Satirical Essay Examples + 193 Satire Essay Topics

Satire is the use of irony and humor to criticize people’s vices or stupidity, especially in the context of current political and social events. A satirical essay therefore contains facts on a certain topic but makes them look comical.

If you are not inspired by the above description but still obliged to write a satirical essay, we have to warn you – even the greatest masters of satire did not succeed in their first satirical efforts. This is why the lack of inspiration, ideas, and self-assurance should not stop you from practicing writing satirical essays.

Custom writing experts are here to help you to find satirical essay ideas.

👨‍🎓  How to Write a Satire Paper: Expert Advice

First of all, let’s find out what a satirical essay is. The definition is simple: this is a paper written about a particular subject with irony. You can find some good examples of satire in comic strips (Cyanide and Happiness, Fowl Language Comics), cartoons (the Simpsons, Rick and Morty series), newspapers (Charlie Hebdo), etc.

The task of writing a satirical essay looks daunting? No worries! Check out our expert advice on how to write satire:

1. The best variant for a beginner is getting satirical essay ideas from classical satire examples. Scan through acknowledged masters of satire in search of your satirical essay ideas. They can come up to your head as the answer to certain essay writing. Satirical essay ideas may also be the cause of certain parallels with the nowadays situation.
2. Another great way to get satirical essay ideas is life itself. This is where all the masterpieces come from. Satirical essay ideas may pop into your head after a fight with a scandalous lady in the supermarket, an argument about clothes with your sibling or whatever else there is to get from life.
3. The best satirical essay ideas are those that reflect the reality. If you can draw parallels with life and your readers can, then you can consider chosen satirical essay ideas successful. If, however, you made them up and they are not real, the reader will feel something is fake. And the lie lies in the satirical essay ideas.
4. Think about your audience. Should you choose a formal or casual voice for your satirical piece?
5. Set your goals. The satire should not only make your readers laugh out loud, but also it should show them your way of thinking.
6. Add some personal touch to your satirical writing. You can be either first-narrator or main character, add some unique spin and topic perspective, use hyperbole and metaphor to make your point.
7. Finally, before trying to come up with good satirical essay ideas, sit down and relax. Do something inspiring. For example, get in a fight (a literal one is best of all). Satire needs to be written at the already mentioned boiling point, and satirical essay ideas come exactly at that point.

If you’re struggling with picking good satire topics, check the ideas below.

📔  Best Satire Essays: Examples from the World Literature

If you are used to reading serious literature, it is time to give it a break because satire essays are all about fun. Some people even consider it to be one of the most entertaining types of essays.

Simply put, satire is a piece of writing whose primary goal is to make fun of foolish human behavior. To achieve the right effect, the authors use such tools as irony and sarcasm.

You would easily find satire in many books, poems, and even movies. Satirical essays show off the writers’ creativity when it comes to humor. Some of the greatest artists have been using it to criticize the selected issues. Usually, the topics are political, social and related to money.

Not only the readers gain some knowledge about the topic, but also they are much entertained by satire. Let’s look at some of the satirical writing examples from the geniuses of literature.

1. The Cop and the Anthem by O. Henry.

   The traces of irony are already noticeable from the beginning of the short story written by O. Henry. The further you read, the more you understand that the very idea of this writing is ironic.

   Whatever the main character of the story intends to do, the result would appear to be the opposite. It almost seems like every scene is full of irony.

   Henry perfectly plays around with the sophisticated language Soapy uses. Despite being a bum, he tries to look like he is of high status. It points out to the fact that the authors just mock him.
2. Advice to Youth by M. Twain

   This satirical essay by Mark Twain is aimed to give a piece of advice to younger readers. They would, of course, expect it to be thoughtful as it comes from a respectable author.

   Instead of passing down his ideas about morality and values, Twain teaches youth how to act nicely. Long story short, it is a convenient guide on how to pretend to be well-behaved.

   He correctly uses sarcasm and humor, which flips the topic of morality upside down.
3. At the Funeral by M. Twain

   After reading this masterpiece, most adults and parents probably wouldn’t find Mark Twain so respectable anymore. In this essay, he mocks another set of social norms related to the funerals.

