Satire

[poliphilo]

The new Channel More4 (or Mofo as I think they'd like us to call it) kicked off last night with a brilliant comedy drama about the Blair government. It was lotsa fun and Bernard Hill (Theoden in LOTR) was amazingly good as former Home Secretary David Blunkett.

But does satire change anything? Has a government ever been brought down by it?
Britain has a robust tradition of political satire going back to the 18th century and in all that time we haven't had a single revolution. Instead of hanging politicians from lamp posts we point the finger at them and snigger.

So satire acts as a safety valve, protecting those in power.

Comments

[sorenr.livejournal.com]

So satire acts as a safety valve, protecting those in power.

Does it really? Can something not be subversive without inducing a revolution? Satire on its own will, of course, not bring down a government, but if one sees the satire as merely one element in a greater public discourse, then surely it does have some merit and one might even say that this humorous element to politics is one of the defining characteristics of the modern, Western democracy. I'm sure this could be more eloquently put, but not by me right now... :-(

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I don't deny that satire has merit. I luuurve satire. but I do wonder whether it actually ever changes anything.

I mean Tony Blair is still there in spite of everything....