Satire Quotes:

Praise undeserved, is satire in disguise.

- Alexander Pope

topic: Literature, Praise, Satire

Satire or sense, alas! Can Sporus feel? Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel?

- Alexander Pope

topic: Butterfly, Wheels, Satire, Satirist

Satire is dependent on strong beliefs, and on strong beliefs wounded.

- Anita Brookner

topic: Strong, Belief, Satire

satire is a wrapping of exaggeration around a core of reality.

- Barbara Tuchman

topic: Reality, Satire, Exaggeration

The Irish and British, they love satire, its a large part of the culture.

- Ben Nicholson

topic: Culture, Satire, British

Satire is an abuse of wit. It corrects few evils.

- Christian Nestell Bovee

topic: Evil, Abuse, Satire

It is hard for power to enjoy or incorporate humour and satire in its system of control.

- Dario Fo

topic: Satire, Enjoy, Humour

Social satire has been around since people have been around.

- David Walliams

topic: People, Satire, Social

Satire is people as they are; romanticism, people as they would like to be; realism, people as they seem with their insides left out.

- Dawn Powell

source: Dawn Powell (1995). “The Diaries of Dawn Powell, 1931-1965”

topic: Writing, People, Satire, Romanticism

Satire's nature is to be one-sided, contemptuous of ambiguity, and so unfairly selective as to find in the purity of ridicule an inarguable moral truth.

- E. L. Doctorow

topic: Moral, Purity, Satire, Contemptuous

I like to write a lot of satire.

- Earl King

topic: Writing, Satire

Lampoons, like squibs, may make a present blaze; but time and thunder pay respect to bays.

- Edmund Waller

topic: May, Pay, Satire

One man's pointlessness is another's barbed satire.

- Franklin P. Adams

topic: Men, Satire, Pointlessness

In general satire, every man perceives A slight attack, yet neither fears nor grieves.

- George Crabbe

topic: Men, Grieving, Satire

Satire is what closes on Saturday night.

- George S. Kaufman

source: "The House of Blue Leaves: Review" by David Rooney, www.hollywoodreporter.com. April 25, 2011.

topic: Night, Satire, Saturday Night

Satire of satire tends to be self-canceling, and deliberate shock tactics soon lose their ability to shock, especially when they're too deliberate.

- Herb Caen

topic: Self, Tactics, Satire, Tactics And Strategy

Occasionally, the horrors of life in North Korea do show up in our American satire.

- Jennifer Armintrout

source: "The Elephant in The Interview" by Jenny Trout, www.huffingtonpost.com. December 22, 2014.

topic: Korea, Horror, Satire

If you're going to get into social criticism with absurdity and satire, you can't be politically correct when you do that.

- John Cusack

topic: Criticism, Satire, Social

I like the George Romero films, which were really great, social satire movies; really twisted.

- John Cusack

topic: Film, Twisted, Satire

Satire is a kind of poetry in which human vices are reprehended.

- John Dryden

topic: Vices, Kind, Satire

Satire among the Romans, but not among the Greeks, was a bitter invective poem.

- John Dryden

topic: Greek, Bitter, Satire

A little wit and a great deal of ill-nature will furnish a man for satire; but the greatest instance of wit is to commend well.

- John Tillotson

topic: Men, Littles, Satire

Satire that is seasonable and just is often more effectual than law or gospel.

- Josh Billings

topic: Law, Satire

Satires which the censor can understand are justly forbidden

- Karl Kraus

topic: Censorship, Satire, Forbidden

Satire chooses and knows no objects. It arises by fleeing from them and their forcing themselves upon it.

- Karl Kraus

topic: Fleeing, Satire, Arise

The modern form of things had begun to appeal to me, also (as material for satire) politics, and the lives of the great and little, high up in the social scale.

- Laurence Housman

topic: Littles, Modern, Satire

Satire is tragedy plus time.

- Lenny Bruce

topic: Tragedy, Human Nature, Satire

Satire is focused bitterness.

- Leo Rosten

topic: Bitterness, Satire, Focused

Good satire hopefully provides thought-provoking conversation.

- Lizz Winstead

source: "Lizz Winstead, Freely Speaking". Interview with Lianne Stokes, www.interviewmagazine.com. May 9, 2012.

topic: Thought Provoking, Satire, Conversation

Fools are my theme, let satire be my song.

- Lord Byron

topic: Song, Fool, Satire, Satirist, Satirical

Satire should, like a polished razor keen, Wound with a touch that's scarcely felt or seen.

- Mary Wortley Montagu

source: Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, “Verses Addressed To The Imitator Of The First Satire Of The Second Book Of Horace”

topic: Razors, Satire, Should

How do we get a pantomime cow on set. Jeez, the rigours of satire.

- Mel Smith

topic: Cows, Satire, Pantomime, Rigour

You can't debate satire. Either you get it or you don't.