   You can see how the writer plays around with such a seemingly depressing topic. However, this satirical piece comes out to be quite entertaining.

   The reader can’t even sense the depressing mood surrounding the funeral processions. Twain also avoids using any terms related to it. He underlines that there is no value in such a custom anymore.

   All in all, he conveys his ideas very naturally and humorously.
4. When I Was a Witch by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

   This short story created by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is considered one of the best satirical writing examples. The readers find her style quite amusing and funny.

   It is a story about a woman who finds out that her wishes come true. She starts wishing for her surroundings and society to change. Even though her wishes might seem quite strange, they are related to the real-life activities of Gilman.

   The irony of the story is in the fact that most of her wishes that are caused by a negative emotion come true. The idea is that it is because it is “dark magic.”
5. A Modest Proposal by J. Swift

   This satirical essay created by the English writer Jonathan Swift is all about the social and political problems in Ireland.

   At the time, there was a famine in the country. Unfortunately, the government didn’t seem to find a solution to that issue. Swift decided to make a suggestion.

   He proposes to use human breeding, resolving overpopulation, and hunger at the same time. Such a horrible suggestion is nothing but an impossible idea with a hint of sarcasm.

   The main point of this satire paper is to make fun of the Irish government’s incapability to deal with social issues.

💡  193 Best Satire Essay Topics

📱  Satirical Essay Topics: Social Media and Technology

1. Exchanging gossips as money in social media.
2. English is becoming endangered thanks to emoji.
3. “Have you seen this TikTok?” virus on social media.
4. Step-by-step instructions on how to use hashtags.
5. Tagging me in Facebook posts as an invasion of my personal space.
6. Equality on media: why are you discriminating against positive news?
7. If you don’t watch my stories back, you don’t love me.
8. Is your life as perfect as the one on your Instagram?
9. Challenges on social media are getting over complicated.
10. Cautious: fact-checking Tweets may cause severe fires on social media.
11. What if we were paid to scroll social media feeds?
12. Understanding the Cloud: how did my files get all the way up in the sky?!
13. Warning: downloading these apps may shorten your life.
14. Tweets are short for a good reason: attention span is getting shorter.
15. How to ruin your life with the help of only one social media?
16. Dumb ways to die or why you should never Google how to save your life.
17. Imagine the Internet would disappear tomorrow.
18. Can you make your coffee without a coffee machine?
19. What do hackers look like in real life?
20. The updated set of rules on how not to embarrass yourself on the Internet.
21. Modern life: did you get the newest human update?
22. Using TikTok at school should become out of the law.
23. FOMO: do you have nightmares caused by it?
24. There is nothing terrible about having a date with the person I talked to on social media.
25. Social media jargon that we will never understand.
26. How to unsee all the disgusting stuff you have seen on social media?
27. A quick test to find out whether you’re smarter than your phone.
28. Hiding your flaws on social media for dummies.
29. Learning how to make a relevant and adequate comment on social media.
30. Things from the Internet that could have been funny if they weren’t so real.
31. Spotting a real lifestyle on Instagram is not that easy.
32. Embracing your body doesn’t mean you can post nude pics.

33. How to stay at home forever: let your parents see your photos from the last hangover on social media
34. How to fail your exams using Facebook?
35. How to gain more followers on your Twitter?
36. Should we expect an apocalypse when social media will be shut down?
37. Are social media the best way to make new friends?
38. Do followers in Instagram really care what you had for breakfast?
39. How to avoid Internet addiction?
40. Should robots have human rights?
41. 10 reasons not to use Google for your exam prep
42. Should robots replace humans?
43. How has technology devastated human communication?
44. 10 reasons for taking online classes only
45. How do modern technologies affect the way we learn?
46. 15 reasons why self-driving cars are better than manual navigation
47. Why should everyone have Internet access?
48. Why are smartphones more important than desktop PCs?
49. 7+ reasons why we should ban smart home devices

