Recommend me a good satire (explanation below)
 

What I mean by "good satire" is one that's borh funny, and reveals something about its subject matter that its target audience doesn't want to admit. In other words, it can't pander to anyone.
I've talked about Ciguli Miguli before, and it's the best example of what I'm talking about. It criticizes communism for destroying local culture, but it also criticizes the people for letting it be destroyed by both neglecting it, and by feeling inferior. I wish I had a more well-known example, but there you go.
Dr. Strangelove, Tropic Thunder and The Great Dictator are great comedies, but they don't have that element of "uncomfortable truth". They just take what you already know and use it to make you laugh. Idiocracy came closer, with Joe admitting that it's his fault the world went to hell, but that's not what the movie is about. It's more about the jokes, with that part being put in so Mike Judge can make it clear he's not here to stroke his ego.

‘District 9’ (2009), ‘Thank You for Smoking’ (2005), ‘Network’ (1976), ‘Videodrome’ (1983).

Re: Recommend me a good satire (explaination below)
 

Have you seen Four Lions?

Re: Recommend me a good satire (explaination below)
 

I never thought of District 9 as a satire. Always thought of it as a straight up sci-fi thriller. Maybe it is?

I’ve read articles classifying it as such; I think in terms of exploring social issues etc, it may well count as a satire... my interpretation of the original post was that pure comedy wasn’t of interest. ‘Satire’ is often used to designate ‘social commentary’, which isn’t helpful, but there we go.

https://www.seattletimes.com/enterta...ama-or-comedy/

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.b...it-in-us%3famp

Re: Recommend me a good satire (explaination below)
 

Oh okay. Does the original Planet of the Apes count as a satire since it explores certain similar issues?

It’s up to you to make up your mind on that.

Re: Recommend me a good satire (explaination below)
 

I think it might just be a matter of distinguishing between allegory and satire. Satire invokes comical exaggeration to make a point whereas allegory is more about straightforward metaphor. A film like, say, Sorry to Bother You emphasises how disadvantaged people of colour are under capitalism by telling a story about a struggling black telemarketer who is only able to succeed by pretending to be white over the phone (to the point of being voiced by a white actor) and it's such a comically absurd premise that it qualifies as satire. District 9 is more of an allegory since it plays its South African setting straight in order to emphasise how the aliens and their segregation into the titular district are reminiscent of apartheid (the same is arguably true of Planet of the Apes being a metaphor for issues of the time such as civil rights and creationism).

I do question the veracity of OP's argument that good satire has to contain an "uncomfortable truth" for its audience, especially since that involves questioning who the audience is and what would make them uncomfortable. One could definitely argue that Dr. Strangelove is a good satire where the uncomfortable truth comes from pointing out the folly of American military policy where all it takes for global nuclear annihilation to happen would be one sufficiently crazed general and a bunch of sufficiently incompetent higher-ups being unable to stop him. There's also the question of what splits the difference between good satire with uncomfortable truths and bad satire that's just uncomfortable.

I got one for you, it's not a comedy, but it's truth is very uncomfortable and ironically the target audience won't get it. Starship Troopers (1997), if you choose to watch it, don't read about it, just go in blind and pay attention to your reaction.

I always saw Starship Troopers as satire that just wasn't funny. That movie made me angry and depressed at the same time. Long time ago now but I'm pretty sure I didn't see the whole thing.

What qualifies as satire is a bit tricky and will differ quite a bit by who you're asking I would say. To me South Park just nails what true satire is all about. Others might miss a dimension of seriousness and «uncomfortable truth». I agree with Iroquois here in that what's uncomfortable will vary grately from person to person, so perhaps not the most on point qualifier. I would say ridiculing people in power and their flunkies is a fundamental element though.

Also I personally belive satire should be funny, as it otherwise looses its bite, which is really the whole point to the genre and what makes it special/valuable. Then again, what people find funny will obviously vary from person to person as well so there you go. I don't find say Dr. Strangelove to be funny at all for instance. Maybe it was funny at the time it came out IDK.

Many may disagre, but to me Cheech & Chong mostly fits the genre on top of actually being funny. I guess it's perhaps more fair to say they are riding the line between general, non specific parody and satire, kind of like the Sasha Cohen stuff, but if you think about it the C&C movies all have a pretty satiric take on just about everything, including the main characters. It's not all cheap laughs, although it's certainly some of that too, especially if you choose the wrong ones to watch. Nice Dreams is one of the least great C&C movies, but the nuthouse scene has some intense darkness to it, and also a pretty strong commentary on the madness of modern society.
Obviously by being stoner comedies, C&C movies are somewhat lacking the underlying anger, but are still as clever, sharp and hilarious as most «real» satire IMO.

Re: Recommend me a good satire (explaination below)
 

Would Natural Born Killers count as a satire, since it goes really over the top with it's ideas?

@Tramuzgan have you seen Brazil (1985)?

https://www.thecityreview.com/brazil1.jpg

That might be one of the greatest satires of all time.

Woody Allen has some great stuff too, like Love and Death.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped..._and_death.jpg

Re: Recommend me a good satire (explaination below)
 

I'm tempted to watch Dear White People again given the news. The film, not the TV series. Though I reckon on my opinions of the film, i could watch the series afterwards.

Re: Recommend me a good satire (explaination below)
 

La Terrazza

Last great movie I saw, actually.. Old vs. new, materialism vs. intangibles, etc..
https://youtu.be/gSSNBUwF12Y

I watched Brazil a long time ago, though most of it flew over my head. Good thing you reminded me of it, it might be just the right time to rewatch it


I'm not interested in anything by Woody Allen, not because of the rape accusations, I just find him creepy and repulsive

I don't know how anyone can expect a movie or show called "dear white people" to be good. They might as well have called it "educate yourself, sweety"

Re: Recommend me a good satire (explaination below)
 

I didn't find it that funny upon my original watch. But given the political tornado on what has occurred in the US, there's no harm in sitting down and looking at it again.

But you don't know...it could be worse on second viewing.

Re: Recommend me a good satire (explaination below)
 

I would suggest vice..its a very effective part satire- part real-life biopic

I don't know if a satire necessarily has to be funny (though that depends on your definition of funny - the kind that actually makes you laugh out loud or the kind where you don't necessarily laugh but can still recognise and appreciate its humour?). OP does touch on this by bringing up how Idiocracy concentrates more on its jokes than on making genuinely salient satirical points (which I'd personally agree is a massive strike against the film), After all, a film that cares more about making you laugh than about making you think about the points it's making is arguably a weak example of a satire (though the best films do manage to find the right balance).

Yes. I think you could've figured that one out yourself, though.

I haven't seen the show, but the movie is solid.

The intentionally confrontational title (which is the the title of a character's podcast/radio show in the film) is part of the point it's making about black or white people being treated as a monolith.