From the Simpsons to Spinal Tap, the art of satire remains a humorous yet powerful expression of protest and indignation in contemporary society. This course will explore the idea and practice of satire in Western culture through print, art, and film. We will read works by some of the most influential English and American satirists, such as Jonathan Swift, Alexander Pope, Jane Austen, Lewis Carroll, Mark Twain, Evelyn Waugh, and Thomas Pynchon. We will also see how satire shifts into various other media, such as caricature, cartoon, and film in graphic works by William Hogarth, James Gillray, and Gary Trudeau (Doonesbury) and films by Stanley Kubrick and Monty Python. Requirements will include spirited class participation, various short writing assignments and a final project.