🏛️  Satire Essay Topics on Politics

50. Why would shopping malls make perfect prisons?
51. Trump: analyzing the meaning of a dictionary word.
52. Romantic relationships between Clinton and the media.
53. Do all presidents share some basic primitive instincts?
54. Dear people, who believe the politicians, why don’t you believe in aliens?
55. Thirteen reasons why teens created the laws.
56. The most effective method to treat your post-election stress.
57. Every year’s slogan: Let’s make politics work again!
58. A team of professionals working on upgrading Trump’s lies.
59. A practical dictionary to help you translate the Trump language.
60. How does a deep state save us from the catastrophe?
61. Winning as the ultimate goal of all elections for political figures.
62. Why do presidents always appear to be right?
63. Following the success of Germany, we have to unite the US, too!
64. If you have these symptoms, you should see a doctor to treat your political correctness syndrome immediately!
65. Trump’s best solution for wildfires or “Rake, people, rake!”
66. Family planning went wrong: Alabama’s law on abortion.
67. What does Canada say about America’s struggles with immigrants?
68. Making parallels between Humpty Dumpty and the issues with the US wall.
69. Owning a gun: To make legal, or not to make?
70. Why doesn’t freedom of speech make you free?
71. Beware: the new virus of civil disobedience is coming.
72. Why do we keep thanking the wrong heroes?
73. A white American man: the most terrorized person in the world nowadays.
74. Shouldn’t we treat Russia as America’s best friend?
75. Looking at communism as of capitalism’s evil twin brother.
76. Can the Twenty-fifth Amendment kill the global virus?
77. How to build hype: tips from the man who told everyone to drink bleach.
78. Trump as the next candidate for winning a Nobel prize in medicine.
79. Hippie-like peace text messages to the terrorists.
80. Let’s build walls around all the countries: benefits.
81. Why won’t anyone believe what politicians say?
82. Who teaches politicians to lie?
83. What makes Donald Trump so unique?
84. Trust me, the Great Wall of China is left after the alien invasion.
85. Let’s see if Captain America would make a good president.
86. Can we use comic book tricks to confront terrorists?
87. Ten reasons why you should take CNN news twice a day before the meal.
88. The gun control issue can’t be so overrated.
89. People are dying: legalize marijuana to save lives!
90. The collection of Trump’s best pieces of advice.
91. 10 reasons why Tony Stark should become the next president of the United States
92. Is Russia top America’s enemy?
93. Should the Communist party be the world’s leading social organization?
94. 15 reasons why all countries should liberalize visa regimes
95. How much should countries spend on military expenses?
96. Why is political satire important?

👪  Satirical Essay Topics: Marriage and Family

97. Cool parents for all Millennials: a practical guidebook.
98. Why do people who have failed relationships keep advising others?
99. What are my grandpa’s best retirement ideas for youth?
100. Paying back: what can you ask your grandparents at the end of the day?
101. Jigsaw puzzle for trying to have a tight family discussion.
102. Why does nobody tell you how overrated a married life is?
103. The turning point of my life: before marriage and after.
104. What if same-sex marriage becomes legal EVERYWHERE?
105. Why don’t men wear engagement rings: explained?
106. Saving for your kids’ college or their wedding: ridiculously expensive life.
107. The secret behind such high rates of divorces in the US.
108. Don’t rush to say, “I do,” check these things first.
109. Living in communities as a substitute for marriage in the future.
110. The reasons why my kids won’t be marrying in the church.
111. If love is blind, why are we still so self-conscious?
112. The most misused pickup line of the decade.
113. Guidebook of the year: places where you can find love.
114. When being yourself on a date doesn’t help, just be weird.
115. The real struggle behind “happily ever after.”
116. The most obvious signs you have a nosy girlfriend.
117. How can paternity leave save the whole world?
118. Top useful tricks on how to win a fight with your partner.
119. Things you should do on the first date to escape it.
120. What are the age restrictions on a romantic type of love?
121. Social media comes to rescue you, or why is it the best way to break up?
122. Breaking up for introverts: how to do without any words?
123. Not awkward, not cute: conversation starters for the first date.
124. How to find out what your boyfriend/husband actually thinks about that dress?
125. Get ready: questions your partner will definitely ask at some point.
126. How many times do I have to say, “I love you” before she believes me?
127. Family getaway planning without hurting your family budget (spoiler: stay home!).
128. More money spent on weddings – a higher chance of divorce.
129. But being a housewife and a mom is so easy!
130. Making your husband clean after himself: a step-by-step guide.
131. Who needs a babysitter when you have a tablet and a TV?
132. Dressing your toddler: are there only pink and blue clothes?
133. Learning to love your parents who tag you in every post on Facebook.
134. Enjoy your time as a kid of a divorced couple; you live in two places!
135. The top 10 passive-aggressive comments to make to your “most loved” relative.
136. How to detect a typical mansplaining answer from a woman?
137. The middle child: why do you always forget about them?
138. The reasons why your mother-in-law is not the greatest evil.
139. Creating a 100% stress-free family life by divorcing.
140. How to make a bathroom your private space in 5 steps?
141. Fixing racism issue with promoting interracial marriages.
142. Your evolution into everything you hate about your parents.
143. Is divorce more expensive than wedding?
144. What to do on a date to be never asked again?
145. How to lie your husband and get away with it?
146. How to be ms. Right even when you are wrong?
147. Why men have to take a maternity leave?
148. How to tell your girlfriend that she gained weight?
149. How to follow your mom’s advice without actually doing this?
150. 10 lifehacks to break up with your girlfriend without doing anything
151. How to find out what your boyfriend actually thinks about your new haircut?
152. 15 reasons why you should always be late for dates

