Editing Satire (section)

==Social and psychological functions==
[[File:Pedro II angelo agostini.jpg|thumb|A satire by [[Angelo Agostini]] to ''[[Revista Illustrada]]'' mocking the lack of interest from Emperor [[Pedro II of Brazil]] in politics toward the end of his reign]]
Satire and [[irony]] in some cases have been regarded as the most effective source to understand a society, the oldest form of social study.<ref name="Rosenberg1960p155"/> They provide the keenest insights into a group's [[Collective unconscious|collective psyche]], reveal its deepest values and tastes, and the society's structures of power.<ref name="Deloria69p146"/><ref name="Nash1970p203"/> Some authors have regarded satire as superior to non-comic and non-artistic disciplines like history or [[anthropology]].<ref name="Rosenberg1960p155"/><ref name="Babcock1984"/><ref name="Coppola"/><ref>{{cite book|first=Jo|last=Coppola|title=Comedy on Television|publisher=Commonweal|date=December 12, 1958|page=288}}</ref> In a prominent example from [[ancient Greece]], philosopher [[Plato]], when asked by a friend for a book to understand Athenian society, referred him to the plays of [[Aristophanes]].<ref name="Willi2003p1"/><ref name="Ehrenberg1962p39"/>

Historically, satire has satisfied the popular [[need]] to [[debunk]] and [[Ridiculous|ridicule]] the leading figures in politics, economy, religion and other prominent realms of [[Power (social and political)|power]].<ref name="Bevere2006p265"/> Satire confronts [[public discourse]] and the [[collective imaginary]], playing as a public opinion counterweight to power (be it political, economic, religious, symbolic, or otherwise), by challenging leaders and authorities. For instance, it forces administrations to clarify, amend or establish their policies. Satire's job is to expose problems and contradictions, and it is not obligated to solve them.<ref name="WieseForbes2010p.xv"/> [[Karl Kraus (writer)|Karl Kraus]] set in the history of satire a prominent example of a satirist role as confronting public discourse.<ref name="Knight2004p254"/>

For its nature and social role, satire has enjoyed in many societies a special freedom license to mock prominent individuals and institutions.<ref name="Test1991p9licencequote"/> The satiric impulse, and its ritualized expressions, carry out the function of resolving social tension.<ref name="Test1991p8"/> Institutions like the [[ritual clown]]s, by giving expression to the [[antisocial tendencies]], represent a [[safety valve]] which re-establishes equilibrium and health in the [[collective imaginary]], which are jeopardized by the [[Social repression|repressive aspects of society]].<ref name="Cazeneuve1957p244"/><ref name="Durand1984p106"/>

The state of [[political satire]] in a given society reflects the tolerance or intolerance that characterizes it,<ref name="Bevere2006p265"/> and the state of [[civil liberties]] and [[human rights]]. Under [[totalitarianism|totalitarian regimes]] any criticism of a political system, and especially satire, is suppressed. A typical example is the [[Soviet Union]] where the [[dissidents]], such as [[Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn]] and [[Andrei Sakharov]] were under strong pressure from the government. While satire of everyday life in the [[Soviet Union|USSR]] was allowed, the most prominent satirist being [[Arkady Raikin]], political satire existed in the form of [[anecdote]]s<ref>{{Citation|url=http://samlib.ru/j/jacko_w_a/anecdotes.shtml|last=Yatsko|first=V|title=Russian folk funny stories}}</ref> that made fun of Soviet political leaders, especially [[Brezhnev]], famous for his narrow-mindedness and love for awards and decorations.