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SATIRICAL PROPOSAL

Kembrew McLeod is an activist, music critic, and documentary film producer. He focuses his work on issues of copyright and intellectual property and famously made an ironic point in 1997 by registering the phrase “Freedom of Expression” as a U.S. trademark. McLeod’s books include Freedom of Expression: Resistance and Repression in the Age of Intellectual Property (2005), Creative License: The Law and Culture of Digital Sampling (2011), and Pranksters: Making Mischief in the Modern World (2014). He teaches communication at the University of Iowa and enjoys playing pranks.

Reading the Genre

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1. This proposal essay is actually made up of three connected proposals. What are they, and how seriously does McLeod expect readers to take them?

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2. Satire — the use of wit and irony to make a serious point — is a form of social commentary. What is McLeod criticizing with his use of satire?

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3. Look up the meaning of hyperbole and consider how McLeod uses overstatement as a persuasive tool. How might this strategy work in a proposal that is not a satire? (See “Defend the proposal”).

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4. WRITING: Because this is a satirical proposal, McLeod doesn’t expect readers to follow through on his suggestions. Try to imagine real solutions to the problems McLeod addresses, and write a serious proposal for change.

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5. WRITING: Using McLeod’s satirical approach for inspiration, propose an outlandish change to another aspect of university life, beyond academics.