🌍  Satirical Essay Topics: Environment

153. Stop brushing your teeth if you have heard of global warming.
154. Is global warming the biggest lie in the world?
155. I hate recycling, so here is what I do instead of helping the environment.
156. Soil fertility and toilet matters: well, you know what I mean.
157. Cemeteries overpopulated: the real issue we should attend to.
158. Who cares about the environment when we need more housing?
159. Riding horses instead of cars can be fun!
160. Let’s be honest: do we really need all that ozone?
161. The best solution for global warming: using hover boards instead of cars.
162. Trashy waste disposal ways: are they our best ideas?
163. If you think fish in the oceans is a renewable source, stop.
164. Dozens of species are sacrificed to save one: humans.
165. The latest research shows that people don’t care about the environment.
166. Should we consider reusable toilet paper to save our planet?
167. Why should the sky be green?
168. Why people can’t overcome deforestation with planting trees?
169. Do beavers love honey?
170. How to reduce pollution without recycling?
171. Why is zero waste ideology wrong?
172. How not making your bed can stop global warming?
173. Is global warming a myth?

174. Why should humanity move to Mars?
175. 10 reasons why deforestation makes our planet cleaner
176. Are petrol cars better than electric ones?Are Petrol Cars Better than Electric Ones?

💡  Other Satire Essay Topic Ideas

177. What do you need to know to build a cult successfully?
178. Spartans knew how to deal with overpopulation.
179. What do soccer and impact factors have in common?
180. Who really deserves the title of the Greatest Generation?
181. The new face of the fat acceptance movement.
182. What else can we use a new currency after a pandemic?
183. What should I answer to a time-traveler from the past asking about the worst event in the 21st century?
184. Is cancer a commercial project of pharmaceutical companies?
185. 10 reasons why breastfeeding on public should be illegal
186. Can music be the only cure for mental disorders?
187. How to eat a lot without concerns about obesity?
188. 7 reasons why women should not get pregnant
189. Why should you avoid vaccination?
190. Lifehacks on how to get a cold in summer
191. Why must everyone think about getting plastic surgery?
192. How to escape visits to a dentist?
193. How can sports negatively affect your life?

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✏️  Satirical Essay FAQ

🔗  References

1. Essay Structure: Elizabeth Abrams, for the Writing Center at Harvard University
2. What Is Satire? How to Use Satire in Literature, Pop Culture, and Politics: MasterClass
3. Choosing a Topic: Purdue Writing Lab
4. Satire Essays: Bartleby
5. Origin of the Roman Satire Genre: N.S. Gill, ThoughtCo