The film “Punishment Park”, directed by Peter Watkins, is a mock-documentary taking place during the Vietnam War. In this movie, protesters are arrested and forced to choose between prison or participating in Punishment Park, a desert where prisoners are hunted by armed national guard members. The film follows both court hearings and the park itself to show how the government treated political dissent at the time. The film uses an extreme use of irony to show that the way the government claims to uphold democracy while violating people’s rights to do so. The extreme hyperbole of hunting protestors in a desert exaggerated real fears people had at the time about government control and political persecution. The documentary stylings make the film seem rooted in reality, playing off of the very real fear of the government protesters felt and still feel. Punishment Park criticizes the way that the government uses fear to justify oppression and suspending civil liberties in times of political tension in a way that is still very resonant and just as important today. Punishment Park uses satire to provoke its audience and emit an intense response in the viewer by using realism and a hyperbolic, exaggerated premise to make the audience reflect on the actions of government to take freedoms away in times of tension.

House of Leaves is a 2000 novel by Mark Z Danielewski that transcends many conventions of genres and storytelling. Presented as a story within a story within a story (possibly within another story), the core of the book follows the Navidson family’s fresh start in a new house that takes a turn when they discover that one room of the house seems to defy basic logic: it’s three quarters of an inch bigger on the inside than the outside. From there, the house begins to change in stranger and more ominous ways as doors and hallways start mysteriously appearing, leading to dark and endless corridors of nothingness.

House of Leaves has been labelled as many genres by many dedicated readers, ranging from a Lovecraftian horror story to a heartbreaking tale of romance to an encyclopedic novel. However, I think that House of Leaves is also a satire of academic literature.

The book is (mostly) presented as a manuscript of a series of videos about the house and an academic analysis of the content, which utilizes a plethora of footnotes and accurate citations of completely fictional authors. The cited authors often contradict each other, just like actual academic literature, except these contradictions are never resolved. Rather, the academic segments dance around the actual meaning of the art it’s analyzing. Eventually, it gets dizzying to read, especially as the book starts to strongly lean into elements of ergodic literature. A common sentiment shared by fans of the book is often that the footnotes and citations eventually become a chore to read through, as the real reward of the book is learning more about the story of the house and the family inside–the reader begins to value the art more than the detailed analysis accompanying it. In this way, Danielewski is able to convey his argument of the ridiculousness of academic literature and how it can sometimes retract from the art rather than adding to it.

House of Leaves accurately mimics real academic literature to argue that much of it is overly convoluted and ultimately more meaningless than it appears to be. Satire doesn’t have to be funny or only satire to convey a message using satirical elements, and by blending multiple genres alongside those satirical elements, Danielewski is able to tell a well-rounded story with strong messaging and a deeply captivating plot.

In Raise the Red Lantern, one of the most prominent choices made by the director is choosing to never show the Master’s face clearly. Throughout the two-hour film, his face is never shown clearly. I actually looked it up to make sure, and I couldn’t find a single picture of his face, nor a mention of his face ever being shown somewhat clearly. All of the frames with him either obscure his face with an object, are filmed from the back, and/or are too far to see his face.

By hiding his face, the film shifts from an individual villain to instead highlighting how the real power comes from the system of rules, rituals, and traditions that govern the household. This is especially noticeable in that the system operates perfectly without him present. Throughout the film, the master is often away from the compound. Even so, the wives police each other, and the same customs are still repeated. It’s also shown that the servants do everything for the master: announcing the chosen wife, lighting lanters, enforcing punishments, and carrying out orders. It suggests to the audience how the system is self-sustaining. The system has been carried out long enough that it has been ingrained in everyone involved in it. And those that are new quickly adapt to it, without even being taught how.

I’m not focusing on satire in this post, but this is clearly a reflection of today’s society. Things go on for so long that it becomes a norm; it’s just widely accepted. And overtime boundaries get pushed farther and farther. And those born into it see no way out of it, as everyone is oppressed by the system. The “system” being those in charge and who, as is obvious in todays wold, seem way above the “system”. Over time, the boundaries will be pushed too far, and it may come crashing down. But nevertheless and new one takes its place.

