Dr. Strangelove Or: Does Satire Have To Be Funny To Be Effective?

To answer that question, you or someone else has to cite a movie they thinks is a successful satire that isn't funny. Dr. Strangelove with its cowboy bombardier riding a bomb down to world destruction, which is laugh out loud funny and horrible at the same time, doesn't fit the bill of satire not being funny.

I guess the question is: what is Dr. Strangelove really satirizing? How obstinate and belligerent the United States is? How desperate to catch up the russians are? How fanatical german scientists are?

I really just want you all angry and confused the whole time.

So does satire have to be funny to be effective? What do you think? I'm focusing more on film here, but you can read into this and answer however you want. It's a question that was posed in a review I read of the purportedly horrible War, Inc. The reviewer went into some detail about how right-on the movie was in some of its observations, and yet he couldn't in good conscience recommend it because of how clunky and supremely unfunny it was.

Personally, that's kind of how I feel about Dr. Strangelove. I respect its genius and how remarkably perceptive it is and whatnot. But it doesn't make me laugh. I "get it", but I think the humor, for the most part, falls flat.

Satire, by definition I believe, is a form of comedy. So can it still be as effective as it wants to be if it doesn't make you double over in hysterics? Should a slice of satire be measure by how many times you slap your knees or by how many times you nod your head knowingly?


Is this funny?

So does satire have to be funny to be effective? What do you think? I'm focusing more on film here, but you can read into this and answer however you want. It's a question that was posed in a review I read of the purportedly horrible War, Inc. The reviewer went into some detail about how right-on the movie was in some of its observations, and yet he couldn't in good conscience recommend it because of how clunky and supremely unfunny it was.

Personally, that's kind of how I feel about Dr. Strangelove. I respect its genius and how remarkably perceptive it is and whatnot. But it doesn't make me laugh. I "get it", but I think the humor, for the most part, falls flat.

Satire, by definition I believe, is a form of comedy. So can it still be as effective as it wants to be if it doesn't make you double over in hysterics? Should a slice of satire be measure by how many times you slap your knees or by how many times you nod your head knowingly?


Is this funny?