Was ‘04 Really Good for Satire or Do We Just Need to Sum Up The Year in Funny?

Salon just published an article summarizing how 2004 was a great year for satire due to the world going to hell, a “good enough” premise for revisiting this year’s comedy hits.

I love that the list is multidisciplinary, including printed material like Aaron McGruder’s “Boondocks” and The Onion. But there’s a few thuds that stop the list cold. “My Big Fat Obnoxious Boss” and “Drawn Together” don’t even play in the same ballparks as “South Park” or the “Daily Show.” The writer admits that she doesn’t find “Drawn” funny other than the premise of putting cartoon characters together a la “The Real World”. I like the premise too, but one great idea doesn’t make a great comedy.

Replace those with “The Office” and “Arrested Development”, both of which are smarter, darker and more precise in their targets. Not to mention, they’re far more relevant simply because they are satires of life rather than the reality TV version of it. And both of them parody reality TV as well and better. Other than that, it’s a pretty comprehensive list. Check it out if year-end round-ups are your bag.