The faceless nature of the master also portrays power as an impersonal force. Instead of competing with each other for love or emotional connection. They competed for approval from the authority figure. The master isn’t necessarily seen as a person, but just as a symbol of power. Which of course, reflects the idea in society that the oppressive system persists not because of one singular tyrant, but everyone below them, institutions, traditions, and social expectations that keep them running.

Family Guy follows the Griffin family and includes the main characters Peter, Lois, Meg, Chris, Stewie, and Brian. Each episode, the family gets into different situations which can reflect the everyday life of living in America, but obviously, it’s exaggerated for comedic effect. The show uses irony and exaggeration to show satire, especially in Peter’s behavior. In most scenes, he’s displayed as immature, which shows the negative stereotypes about adults, and the frequent cutaways to others show references highlighting how horrible some parts of entertainment and pop culture can be.

Family Guy often criticizes American culture, politics, media, and different trends by exaggerating characters and the situations they get themselves into, and shows how weird some behaviors and beliefs are. This encourages the viewers to think about how society treats politics, fame, and different cultures.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery uses irony and exaggeration with Miles Bron being seen as some great genius billionaire who everyone loves, but over time, people learn to realise that he isn’t that smart, and many of his ideas are exaggerated to make him seem smart while they are actually ridiculous. The film amplifies the behaviour of the rich influencers and displays them as snobby or arrogant while being obsessed with the status that they have. By the creators exaggerating those traits, the movie exposes how ridiculous powerful people can be.

The directors aren’t just making fun of the rich people but also the way that society idolizes billionaires and powerful people without knowing much about them, especially before their fame. Many people do not like or support Bron, but they benefit from his wealth and power, so they stick around and pretend to enjoy themselves around him. This highlights how money can protect people from consequences. By using humor and exaggeration, the film encourages people to question why we admire wealth so much and whether they truly deserve the status that they receive from it.

The sitcom Modern Family is a show and cultural phenomenon that took off in the late 2000s after it premiered in 2009. Modern Family follows the antics of one large and diverse family in Los Angeles, California. Despite being filled with stereotypes and offensive jokes, when taking a closer look at the comedy, Modern Family was actually one of the most progressive shows of the 2010s. Its ingenious comedy helped people learn to accept everyone and treat them like family without losing its unserious energy.

Modern Family is most well known for its masterful use of hyperbole and irony to convey meaningful life lessons while keeping the energy lighthearted. For example, Season 4, Episode 19, “The Future Dunphy,” primarily follows Cam and Mitchell, a gay couple living in Los Angeles with their adopted Vietnamese daughter, Lily. During the course of the episode, Cam and Mitchell feel they need to connect Lily to her Vietnamese culture, and antics ensue. Cam and Mitchell worry that their daughter is “turning white,” and comment that she will become a typical white person if she does not connect with her Vietnamese roots. They joke that she will forget she is Vietnamese and become racist. This is an amazing use of hyperbole to bring comedic light to an issue that many parents of adopted children struggle with. Then situational irony brings the opposite outcome of what is expected. When trying to introduce Lily to Vietnamese culture, Cam and Mitchell are first made fun of by Vietnamese people for their over-the-top attempts to introduce Lily to the culture. Then, to add the cherry on top, Lily begins to hate the Vietnamese culture that is being forced upon her.

While this episode is particularly funny because of the writers’ use of irony and hyperbole, it also comments on several deeper issues beneath the surface. First, it tackles the issue of adoptive parenting—how difficult it can be to raise an adopted child and navigate the challenges of addressing a child’s heritage and native culture. The genius of Modern Family is that its comedic commentary goes even deeper than that. The comedy also comments on the difficulty of being a gay couple with a child in America. The show was released before gay marriage was legalized nationwide and highlights the challenges gay couples faced in American society. It shows how society often labels gay couples as bad parents without actually seeing how they parent and care for their child.

Frozen is a Disney animated film about 2 princesses/sisters, Anna and Elsa, who’s relationship was tested when Elsa progressively lost control of her magical powers and put the kingdom in jeopardy.  While the movie follows a magical fairy tale structure it also challenges many fairy tale expectations. The use of satire in the movie is used to criticize unrealistic ideas about love, heroism, and gender roles.