- Michael Moore

topic: Debate, Satire, Androgynous

Satire is traditionally the weapon of the powerless against the powerful. I only aim at the powerful. When satire is aimed at the powerless, it is not only cruel -- it's vulgar.

- Molly Ivins

topic: Powerful, Weapons, Satire

Satire is traditionally the weapon of the powerless against the powerful.

- Molly Ivins

topic: Powerful, Weapons, Satire

I would play hooky from school and spend all day in the movie theaters. Consequently, I learned satire in all its subtle forms.

- Nile Rodgers

topic: School, Play, Satire

A satirist, often in danger himself, has the bravery of knowing that to withhold wit's conjecture is to endanger the species.

- Penelope Gilliatt

source: Penelope Gilliatt (1990). “To wit: skin and bones of comedy”, Scribner

topic: Knowing, Bravery, Satire

If an historian were to relate truthfully all the crimes, weaknesses, and disorders of mankind, his readers would take his work for satire rather than for history.

- Pierre Bayle

topic: Weakness, Crime, Satire

Verse satire indeed is entirely our own.

- Quintilian

topic: Satire, Verses

I stand with Charlie Hebdo, as we all must, to defend the art of satire

- Salman Rushdie

topic: Art, Satire, Charlie

Satire is, indeed, the only sort of composition in which the Latin poets whose works have come down to us were not mere imitators of foreign models; and it is therefore the sort of composition in which they have never been excelled.

- Thomas B. Macaulay

topic: Latin, Poet, Satire

Political satire became obsolete when they awarded Henry Kissinger the Nobel Peace Prize.

- Tom Lehrer

source: "Biography/ Personal Quotes". www.imdb.com.

topic: Political, Henry Kissinger, Satire, Kissinger, Political Satire

Satire dramatizes better than any other use of it, the inherent contradiction of free speech that it functions best when what is being said is at its most outrageous.

- Tony Hendra

source: Tony Hendra (1987). “Going Too Far”, Dolphin Books

topic: Use, Speech, Satire

I never wanted to do political satire because it seems too surface to me.

- Tracey Ullman

topic: Political, Satire, Surface, Political Satire

Satire is a lesson, parody is a game.

- Vladimir Nabokov

topic: Games, Lessons, Satire

You must not think that a satiric style allows of scandalous and brutish words; the better sort abhor scurrility.

- Wentworth Dillon, 4th Earl of Roscommon

topic: Thinking, Style, Satire

Wickedly funny to read and morally bracing as only good satire can be.

- William Styron

topic: Satire

Satire has a great big glaring target. If successful, it blasts a great big hole in the center. Directness there must be and singleness of aim: it is all aim, all trajectory.

- Wyndham Lewis

topic: Successful, Target, Satire, Singleness, Trajectory

Wherever there is objective truth, there is satire.

- Wyndham Lewis

source: Wyndham Lewis (1950). “Rude Assignment: A Narrative of My Career Up-to-date”

topic: Objective Truth, Satire

Hollywood is horrible... it's beyond satire.

- Yahoo Serious

source: "Biography/ Personal Quotes". www.imdb.com.

topic: Hollywood, Satire, Horrible

Conventional show-biz savvy held that Americans hated to be the objects of satire.

- Carroll O'Connor

topic: Satire, Hated, Shows, Savvy, Show Biz

I don't want to call the show [ "Mary and Jane" ] a satire because it is not, but there are satirical elements.

- Harry Elfont

source: Source: www.indiewire.com

topic: Elements, Want, Satire, Satirical

life becomes satire in real time, what good is the premiere satire magazine? It might as well just be the newspaper. You could pick up The Wall Street Journal and be like, "Oh, what a funny Onion headline!" And then the editor of The Onion is like, "Huh. I guess you won't be needing me anymore."

- Moshe Kasher

source: Source: www.avclub.com

topic: Wall, Real, Satire, Wall Street Journal

Status is always ripe for satire, status is always good for comedy.

- Stephen Colbert

source: Interview with Nathan Rabin, www.avclub.com. January 25, 2006.

topic: Comedy, Satire, Ripe

Kennedy didn't beat Nixon. Satire beat Nixon.

- Chris Rock

topic: Satire, Beats

Nobody and nothing beats The Simpsons. Even after all this time, it's still the best satire since Monty Python.

- Alice Cooper

source: Interview with Nick Harper, www.theguardian.com. November 28, 2003.

topic: Python, Satire, Beats

All satire is blind to the forces liberated by decay. Which is why total decay has absorbed the forces of satire.

- Theodor Adorno

source: Theodor W. Adorno, E. F. N. Jephcott (2005). “Minima Moralia: Reflections on a Damaged Life”, p.211, Verso

topic: Decay, Blind, Satire, Liberated

Satire, like conscience, reminds us of what we often wish to forget.

