SSC
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satire
Essays tagged “satire”. Follow an idea across the archive.
Essays on satire
45 essaysSSC
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Elegy For John McCain
Scott Alexander writes a satirical poem about John McCain's passing, imagining him continuing his warmongering ways in the afterlife.
2 min read 222 words
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Verses Composed Upon Reading A Review From TripAdvisor
Scott Alexander reimagines Coleridge's 'Kubla Khan' as a modern TripAdvisor review of Xanadu, blending classical poetry with contemporary tourism.
3 min read 349 words
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The GATTACA Trilogy
Scott Alexander writes two satirical sequels to GATTACA, critiquing discrimination based on epigenetics and educational background.
23 min read 3,565 words
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Current Affairs’ “Some Puzzles For Libertarians”, Treated As Writing Prompts For Short Stories
Scott Alexander uses satirical short stories to critique and deconstruct thought experiments challenging libertarian principles, highlighting their flaws and misrepresentations.
35 min read 5,376 words
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Those Modern Pathologies
The post satirically portrays ancient concepts as 'modern pathologies' to criticize aspects of contemporary society.
10 min read 1,529 words
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Hardball Questions For The Next Debate
Scott Alexander presents satirical, absurdist 'hardball' questions for presidential candidates, blending their backgrounds with outlandish scenarios and philosophical puzzles.
20 min read 2,992 words
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Answer to Job
Scott Alexander reimagines the biblical story of Job as a philosophical dialogue about the existence of evil and suffering in God's creation.
9 min read 1,331 words
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Everything Not Obligatory Is Forbidden
A satirical future op-ed argues that not giving children 'super-enhancement gene therapy' is child abuse, mirroring current pro-vaccination arguments.
5 min read 719 words
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If The Media Reported On Other Dangers Like It Does AI Risk
Scott satirizes media reporting on AI risk by presenting exaggerated or misrepresented coverage of other potential dangers, highlighting issues in risk reporting.
3 min read 402 words
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SSC Gives A Graduation Speech
Scott Alexander gives a satirical graduation speech questioning the value of formal education and proposing an alternative basic income system, emphasizing kindness and epistemic humility.
41 min read 6,240 words
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Fix Science In Half An Hour
Scott Alexander humorously proposes a reality TV show called 'Replication Lab!' to address the crisis of replication in psychology by making the process more entertaining.
3 min read 456 words
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More Fictional Drugs Banned By The FDA
Scott Alexander presents a satirical list of fictional drugs banned by the FDA, each with an absurd reason for its prohibition.
4 min read 563 words
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List of Fictional Drugs Banned By The FDA
Scott presents a humorous list of fictional drugs banned by the FDA, each with unexpected and often ironic consequences.
6 min read 898 words
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Transhumanist Fables
Scott Alexander rewrites classic fairy tales to illustrate transhumanist and rationalist concepts, each ending with a moral lesson related to these philosophies.
6 min read 822 words
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Newtonian Ethics
Scott satirically proposes and 'proves' that morality is a form of gravity, using pseudo-scientific reasoning and calculations.
7 min read 1,078 words
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Framing Effects in Anthropology
Scott presents Horace Miner's satirical essay describing American culture as an exotic tribe called the 'Nacirema,' demonstrating how framing effects and cultural expectations shape anthropological interpretation.
16 min read 2,422 words