Traditional gender roles and heroism is challenged in this film by showing that Anna did not need a prince to save her, but instead the true love and sacrifice of her sister. Elsa’s whole persona is extremely ironic because she is the exact opposite of what she intended. All her life she lived in fear, restricted and desperate to hide her powers and protect her kingdom, yet the moment she let herself go she unintentionally caused a disaster. This situation satirizes the unrealistic expectations of leaders, especially women, to remain perfect and in control. By showing Elsa’s struggles throughout the movie viewers gradually understand that true strength comes from accepting imperfections and learning to face challenges instead of running from them. The idea of an eternal winter is a hyperbole, representing the exaggerated effects of Elsa’s fear literally causing an endless winter across the kingdom. For so long she concealed her feelings and anxiety out of fear of being rejected by the world, when she was no longer able to hide her true feelings they exploded, thus highlighting the importance of confronting your emotions. The eternal winter was not on purpose but it was an accidental masterpiece reflecting her own misery.

What’s more ironic than a young queen causing chaos? Another young princess extremely eager for love. Anna’s excitement to finally gain freedom led her into a dangerous situation opposed to the fairy tale ending she expected. After meeting Hans on the first day Anna immediately believes he is her true love and agrees to marry him. Their relationship is a direct parody of the “true love at first sight” narrative where characters instantly fall in love without even knowing the others true objective. The movie exaggerates this through various characters making fun of how unrealistic it is and even an adorable song to top it off. When Hans later reveals that he never truly loved Anna the typical fairy tale prince charming persona quickly fades and she realizes that he wasn’t who he seemed to be. The irony of the situation is that in the midst of searching for love she delivered herself to the main person who had it out for her. While she thought their similarities was fate, he was was simply mimicking her to gain trust and status. In conclusion, don’t trust men and don’t forget to let it go!

Scary Movie is brilliant in the way it satirizes the ridiculousness and predictability of horror/thriller films. This movie is a parody of other good films, like Scream and I Know What You did Last Summer, and plays on embedded dramatic irony in scary movies to make fun of cliches such as the dumb white teenage girl who somehow seems to survive the entire movie. Using satire, this movie plays on several stereotypes that thriller/horror films never seem to beat. The point of satire is to mock common tropes, which is constantly used in Scary Movie but turn them into jokes.

From the opening scene of the dumb blonde getting threatened on a call with an unknown caller, we see the unseriousness of slasher films and how they try to portray teenagers to be dumber than they actually are.
Instead of the anticipation of the killers arrival we start to laugh as a result of his clumsiness and the jokes he makes towards the blonde girl.
On the other hand, this brings some form of attention to how comfortable teenagers sometimes get with strangers especially in the virtual world. They believe there is a virtual barrier created between them and the other person on the phone which allows them to be non hesitant and tranquil about sharing personal information.
This is shown in the scene where the popcorn pops making the killer ask what that sound was and instead of the blonde girl talking about the popcorn she tells him about her fart, which is something people wouldn’t even tell their friends. This depicts the dangers of social media and how it creates a “safe space” for people to over share their personal lives without thinking of the dangers, such as stalking, it may cause. The specific stereotypes used  pushes the ideas on the predictability of what the next scene would be or who would be killed next, possibly the promiscuous popular kid.

Other examples of stereotypes played on in the movie are black girl not knowing who her dad is, girl running upstairs from the killer instead of running outside, the “unexpected” killer which is either the final girls boyfriend or someone from her close circle, girl who tries to run away but somehow trips allowing the killer to get her easily and finally, clueless cops who never seem to figure out who the killer is (spoiler alert: it’s a character close to the case who always  drops hints but somehow seems to go unnoticed).

Even though Scary Movie is a parody, it still carries a few serious messages about horror movies and their stereotypes. By mocking the usual horror patterns, it shows how repetitive and predictable the genre can get when all filmmakers stick to the same script. Instead of putting in complex characters they use the same type of characters with the same background story, making the film seem unrealistic. Additionally, it makes teenagers believe that bad behavior such as partying and sexual behavior would be the cause of their death instead of actually teaching teenagers why such behavior is categorized as immoral or even harmful. Lastly, by making fun of fear it makes the audience realize ridiculous a situation is when you look at it logically, example, Buffy telling the killer what she’s supposed to do before he eventually gets her and kills her whiles laughing at the situation she’s in. It helps the audience to realize that she’s not every fearful situation is a helpless one.

