What is the difference between satire and black comedy?

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I'm having trouble understanding what differentiates these two types of comedy. Can you provide an example of how a situation would be handled differently as a satire vs as a black comedy?

satire is just mocking something but a black comedy is actually making something funny out of something that wouldn't normally be funny. Let me give you an example:

There was once a movie called Eating Raul. It is about this woman that is a dominatrix and she kills her victims and then feeds them to an insurance salesman. It is a comedy and very funny. This is a Dark Comedy.

Satire is most often seen in the political sense. Mocking someone for the way they act or the positions they take.

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Posted in: comedy September 2008


3 Responses to “What is the difference between satire and black comedy?”

  1. Patrick B Says:
    November 28th, 2006 at 8:36 am

    satire is just mocking something but a black comedy is actually making something funny out of something that wouldn't normally be funny. Let me give you an example:

    There was once a movie called Eating Raul. It is about this woman that is a dominatrix and she kills her victims and then feeds them to an insurance salesman. It is a comedy and very funny. This is a Dark Comedy.

    Satire is most often seen in the political sense. Mocking someone for the way they act or the positions they take.
    References :

  2. thirsty mind Says:
    November 28th, 2006 at 8:39 am

    Satire is making fun of someone or an event. ( Will Farrell being President Bush on Sat. night live ) Black comedy incorporates a degree of gore. (A comedian doing a skit about a chef cutting his arm off, with blood spraying everywhere ) Hope that helps.
    References :

  3. Bess Says:
    November 28th, 2006 at 10:05 am

    As said in the 2 previous answers,satire is making fun of something or someone.actually,it is seeing the funny side of things or rather the absurdity of exaggeration.Now black comedy is all the contrary.there is absolutely no element of fun in it.it is some sort of gothic horror,with the characters finding weird pleasure in doing cruel and senseless things rather than a parody of certain exaggerated things in society.moreover,a writer using satire in novels or plays does so according to the prevailing customs of his time-if u read french plays,u'll see satire in the plays of Moliere,especially 'Les Femmes Savantes'
    Hope i've been useful.hope also that u've been able to decipher wht i've written-sometimes i get so carried away that i 4get what i'm answering.
    References :

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