Dickens, Satire and "The Foundation"

by Nathaniel Whittemore · 2009-08-27 22:47:00 UTC
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"Please sir, I want some more."

Following up on the new Canadian TV series "The Foundation," Philanthrocapitalism authors Matthew Bishop and Michael Green have compared the new satire to Charles Dickens' lampooning of the excesses of Victorian charity.

In this piece, they make two key points. The first is that the field should be excited that philanthropy feels relevant enough to satire. That's true. No one wants to make fun of something that's not culturally relevant.

The second is that satire is not a denial of importance of the subject of satire. Instead, in many cases it's about pointing out the hypocrisy of people's behavior, a different thing entirely. In the case of "The Foundation" is certainly appears to be less about a disbelief in the potential of philanthropy to do good, and far more about bringing to light - if in sometimes painful fashion - the undercurrent of social status hunting that can sometimes characterize participants in charity.

I think it's a useful framework. Satire has been society's way of keeping it's own feet to the fire since the genre was invented in the Mediterranean thousands of years ago. Our modern need for satire is demonstrated by our love for the Daily Show, Colbert Report, the Onion, and even after 14 seasons, South Park. Satire points out our bs, and in the process reminds us of what really matters.

Enjoy this clip from "Starvin Marvin," an episode from South Park's very first season that brutally lampoons the humanitarian international.

Nathaniel Whittemore is the founder of Assetmap. Previously he was the founding director of the Northwestern University Center for Global Engagement.
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