In conclusion, Scary Movie brings attention to the laziness in the horror film industry and how most story lines have been recycled with new characters who somehow still have the same storyline.

The comedic TV show series Abbott Elementary (2021-present) created by Quinta Brunson, centers around teachers and staff in a predominantly Black public school that is underfunded in Philadelphia. The show also covers the themes of how public schools are funded, and why it’s important to have Black teachers and representation in schools. Abbott Elementary is popular and has grown recognition not only because of its humor, but also because of how relatable the characters are to current society, the daily challenges that occur in the classroom, and how they overcome the hurdles in the educational field. 

Abbott Elementary uses the satire techniques of hyperbole and irony, but specifically situational irony. Hyperbole is evident through Ava Coleman, and how she uses her power and authority in her role as principal. She is repetitively self-centered, and uses funding for the school for personal satisfaction including when she bought a massive sign with her face on it instead of using the funding for resources and materials so that their students can succeed. This emphasizes the struggle to navigate circumstances in the workforce surrounding education through comedy. The situational irony is represented through the teachers having to fundraise through crowdfunding for school supplies while the district uses their money for expensive purchases that have nothing to do with uplifting the school and those within it making it unbeneficial. 

Overall, Abbott Elementary is not only making fun of some of the decisions that the faculty makes but also trying to challenge the false narrative about schools that are underfunded. Specifically by focusing on how the root of this issue is through the institutions that are failing these schools through the funding that they provide for them and how they use money themselves. The purpose of the humor in this series is to create a sense of urgency and call to action for viewers to also take the time to invest and do their own education surrounding public schools, and how they are essential in society. This work is attempting to make it clear that public schools are necessary in society. To change society, it starts with being properly educated and given the proper tools to do so. 

Comedy as a genre at it’s simplest, is centered around making people laugh by telling a funny joke. But when used correctly at it’s core, comedy is used to address things one can’t say normally. As Peter Ustinov once said “Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious.” The Office is one of the best examples of this, with it being a comedic satire of workplace culture. Instead of jokes the show takes everyday office archetypes and exaggerates them to a ridiculous extent, making them apparent to the viewer.

One example of how it does this is through Michael Scott, the regional manager, who serves as the clearest example of satire in the entire show. His innate desire to be liked and his continuous misunderstanding of professionalism parallels the idea the idea that leadership does not automatically equal competence. Episodes in the show highlight Michael’s tendencies to make inappropriate jokes or bad motivational speeches, highlighting how some managers prioritize popularity over actual management abilities.

Dwight Schrute is another exaggerate workplace norm: the incredibly loyal, rule-obsessed employee. His unneeded addiction to authority, hierarchy, and insane sense of pride in the company rules mock how serious people treat relatively simple office jobs. Dwight’s extreme nature turns simple jobs into high stakes missions, showing the comedic gap between the actual importance of the job and his belief behind its importance.

Jim Halpert and Pam Beesly are one of the last big examples of The Office’s satire element(there are more, but these three are the most obvious). They act as window’s into the chaos for the audience, directly acknowledging how ridiculous their co-workers can be. Their reactions, often shown by sly glances at the camera, help acknowledge everything going on and how completely nonsensical it is. These two characters help reinforce the satire by showing the that even though this behavior has become somewhat normalized, some characters can still recognize the insanity of what’s happening around them/

The rich cast of characters in The Office come together to turn a normally paper company into a comedy based criticism on corporate environments. By exaggerating some stereotypical workplace personas, The Office exposes awkward social dynamics, misplaced ambition, and everyday problems with office life. This results in a television show that is both funny and incredibly aware about the office environment.

In 2021, the film “Don’t Look Up” was released.  It follows the story of two scientists who discover a comet that will destroy Earth in about six months. When revealed to the public and the government, everyone refuses to respond with urgency. The media treats it as entertainment, people try to profit from it, politicians refuse to acknowledge it, and the public splits into two sides deciding whether or not the comet is real.

