Social commentary

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Social commentary is the act of using rhetorical means to provide commentary on social, cultural, political, or economic issues in a society. This is often done with the idea of implementing or promoting change by informing the general populace about a given problem and appealing to people's sense of justice. Social commentary can be practiced through all forms of communication, from printed form, to conversations to computerized communication.

Two examples of strong and bitter social commentary are the writings of Anglo-Irish writer Jonathan Swift and German priest Martin Luther. Swift decried the appalling conditions faced by Irish Catholics under the rule of the Protestant Ascendancy in A Modest Proposal, while Martin Luther decried corruption in the Catholic Church in his Ninety-five Theses.[1] Examples of social commentators from the lower social strata[clarification needed] are Charles Dickens and Will Rogers.

Forms

This list is far from exhaustive. Examples of social commentary may be found in any form of communication. Artistic works of all mediums are often defined by what they say about society. Despite being wordless, the memorable image of the

Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
may be considered one of the most profound commentaries of the power of the individual.

Visual artwork

Inspiration for some artists can come from issues that are present today. Deborah Silverman, Professor of History and Art History at the University of California in Los Angeles, states that the "Analysis of particular visual forms expands to an interpretation of art and artists as carriers of cultural history in the crucible of modernity." This notion has been present in art throughout time. An example is Vincent Van Gogh's 1885 painting 'The Potato Eaters'. This picture depicts a group of poverty stricken people gathered in a small room around a table. Vincent Van Gogh created this piece of artwork in order to present a confronting time to the viewer. A modern example is street art, also known as graffiti. With an international reputation, artist and political activist Banksy is known to produce street art that raises public issues such as slave Labour, loss of childhood and the effects of war.[2]

Photography

Social commentary photography's purpose is to "expose social issues on ethics, society, religious, the way of life, how people live and other similarities."[3] Sometimes this includes the harsh reality of society such as homelessness, discrimination, war and defenceless children. "Social Commentary artists try their best to create artworks in order to convey messages to the community."[3] Due to the fact that the photos are of real life situations, the contents can be perceived to be more confronting than other visual forms of social commentary. An example are the works of photojournalist and war photographer James Nachtwey. James Nachtwey's works include the Rwanda Genocide (1994),[4] the Somalia famine (1992) and the Jakarta Riots (1998) and the September 11 attacks in 2001.[citation needed]

Direct publication

Public speaking

Most public speaking constitutes social commentary of some form. Many sermons will describe the ills of society and offer religious solutions. Many politicians may speak in a similar fashion – in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar one can see Mark Antony's funeral speech as a commentary. The larger audience offered by radio and television has diminished the significance of public speaking as a means of social commentary.

The United Nations General Assembly is one of the biggest global organisations that focus of planet Earth and humans. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) strive to make the Earth a better place, however without the input of many passionate individuals the UNGA would not be able to achieve this.[5] Influential public speakers such as Pope Francis, Malala Yousafzai, President Barack Obama and Queen Elizabeth II,[6] comment of society's issues. This allows the UNGA to directly listen to the issues at hand and address them accordingly.

Fiction

Allegorical

Utopia in which he uses the Utopia to satirize the values of 16th century Britain. Social commentaries have been searched for even in fantasy novels such as The Lord of the Rings, though such connections often require much conjecture, or in modern fables.[7]

Non-fiction

Directly speaking to a topic in the social discourse in writing by defining the audience, the bounds of the topic, and the presenting facts and opinions based on the primarily author and possibly on another's perspective.

Radio, television and film

Fictional works in these mediums have a similar scope to that of their literary counterparts and documentaries to the non-fiction works described above. Television and films often use powerful images to enhance their message, for example,

shockumentary Mondo Cane also provided social commentary, as in one frame, there are dogs being walked in San Francisco and in the other, in Papua New Guinea people are eating dog meat, using cultures different from Western culture to shock the viewer and make them feel uncomfortable.[11] Mondo Cane was made to promote "being civil", and uses language in the film such as "savages".[11]

Dystopian fiction

A lot of books and games from the

Plato's Cave which some consider a metaphor for life.[13][14][15][16][17]

In a similar situation, the

totalitarianism.[21]

Rap music

Main article: Hip hop and social injustice

A lot of

subjects such as foreign languages, are written off by 2Pac, saying that he doesn't need to learn German, he says he can hardly pay his rent, let alone book a flight to Germany.[29]

Monologists

An early radio monologist was the American Will Rogers, with sharp and good-humored observations upon society during the 1920s and 1930s. Current American monologists include:

Discussion shows

There are a number of discussion shows that do not have a call in segments, but which sometimes have discussions (beyond mere interviews) with personages of current interest. In the United States of America, some such shows include:

Talk shows (call-in)

In the late 20th century through the present, radio and television phone-in shows allow limited discussion and sometimes debate on such issues, although if involving politics or issues exploited for political purposes the discussion is often directed by the "moderator" toward a specific point of view, typically by terminating non-conforming phone calls.

