November Content Call & Philosophizing Satire
Oh wow, where did the year go? It’s almost November? Really??????
You know what that means…
NOVEMBER CONTENT CALL
ALL MONTH — Native American Heritage Month & National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo); 11/3 — National Book Lovers’ Day, 11/4 — National Taco Day, 11/11 — Veterans Day, 11/19 — International Men’s Day (lol), 11/25 — Thanksgiving, 11/26 — Black Friday
Please follow the submission guidelines and send all content call pieces to the main email address. Include the content call you’re responding to in brackets at the end of your email subject line. A few examples of how this should look:
- SUBMISSION: I Spent 14 Hours Molding This Homemade Cranberry Sauce Into The Shape Of A Can, And You Will Savor It [Thanksgiving Content Call]
- SUBMISSION: A Taco Is A Sandwich [National Taco Day Content Call]
- SUBMISSION: The Only Thing I Love More Than Rampant Capitalism Is Over-Crowded Malls [Black Friday Content Call]
LAST WEEK ON THE BELLADONNA
Dear Aunt Sally Is Done Being Excused by Rachel Geman
“Do you give a shit about the order of operations? Neither do I.”
Cool Investment App Or Cool Menstrual Product? by Patricia Lawler Kenet
“Where should you put your cash?”
Nonfiction Writing Workshop Course BINGO by Maddy Burns
“The fall semester’s underway — how close are you?”
Vesper Lynd From ‘Casino Royale’ Returns After 15 Years To Set The Record Straight About Her & Bond by Amy Currul
“She came back from the dead for this, so listen up!”
Please Excuse The Noise, I’m Working From The Bath by Allana Reoch
“Just another bubble-filled workday in my new normal.”
EDITORS EXPLAIN: Punching Up vs. Punching Down
Satire is often called “the comedy of rage” because it uses humor to call out a target. It’s so important to put thought and care into choosing your satirical targets, because it will make or break your piece.
Enter: “punching up” vs. “punching down.”
Punching up is when a piece takes aim at someone or something whose power and actions deserve ridicule or criticism (eg, a corrupt politician). Usually, if someone is doing something foolish, arrogant, or harmful and it’s in their power to change, they’re fair game for satire.
Punching down is when the piece takes aim at someone undeserving, based on their actions, marginalized status, or general lack of power in a situation (eg, the negatively impacted constituents of the aforementioned corrupt politician).
For instance, The Emperor’s New Clothes works because it pokes fun at an emperor whose outsized ego put himself in the embarrassing situation, but it wouldn’t work if the joke was that he’s blind.
“Satire is meant to ridicule power. If you are laughing at people who are hurting, it’s not satire; it’s bullying.” — Terry Pratchett
FINAL THOUGHTS
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Thanks for reading, and keep being your amazing selves!
— The Belladonna Editors
(Brooke, Fiona, Ashley, Emily, Alice, Heidi, and Kristen)