The comet is widely accepted as a symbol of climate change. The efforts of people throughout the movie highlight what is happening in our own world today with climate change. Scientists have been warning about climate change for decades, and there have, of course, been major efforts to divert and delay the life ending affects of this. Nevertheless, scientists warn that the tipping point (1.5 degrees Celsius increase) will be reached in the next two decades. There, of course, needs to be even more drastic efforts taken. Despite this, and the countless forms of evidence provided, governments often stall on climate policy. This is echoed in the movie’s politicians, who delay action and divert attention.

In the movie, there are also large corpotations who want to profit from this by mining the comet. This is echoed in today’s world by corporations producing supersized data centers that rapidly use water, energy, and resources to enhance AI. Prioritizing the use of AI and focusing on profit instead of being aware of what they are doing to the environment.

The film is also heavily focused on the satire of politics. The President delays actions on the comet in fear that it will affect elections. Later, she uses it to drive publicity and public popularity for her campaign. Obviously, this is reflected in today’s world where certain politicians run entire campagins off certain issues and turn away once they have been elected.  To further this, “Don’t Look Up” splits the public in belviers and non-believers of the comet. This is represented in our society with the extreme polarization of the republican and Democratic parties, which has created a political atmosphere of extreme tensions and the inability to work together.

The film uses absurd humor and exaggerated characters to show how irrational humans can become. If creates a comedic atmosphere, but it is obviously a reflection of real societal patterns.

The main goal of this movie is to highlight how society sometimes refuses to respond to existential threats because of political polarization, profits driven decsions, and public misinformation.

Aristotle defines comedy as anything where the main character rises in fortune throughout, ending in a higher position than where they began. Some may claim this is an outdated definition, but I feel as if this definition contributes to the plot of many movies, and counts as a meaningful art form.

The 1999 movie, 10 Things I Hate About You, follows the two main characters Kat Stratford and Patrick Verona as they slowly and unexpectedly, to themselves, fall in love. It starts as a set up plotted by Cameron James because he had a crush on Kats twin sister, Bianca Stratford. The twins dad had a rule where Bianca was only going to be allowed to date if Kat started dating. Cameron found this out and set up Patrick and Kat so he would be able to take Bianca out himself.

In this movie, Aristotle’s definition of a comedy shines through as in the beginning some might consider both Kat and Patrick at a lower level because they were both lonely and independent people. As they start to catch feeling for each other and fall in love, you could consider this their status increasing because they now both have each other as companions and aren’t miserable being alone. While this may indicate that people in relationships are better than people not in them, that is not always the case, it is just the structure that this movie, and a lot of other cliche romantic comedy’s follow in order to hook the audience.

Aristotle’s definition of comedy is being used in this movie to show the message that the things you think you may want for yourself isn’t always what is going to be best for you or what you need. Many other movies use his definition in a similar way, as a backbone to prove a point or teach people a separate lesson. Without the use of Arterioles definition of comedy, the lesson wouldn’t have been as effective to the viewer, but because it was used, people can get a better grasp at the life lesson being communicated in the movie.

Although Aristotle’s definition of comedy may be considered outdated by some, it is still used effectively and meaningfully in many movies and TV shows, mainly as the backbone to teach a separate lesson or message.

The philosopher Aristotle believed comedy could be a meaningful art form because it reflects authentic human behavior and it can also help audiences better understand life. While many people believe comedies to simply entertain, some shows use humor to explore deeper ideas about people and relationships. The sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine shows that idea by using humor to show friendship, leadership and overall growth in life.

On example of this is the character, Jake Peralta. In the show he is portrayed as immature and often makes jokes in serious situations, even though they make for a lot of funny moments. However, throughout the show, he grows into a more responsible detective and also friend. He learns to care more about his coworkers and begins to take his job more seriously. His character shows his improvement over time and also helps others understand that people can mature and really grow up over time even if they start out with some flaws.

Another example of this is shown through Captain Raymond Holt. His character is always serious, which pairs well for many comedic moments with Jake, and also contrasts many of the other detectives that work with him. At the same time, Holt is an excellent leader who encourages his team to work together and support one another. His character also shows how leadership can be based on fairness, discipline and respect.

Overall, Brooklyn Nine-Nine supports this idea that comedy can be art and entertain, but also serves good life lessons to the audience. As shows are filled with jokes and otherwise crazy situations, it also explores real life scenarios and personal growth that comes with. Comedy not only helps the audience laugh and enjoy the content, but also helps understand human beings as a whole.