In more balanced forums it is common that a panel of well-known social commentators or experts on aspects of a topic will respond to comments from listeners after an introductory interactive discussion directed by the moderator, with only the obstreperous or extreme caller summarily terminated.

Newspapers and comic books

What is probably the most common social commentary is that of the

Editorial cartoons, such as those in The New Yorker
, perform a social commentary, often with a humorous slant.

The conventional comic section is more limited, but sometimes with social commentary, often subtle and oblique, or more bold, abrasive, and consistently pointed as in,

Village Voice (in New York City
), and similarly in many other locals, often those with a strong university or college presence.

The Internet

The

chat rooms
.

Famous social commentators

See also

Sources

  • Wilson, Derek (2007). Out of the Storm: The Life and Legacy of Martin Luther. London: Hutchinson.
    ISBN 978-0-09-180001-7
    .

References

  1. ^ In 1531, Martin Luther claimed that Pope Leo X had vetoed a measure that cardinals should restrict the number of boys they kept for their pleasure, "otherwise it would have been spread throughout the world how openly and shamelessly the pope and the cardinals in Rome practice sodomy." Wilson 2007, p. 282
  2. JSTOR 43655484
    .
  3. ^ a b Yaacob, Husaini; Azahari, Mustaffa Halabi; Ismail, Adzrool Idzwan (2013). "Visual social communication through photographic images" (PDF). The Asian Conference on Media and Mass Communication. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  4. S2CID 145138717
    .
  5. S2CID 144603063
    .
  6. S2CID 153641103
    .
  7. ISBN 979-8353946595
    .
  8. ^ Wickman, Forrest (30 July 2013). "The Ultimate Animal Rights Film Is the Last Movie You'd Expect". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  9. ^ "Top 10 Movies That Make You Go Meatless". PETA. 12 June 2008. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  10. ^ "Texas Chainsaw Vegan Horror: I like meat, please change the subject!". Luddite Robot. 15 August 2016. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  11. ^ a b Mondo Cane (1962), retrieved 13 April 2021
  12. ^ "What is Cyberpunk?". TechRaptor. 27 June 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  13. ^ Alexander. "The Matrix Is Real - But Not How You Think It Is - SELFCONQUERING". Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  14. ^ "Aldous Huxley: the prophet of our brave new digital dystopia | John Naughton". The Guardian. 22 November 2013. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  15. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  16. ^ "Matrix: A philosophical analysis". Philosophy & Philosophers. 30 May 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  17. ^ "Society and Culture: The Matrix: Reality Check | Vision". www.vision.org. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  18. ^ Tach, Dave (11 May 2016). "We Happy Few is about drugs and Nazis and whatever you want it to be". Polygon. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  19. ^ "Drugs and Dead Bodies in the Dark, Twisted Game We Happy Few". GameSpot. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  20. ^ Hall, Charlie (10 August 2018). "We Happy Few is the story of what comes after the fall of European democracy". Polygon. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  21. ^ "A Look into Totalitarianism in 1984 by George Orwell | Bartleby". www.bartleby.com. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  22. ^ "Hip-Hop & Politics › "Fuck Tha Police", N.W.A". wordpress.clarku.edu. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  23. ^ Grow, Kory (9 June 2020). "How N.W.A's 'Fuck tha Police' Became the 'Perfect Protest Song'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  24. ISSN 0362-4331
    . Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  25. ^ "2Pac's "Changes" Lyrics Meaning". Song Meanings and Facts. 2 August 2019. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  26. ^ "Tupac Shakur's Legacy". University of Denver. 7 September 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  27. ^ 2Pac (Ft. Shock G) – Trapped, retrieved 15 April 2021
  28. ^ "Tupac Shakur - Trapped Lyrics Meaning". Lyric Interpretations. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  29. ^ a b c "A Youth Perspective on Society: Tupac Shakur at Age 17". @TheSocyCinema. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
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