Satirical Essay: The Omnivoire's Dilemma's Dilemma

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,The Colbert Report on Facebook,Video Archive

In The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan asks: What exactly am I eating? Where does it come from? And why should I care? He then painstakingly traces a number of foods from source to table, highlighting disconnects between nature and the typical American diet. For this assignment, you will write a satirical response to Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Satire is a unique style of writing in which humor, irony, hyperbole, or ridicule are utilized to critique a person or issue. Satire is a way to use humor, sometimes cruelly, to enlighten the reader about the underlying faults of an issue. For example, in A Modest Proposal, Jonathan Swift famously satirized his society’s indifference toward the poor by suggesting they sell their children as food to the rich. Today, popular producers of satire include The Daily Show, The Onion, The Colbert Report, The New Yorker, and South Park.

Here, you are either writing a pro-Omnivore’s Dilemma essay masquerading as an anti-Omnivore’s Dilemma essay OR an anti-Omnivore’s Dilemma essay masquerading as a pro-Omnivore’s Dilemma essay. You may utilize sarcasm, exaggeration, juxtaposition, and other techniques to “tear down” Pollan’s views. Keep in mind that satire benefits from a strong point of view. Therefore, be mindful of your essay’s “voice.” Look to the week’s readings about satire (located in the eR) for examples and discussions about satire.

Requirements:

• Two full pages
• MLA Style
• Parenthetical citation
• Works cited page

Due: Wed 10.01—Draft 1 outline (bring 2 copies); Wed 10. 08—Final draft (attach draft 1 outline to back)