When people think of comedy, they often assume it is just entertainment meant to make people laugh. However, comedy can also reveal deeper truths about human nature. The philosopher Aristotle argued that comedy imitates real life in a way that highlights human flaws and behaviors. The TV show The Officeis a great example of this idea because it uses humor to explore relationships, insecurity, ambition, and the awkwardness of everyday life.

At first glance, The Office seems like a simple workplace comedy about employees at the Dunder Mifflin Scott, played by Steve Carell, who often create uncomfortable or ridiculous situations. Michael constantly tries to be liked by his employees, even though his attempts usually fail. While this is funny, it also reflects a real human desire: the need to belong and be respected. Through humor, the show reveals how people sometimes act awkwardly or make mistakes while trying to connect with others.

Another way The Office enhances our understanding of human nature is through its relationships. The slow-developing relationship between Jim and Pan shows how ordinary people struggle with timing, fear, and uncertainty in love. Their story feels realistic because it shows hesitation, misses opportunities, and personal growth. Even though many scenes are comedic, the emotional moments remind viewers that life in the workplace is not just about jobs; it is about friendships and personal connections.

The show also comments on modern work culture. Many viewers recognize the boredom of office routines, the awkward meetings, and the strange personalities found in workplaces. By exaggerating these situations, The Office allows audiences to laugh at experiences that might otherwise feel frustrating. In this way, comedy helps people process everyday struggles and see them from a different perspective.

Overall, The Office proves that comedy can be a meaningful art form rather than just simple entertainment. By showing flawed characters, realistic relationships, and relatable workplace situations, the series helps viewers understand human behavior more deeply.

One example of contemporary satire is the movie Mean Girls (2004), written by Tina Fey. The film is about a teenager named Cady Heron, who has been homeschooled her whole life in Africa and moved to attend an American high school. She at first didn’t comprehend the complex social standards of high school, but she soon joined Regina George’s popular group, “The Plastics.” Cady starts acting exactly like the people she used to criticize as she spends more time attempting to get popularity.

The movie uses several satirical techniques, such as exaggeration and irony. For example, the popular girls adhere to ridiculous standards about behavior and attire, such as wearing pink only on Wednesdays. This exaggerates how high school groups determine who is allowed to join a friend group. The movie uses irony as well, since, although Cady’s initial attempts are to show the cruelty of the popular girls, she slowly turns into one of them.

However, Mean Girls is not just making fun of teenagers. The movie criticizes the way social pressure and competition can affect people’s behavior, especially in school environments. It shows how gossip, bullying, and the desire to fit in can harm friendships and self-confidence. By using humor to highlight these problems, the film encourages viewers to think about how people treat each other and how unnecessary social hierarchies can be.

Overall, Mean Girls uses comedy and exaggeration to portray the reality of social pressure and popularity. The satire makes the story entertaining, but it also encourages audiences to reflect on how harmful certain social behaviors can be and why it is important to treat others with respect.

In the 1998 movie The Truman Show, directed by Peter Weir, Jim Carey plays Truman Burbank, unbeknownst to him, the star of a reality TV show. Every second of his life is filmed, edited, and turned into a show for the rest of the world to see. Not even a single other person in Truman’s world is real, as every single one of them are actors, including his wife and best friend. The satirical movie comments on the fabrication of modern reality TV, emphasizing that nothing in reality TV is actually real anymore.

In reality TV shows that you and I know, like Keeping up with the Kardashians, The Real House wives, and Dance moms, things will be exaggerated and edited to gain the most views for the show. This is all done in the hopes of making the most money possible. In the Truman Show they did what real life reality TV producers could only dream of, maxing out on efficiency and profit.

The main satirical strategy used here is Hyperbole. The Truman Show is exaggerating real reality TV to prove a point. In real life, TV show producers face obstacles such as working hours, people not cooperating, missing angles/crucial camera shots, ect. In the Truman Show, the producers found a way to get rid of all of those obstacles , something that real producers have found themselves wishing they could do. The only kicker is, in order to make this dream a reality, they had to take someone’s (Truman’s) life away.

