feeling that the author has is one that is something that people who are not Asians feels that these people do not have and because of their differences in their culture and appearance we feel that theirs feeling will be different to ours as well. 


This story is important and one that people should care about as it tells us about the importance of family and that family should not be something that has to be stopped by a language.

Why Does it Matter?

Read any story that we haven't read yet and write a review of the story and explain why it matters. Why should anyone care about the story/read it?

The Ganges and its Tributaries by Christopher Cyrill

This story is about the rituals and feelings that the author's family brings to their home and life within Australia from India and how they create the essence of India within their Australian home.

This story matters and is one that people should care about or read as it gives a different culture perspective of immigrants who come to Australia, not just Asians but in this case Indians. This story reveals to us many of the rituals and beliefs that the author and his family have and how they incorporated their heritage into a new country and home just like many other immigrants to Australia. 

The author tells us about how his father created the map of India out of wood and indicated important places on the wood map. This reveals to us the sense of belonging that many immigrants have to their home country and that they have the same feelings and emotions as we do towards our country.
The author’s religion has many rituals and beliefs that must be incorporated into his home and daily life. This gives the reader a better insight into how people such as Indians who follow their religion of Islam and helps us to eliminate our stereotypical feelings towards these people because of that.
The importance of this story is to give the reader an insight into the author’s life and how their family deals with their new home and incorporated their religion into their daily lives and created symbols of remembrance towards their heritage and old country.

My First Kiss by Lian Low

1. How does the author describe Malaysia in regards to showing affection? Malaysia does not allow people, especially homosexuals to show affection in any way in public.

2. What happens to the author when she hits puberty? When the author hits puberty she starts to have feelings about popular girls and envisioning being a man with a flat chest.  

3. What is the author’s experience at school when she first arrives to Melbourne? When the author goes to her new school in Melbourne she is only approached by other overseas-born Asians and not any white boys or girls.

4. What is it that made the author feel that she wasn’t Australian even though she spoke English fluently? The author is placed into a Second Language Class for people who do not speak English as their first language which is all of the overseas-born Asians like herself even though she can speak English fluently and easily.

5. What else was it about the author that further alienated her from her peers? When ever the author starts to speak her peers can easily hear her Malaysian accent and the author never uses the Australian slang such as 'g'day' or 'mate'. 

6. What does the use of description like ‘crash hot’ do to the audience’s perception of the author? It gives the author the perception that she is queer and using descriptions like 'crash hot' shows that.

7. What opportunity does university give the author? What is it about university which would allow her to express herself more freely? It gives the author the opportunity to have her first kiss. She is able to do things like movies to express how she feels and the way she is through acting.

8. What role does creativity play for the author? Why do you think that creativity would be so important to her? The role of creativity helps the author to express her feelings in the way of films. It helps her overcome the worries in life that she has such as being queer.