Why Satire Fails in Today’s Absurd Reality

Why Satire Fails in Today’s Absurd Reality October 30, 2024

Satire used to be a joy. I could sit down, spin out a story about a time-traveling anti-vaxxer or a pastor’s absurd “accidental” run-ins with risqué toys, and readers would laugh knowingly, finding solace in the sharp humor of an alternate reality that felt plausible—but never too real. Yet, as the last few years have taught us, sometimes reality outdoes our wildest imagination. For someone who used to thrive on absurd satire, I can hardly keep up.

Consider this: I once wrote a piece where the Los Angeles Police Department received a “record number of calls” during the Super Bowl halftime show—calls about noise, hooligans, and “loud music” as hip-hop icons performed on stage. It was supposed to poke fun at the Boomer generation’s paranoia about everything “urban” (as Michael Scott would cringingly put it). But what happened? The article practically became a live-action reality when some people genuinely reacted to the event in exactly that way. People actually tuned into news networks to discuss the “un-American” nature of a halftime show. This is the world we live in, where satire gets outdone by actual news headlines.

Or take, for instance, the “discovery” that Christians were relieved to learn Hell is real. The satire was rooted in the irony of folks who profess unconditional love but then “celebrate” a literal inferno for anyone who dared to disagree with them. You’d think this would be funny enough to stay fiction. But as I learned, this satirical piece about joyful condemnation struck so close to home that it needed a “this is satire” disclaimer. Some readers actually reached out, assuming that maybe, just maybe, this story was true—because in their minds, that’s what some believers would indeed do. Satire couldn’t even hold the line on theological wish-fulfillment.

But even these pieces feel tame compared to the mess that has ensued. I’ve touched on themes of politicians creating legislation that borders on science fiction. For example, I once wrote a piece about politicians endorsing prayer campaigns to ward off climate change instead of, you know, taking real action. The satire played with the absurdity of seeing politicians push “thoughts and prayers” as an actual solution. Yet, as I soon discovered, similar proposals were indeed popping up across social media and even in some statehouses (especially when it comes to gun violence). Here we have an environmental crisis of epic proportions, and yet, there are folks seriously suggesting that prayers alone could somehow cool down the planet.

Then there’s the more outlandish satire—pieces that even I thought were so absurd as to be impossible to believe. Take the one about the GOP sponsoring an “Ankles Only” bill to police women’s public attire. The very premise was meant to be laughable, highlighting a ridiculous obsession with controlling women’s bodies. And yet, that article didn’t feel too far removed from real bills we’re seeing across state legislatures today—bills that control women and ultimately do nothing but reinforce patriarchal ideals in the name of “family values.” The distance between satire and reality, again, is growing ever thinner.

And how could we forget the pièce de résistance: a story on Marjorie Taylor Greene. This satire suggested she might soon believe she’s under the control of aliens. It was meant to exaggerate her actual conspiracy theories, to push the envelope on her credulity, the way satire should. But, much to my dismay, the lines blurred. The joke practically wrote itself when she proposed theories that teetered dangerously close to my fabricated “alien control” story. Here’s someone whose real beliefs—Jewish space lasers, QAnon-endorsed bullshit, Democrat-driven hurricanes—have turned a satirical article into a biography.

So, what’s a satirist to do when the world beats you to the punchline? I’ve found myself in the bizarre position of shelving satirical stories because I genuinely fear they’ll come true before the ink dries. The job of satire is to exaggerate for effect, but what happens when the reality outpaces the exaggeration?

And while it’s tempting to walk away from the satire game, there’s something to be said for continuing to try. Because, ultimately, satire holds up a mirror. Even if it’s often mistaken for real news these days, it can still spark reflection, still nudge readers to consider the strangeness of the world we’re living in. Sure, maybe I have to add disclaimers now; maybe I have to stay one step ahead of the outrage machine. But satire’s job isn’t just to make us laugh—it’s to make us think.

So, as absurdity becomes the new norm, perhaps satire’s role is evolving. Instead of concocting “fake news” about an overly pious pastor who finds himself outed by his own hidden collection of questionable paraphernalia, maybe I’ll write about the realities that are almost too surreal to believe. Because, in today’s world, what’s more absurd than the truth?


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About Matthew J. Distefano
Matthew J. Distefano is an author, blogger, podcaster, and publisher. He lives in Northern California with his wife and daughter You can read more about the author here.
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