"Satire" is a Latin word (satura, meaning a "mixed dish" or medley). It is arguably the most important form of humor because it has a moral purpose: to shame individuals or society into improvement.
The Romans: Juvenal vs. Horace
The Romans invented the two main styles of satire we still use: 1. Horatian: Gentle, smiling satire. It pokes fun at human foibles with a witty, indulgent tone (e.g., The Simpsons). 2. Juvenalian: Bitter, angry satire. It attacks vice and corruption with savage scorn (e.g., South Park or George Carlin).
The Enlightenment: A Modest Proposal
In 1729, Jonathan Swift wrote the most famous piece of satire in English history: A Modest Proposal. To solve the problem of poverty in Ireland, he suggested that the poor sell their children as food to the rich.
It was horrifyingly deadpan. It worked because it took the logic of the British ruling class—that the poor were merely economic units—to its absolute, brutal conclusion.
The News Parody: The Onion
In the late 20th century, satire found a new vehicle: Fake News. The Onion (founded 1988) perfected the art of mimicking the voice of authority (AP Style journalism) to report on absurdity.
Headlines like "Drugs Win Drug War" or "Special Olympics T-Ball Stand Pitches Perfect Game" used the dry language of news to expose societal contradictions.
Satire in the Post-Truth Era
Today, satire faces a new challenge: Reality has become so absurd that it is hard to parody. When real news headlines read like Onion articles, satirists have to work harder to find the "truth" through exaggeration. But as long as there is power, there will be someone making fun of it.