- Marguerite Gardiner, Countess of Blessington

source: Marguerite Countess of Blessington, Marguerite GARDINER (Countess of Blessington.) (1839). “Desultory Thoughts and Reflections”, p.68

topic: Wish, Forget, Satire

Obviously, I'm a fan of satire. I'd debate anyone, but it would have to be the actual person. That would be my only hesitation about debating Stephen Colbert. If he were playing a character, it wouldn't really work.

- Ann Coulter

source: Source: aalbc.com

topic: Character, Debate, Satire

A man is angry at a libel because it is false, but at a satire because it is true.

- Gilbert K. Chesterton

topic: Men, Satire, Libel

If satire is to be effective, the audience must be aware of the thing satirized.

- Gore Vidal

source: Gore Vidal (1957). “Visit to a Small Planet: A Comedy Akin to a Vaudeville”, Boston ; Toronto : Little Brown

topic: Satire, Audience, Ifs

The audiences like to think that satire is doing something. But, in fact, it is mostly to leave themselves satisfied. Satisfied rather than angry, which is what they should be.

- Tom Lehrer

source: "Stop clapping, this is serious". Sydney Morning Herald interview, www.smh.com.au. March 1, 2003.

topic: Thinking, Facts, Satire

Satire is born of the cities it denounces.

- Mason Cooley

topic: Cities, Satire, Born

To me, that's where a lot of satire lies. News used to hold itself to a higher plane and slowly it has dissolved into, well, me.

- Jon Stewart

topic: Lying, News, Satire

Satire doesn't effect change.

- P. J. O'Rourke

topic: Satire, Effects

Satire, being levelled at all, is never resented for an offence by any.

- Jonathan Swift

source: 'A Tale of a Tub' (1704) 'The Author's Preface'

topic: Satire, Offence

When dunces are satiric, I take it for a panegyric.

- Jonathan Swift

source: Jonathan Swift, John Mitford (1854). “The Poetical Works of Jonathan Swift: With a Life”, p.168

topic: Satire, Dunces

A satire should expose nothing but what is corrigible, and should make a due discrimination between those that are and those that are not the proper objects of it.

- Joseph Addison

topic: Discrimination, Satire, Should

Among the writers of antiquity there are none who instruct us more openly in the manners of their respective times in which they lived than those who have employed themselves in satire, under whatever dress it may appear.

- Joseph Addison

topic: Dresses, May, Satire

If you have to explain satire to someone, you might as well give up.

- Barry Humphries

topic: Giving Up, Might, Satire

We're never going to be the ultimate-insider look. You can do 50 insider looks at this Hollywood business, and the satire didn't intrigue me. I think others can do that.

- Barry Levinson

source: Source: www.avclub.com

topic: Thinking, Satire

In the present state of the world it is difficult not to write lampoons.

- Juvenal

topic: Writing, World, Satire

It is difficult not to write satire.

- Juvenal

source: Juvenal (1871). “The satires of Juvenal, Persius, Sulpicia, and Lucilius ...”, p.204

topic: Writing, Satire, Difficult

Satire is what closes Saturday night.

- Juvenal

topic: Night, Satire, Saturday Night

Satire that the censor understands is rightly censored.

- Karl Kraus

topic: Satire, Censored

Through my satire I make little people so big that afterwards they are worthy objects of my satire and no one can reproach me any longer.

- Karl Kraus

source: Karl Kraus (1976). “Half-truths & one-and-a-half truths: selected aphorisms”

topic: People, Littles, Satire

One easily bears moral reproof, but never mockery.

- Moliere

topic: Bears, Moral, Satire, Reproof

All the satires of the stage should be viewed without discomfort. They are public mirrors, where we are never to admit that we seeourselves; one admits to a fault when one is scandalized by its censure.

- Moliere

topic: Mirrors, Faults, Satire, Censure

What is a miracle?--'Tis a reproach, 'Tis an implicit satire on mankind; And while it satisfies, it censures too.

- Edward Young

source: Edward Young (1839). “Night thoughts on life, death, and immortality. [Followed by] A paraphrase on part of the book of Job”, p.228

topic: Miracle, Satire, Mankind, Reproach

Satire recoils whenever charged too high; round your own fame the fatal splinters fly.

- Edward Young

source: Edward Young, Sir Herbert Croft, Sir Herbert Croft (5th bart), Samuel Johnson (1822). “The Poems of Edward Young ...”, p.222

topic: Splinters, Fame, Satire

Satirists do expose their own ill nature.

- Isaac Watts

topic: Satire, Ill, Satirist

Satire is not a social dynamite. But it is a social indicator: it shows that new men are knocking at the door.

- Jacob Bronowski

source: Jacob Bronowski (1976). “The ascent of man”

topic: Men, Doors, Satire, Dynamite

Satire is the disease of art.

- Nicolas Chamfort

topic: Art, Disease, Satire