Saturam: Stand up for Marriage Equality!

Stand up for Marriage Equality!

As the battle for equal rights continues to evolve, the fight that is most present in the media today is the fight for ‘gay marriage’. And why not? For centuries homosexuals have been forced to live in the proverbial “closet”, destined to lead a life of self-denial and deception. While it is true that homosexuals fundamentally can’t procreate and arguably suffer from some form of sexual disorder, these are not valid arguments against issuing a nationwide change in the definition of marriage.  Fortunately, activism over the years has led to widespread acceptance of not only homosexual relationships, but homosexual marriages! As the equal rights campaign so eloquently puts it on their homepage, marriage is simply “Love. Honor. Commitment.” Marriage is obviously nothing more than the product of these three qualities, right? Finally the light has been turned on and the blinders taken off. The momentum of the equal rights campaign is great and progress seems constant. So why  stop at homosexuals? Applying the three characteristics the equal rights campaign uses to define a marriage, there remain other disrespected forms of relationships.

                                                                                       

What I am writing about today is not for the equal marriage rights of homosexuals, but for the people living here in the Empire who have not been as lucky as the homosexuals. Their plight stands on the same argumentative footing as the homosexuals but has been kicked to curb by the equal rights campaign, leaving no progress in sight. They are our American brothers and sisters who have been left in the ‘closet’ for fostering loving relationships based on a different standpoint.  This includes polygamy, incest and trans-specie relationships. One victim of such discrimination, Joe Darger, is a Utah man who has three wives: twin sisters and their cousin. The love between the foursome is as real as any heterosexual or homosexual partnership as their family unit has lasted for over 22 years (that’s almost three times the average length of a marriage in the U.S.!) The Dargers, like all polygamists, incestuous partners, and trans-specie relationships, have to deal with constant social rebuke and inhumane laws that restrict them from marrying the person/people/animal whom they love, honor, and have unrelenting commitment to (as evidenced by the strength of their relationship despite societal disdain). According to the equal rights campaign, the Dargers have the three very special qualities that define a marriage and that ought to suffice……right? If you support gay marriage, then by what reason can you deny these other relationships the same right? Stand up for marriage equality, stand up for Joe Darger!

– Saturam

Clouds Above South Park

Look for Kenny, Cartman, Kyle and Stan in your next Literature textbook

What makes a story timeless? The subject? Maybe the way the story is told? Or even a memorable character?

 

Satire has proven to be a timeless form of comedy, mostly because well written satire does not necessarily make fun of one particular group or person, but instead lampoons those things the writer finds ridiculous in his society.  Defined by Merriam-Webster as “a literary work holding up human vices and follies to ridicule or scorn”, satirists focus on the weaknesses of their society.  From a historic perspective, satire also proves to be an invaluable aid in analyzing what the societal climate was truly.  While other historic accounts have their own biases; satire, by its nature, has less inherent bias as it does not try to prove a particular point.  Rather, the satirist focuses and delights in ridiculing the absurd and thus his energies are focused on all groups in society.

 

I’ve heard many people complain that South Park is crass, obscene, offensive. These people see it as a dirty cartoon, akin to something fleeting like Family Guy. However, where Family Guy lacks any plot structure or message, South Park is a pointed satire. Trey Parker and Matt Stone have created a platform by which to mock any social “norm”. So will South Park be remembered as a seminal work of the Empire?

To the well-read individual, the name Aristophanes holds great weight. Aristophanes was known for his comedic plays in the 5th and 4th century BC. So why does anyone still read Aristophanes? He satirized current conditions in Athens, so why should modern people care?

Aristophanes, The Father of Satire

The answer is a bit complex.

First, Aristophanes’ plays are shining samples of satirical comedy. In The Clouds, Aristophanes makes fun of “The Thinkery”, or the institution of philosophy in Athens. A close reading of The Clouds, however, reveals to the audience that the actual target of his satire is not The Thinkery, but his audience. Strepsiades , the main character in the play, represents the average self-interested Athenian citizen. He enters the “The Thinkery” not to actually pursue philosophy, but rather to learn rhetoric to avoid his debts and win suits in court. While Aristophanes sees the philosophers as ridiculous, he indicts through his satire those citizens who feign interest in philosophy for their own gain. Aristophanes’ uncanny ability to lampoon has definitely led to the study of his works in the modern age.

Next, Aristophanes’ work deals with the foibles of the age, and therefore it offers the best view of Athens at the time. One may cry foul at this assertion. Aristophanes, however, allows for scholars to understand what the political climate looked like at the time. Wisdom states that “History goes to the victor.” Aristophanes, by the nature of his satire, does not necessarily have a victor or side to endorse. Therefore, we have in Aristophanes a more or less unbiased view of current events in Athens.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone are the modern day Aristophanes. While some may say that South Park is too crass, they miss the point of satire. Parker, Stone, and all satirists must take things to the extreme to show how ridiculously absurd they are. In a time of the Empire where censorship has actually become an issue, Parker and Stone represent a bastion of common sense. By making their political commentary foul mouthed and basically filthy, it is easy for the powers that be to shrug off the message in the episodes. It does not take a deep thinker to see the point of a particular episode of South Park. South Park, essentially, is a satire on the Empire as a whole, and will be remembered and studied as such.

As ridiculous as it sounds- that South Park will be studied along with Aristophanes in the future- imagine if a contemporary of Aristophanes had written a similar article about The Clouds. While laughable now, I urge those watching to at least enjoy the fact that they are witnessing the first run-through of the modern day equivalent of Aristophanes’ plays.