The Ironic thing about the Truman show is that it is labeled as a reality TV when it couldn’t be anything further from reality. It follows Truman through his day to day life and poses as a reality TV show, when everything in it is fake. Its fake world, in a fake dome, with fake people having fake conversations, in Truman’s fake life. There is actually not a single real thing about it. It goes to the absolute extreme to prove how out of hand modern reality TV has gotten. It proves that reality TV should be real, and not rooted in a fake reality.

At the beginning of the movie, Elle Woods gets broken up with by her boyfriend because he thinks thats he isn’t serious enough for Harvard Law School. She wants to prove him wrong so she works hard, gets into Harvard and goes through constant judgment because of how she looks and her personality.

Throughout the movie, Elle proves that she is smart and capable, eventually winning a big court case. She goes from being underestimated to being respected. This shows Aristotles idea of comedy as a rise in power.

Elle isn’t the perfect hero, she starts off kind of shallow but she is likable and is determined. Aristotle says that heroes in comedy are usually average people, and while she comes from wealth she does come from an average standing in life. She is not royalty or powerful, she’s just someone who is trying to prove herself.

The humor in this move shows how people judge others based on stereotypes. While the move is funny, it also is challenging the idea that femininity results in weakness.

By the end, instead of showing a downfall like a tragedy does, it shows growth and success. Thats why comedy is a meaningful art form. It shows us that people can rise, change and succeed in life.

Dear OPRF students and families,

As “Project 2” becomes closer and closer to being completed, we can have a look at all the new amenities that will be included to help boost our athletics programs. With the $101.9 million control budget, the project includes: A 25×40 yard pool, new multi-use gyms, locker and dressing rooms, and a state of the art weight room.

By far, the most exciting part to come is within the new weight room. It is… the OPRF branded weights! A new rendering of the room shows OPRF-branded weights that don’t just look cool, but, according to our athletic department, will “create love for our community and school while working out.”

As a significant part of the project, we believe pouring ~$1,000,000 into this is a great idea. It will significantly help all of our athletic programs out, and be a nice “perk” to our school spirit. “We believe it is important to focus on the things that matter… now, the coaching, nutrition, and much more come second due to them not being as important as how we build our players up; and that comes from those weights,” an OPRF coach stated.

We put trust in our athletic programs, and after a couple of not-so-well years, we know in the 26-27 school year, this hundred-million-dollar project will turn our athletics around.

Students, parents, and community members, get excited to see our school perform like it never has before. Currently, this is our number one priority because our athletics come first; academics, nutrition, and student culture are a discussion for another day. But just know, your money is being used well.

Thanks Huskies!

Oak Park and River Forest High School Students,

In today’s political climate, it can be difficult to feel like you’re doing enough. It seems like every time you turn on the news, there’s a headline that makes you want to crawl back into bed. For high school students especially this can feel overwhelming, like the problems are too big and your voice too small. But never fear, here is a comprehensible guide to internet activism to help high schoolers stay involved, without ever having to leave your bed.

First, the most important thing to do when it comes to internet activism is to change your profile photo. Yes you heard that correctly, changing the tiny photo that appears in the left hand corner when someone clicks on your profile is the best way to ensure that your voice is heard. Nothing sends a stronger message than a carefully selected square image on Instagram (bonus points if the photo of you is flattering too). Ideas include: The picture your mom took of you next to a cardboard cutout of Barack Obama in sixth grade, the Halloween you dressed up as a historical figure (any of them are fine, accuracy is encouraged but not required), or the trip to Washington D.C. where you stood in front of the capital looking bored. Bonus points for maximum action if your profile photo simply says “No hate” or “Love.” 

The next best thing to do is to comment “This” under all political posts you see. It’s ok if you don’t understand what the post is talking about or that the source is widely unreliable, just hope for the best and keep scrolling. This is the best way to contribute and advance political discourse. For those who deeply resonate with a statistic, adding the thumbs-up emoji is a nice touch. It doesn’t actually matter if you’re properly informed, it just matters if you have the appearance of doing so. 

You may hear some people tell you to attend protests, volunteer alongside state representatives, or educate yourself on policy. While these ideas do all exist, they require you to get out of your bed, which is not optimal and are highly inefficient methods of change. After all, history has shown that the greatest social movements were not built on resilience, advocacy, or leadership, but on aesthetically curated social media profiles, a strong Wi-Fi connection, and all efforts made from the comfort of your own bed.