Lecturer, Dr Dieter Declercq, has recently published an essay in the January 2021 issue of The Philosophers’ Magazine titled, ‘What Satire can do for us‘. In this article, Dr Declercq introduces key ideas based on his research and recent book, Satire, Comedy and Mental Health. Coping with the Limits of Critique (Emerald 2020).
Dr Declercq explains: “In “What satire can do for us”, I reflect on the value of satire in light of the recent US Elections. Donald Trump was one of the most satirised presidents in American history, and now he’s gone. I don’t think satire is what got him out of the White House, although it may have helped to sustain protest and opposition. But what satire really does is help us cope with political “madness” like Trumpian populism, which we know is still very much here and remains a threat to social justice and democracy.
In my book, I devote a specific section to satire about Trump – just because he was so intensely satirised in the run-up to the 2016 Elections, and during his Presidency. It was an interesting case study to reflect on the limits of satire’s political force . The book was completed months before the 2020 election, so this was a great opportunity to revisit the topic now that Trump is no longer President.”
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