Worzel's World- The Death of Satire

I like to think of myself as a writer of satire, and on a good day I probably am. 

About thirty years ago US songwriter, comedian and satirist, Tom Lehrer, gave up on the entertainment industry and got a proper job. When Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace prize he decided that reality had become more absurd than satire, he could do it no longer. 

Well, Tom Lehrer had it sweet compared to today where it is hard work indeed being a satirist in a world where there are so many safety measures that these themselves become a safety hazard – where a declared war on terror uses tools of torture, state sponsored assassination, and undermines the civil liberties of the very people whose freedom that war is purported to protect. It is difficult if not impossible to satirise such things 

We live in a country with vast amounts of pastureland but very little remaining manufacturing industry, yet televisions are cheap and lamb is expensive; where politicians, who cannot remember being given $50,000 are arrogant enough to tell us they are fit to run the country on our behalf and where some people actually believe them; where those who make the law exempt themselves from obeying it. In these instances one need only relate the truth and it is satire already.

We have a government, elected by less than a majority, who claim a mandate to sell publicly owned assets even though every poll suggests that between 65 and 75% of the populace oppose it. They tell us this is democracy.

Our council consulted the people on everything from district plans to sewage schemes but accrued, at last count, an $85m debt without telling anyone. Police dish out fines for not wearing seatbelts but cannot solve more than 22% of burglaries. Health professionals spend more time filling out forms than treating sick people. 

Is it even possible to know the difference between satire and reality in a world where it is illegal to discriminate against homosexuals and illegal not to discriminate against smokers; where transsexuals receive state subsidised operations but cancer patients must travel abroad for prompt affordable treatment; where once-upon-a-time doctors made house calls and medical care was state funded but where it now takes a fortnight to get an appointment for which we must pay; where if you steal a chicken from the supermarket you go to jail but if you steal the life savings of an investor you get a few hours community service; where it costs parents thousands of dollars a year to access ‘free’ education for their children; where once young people left school literate and numerate and got a job at 15 or less but where they now stay at school till 18 or more and often cannot competently perform these basic functions. 

It’s not easy writing satire at a time when the world is facing some of its biggest challenges in history – over-population, depletion of resources, and the meltdown of global finances – but the front page of the Herald carries a story about Rachel Hunter attending witchcraft lessons. Police are not prosecuted for shooting innocent bystanders who they don’t know but parents are prosecuted for smacking guilty children who they love. Taxes continue to rise in inverse proportion to the falling quality of public service.

Those who promise to fix the problems are generally the root cause of most of them. 

When the truth sounds like satire and absurdity is the reality, no, it sure ain’t easy being a satirist these days.

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