The Pen as Weapon: The Art of Satire Rice 2015

The Pen as Weapon: The Art of Satire Rice 2015
Offered	2015
Campus(es)	Rice
Instructor(s)	Chase "most likely to have normal pants" Erwin
TA(s)	Eloiss “least likely to look metal" Hulsbrink

About the class

What do "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah," Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal," Kurt Vonnegut's "Cat's Cradle," Gary Trudeau's "Doonesbury," and "The Simpsons" all have in common? In a word: satire. Join your witty peers in an exploration of satire, the art of exposing the foibles and pitfalls of society, institutions, and individuals through wit and comedy. Discuss satire's role in social and political movements and examine the ways in which pointed humor, irony, and exaggeration can quickly lead to controversy and even violence depending upon political, religious, and geographic contexts. Analyze what constitutes well-written satire, and how authors successfully navigate an ever-changing cultural landscape to create humorous and constructive social criticism. - Official class description

Class list

The following includes student names and superlatives. These superlatives are 100% accurate. They are not an example of satire in any way, shape, or form. Please keep this in mind as you peruse the list.

• Tory
  • least likely to accessorize.
• Alex Cannon
  • least likely to be awkward.
• Kaylie Carpenter
  • most likely to move to Texas.
• Ana Carvallo
  • least likely to drop a beat.
• Jane Johnson
  • least likely to be called Jane.
• Maks Skrobowski
  • most likely to show American pride.
• Tara Fredenburg
  • most likely to be a meninist.
• Bradley French
  • least likely to wear a toga.
• Paige Gadapee
  • least likely to slay.
• Kenzie Hardt
  • least likely to join a sorority.
• Aditi Lohe
  • least likely to be the “elephant in the room.”
• Dillon Morgan
  • most likely to graduate high school.
• Cooper
  • most likely to hate Steven Universe.
• Chan Presson
  • least likely to be a terrorist.
• Denice Rios
  • least likely to get cut with an ice cube.
• Elise Sexton
  • least likely to name her first-born child Meat.
• Becca
  • least aesthetic.
• Andi Vonhilsheimer
  • least likely to roast.