Editing Social commentary (section)

== Forms ==
This list is far from exhaustive. Examples of social commentary may be found in any form of communication. Artistic works of all mediums are often defined by what they say about society. Despite being wordless, the memorable image of the [[Tiananmen Square protests of 1989]] may be considered one of the most profound commentaries of the power of the individual.

=== Visual artwork ===
<!-- [[WP:NFCC]] violation: [[File:Banksy Slave Labour Mural, 2012.jpg|thumb|Banksy's 'slave labour' shows a young child doing the work of an adult. Hence, the child is being robbed of his childhood.]] -->
Inspiration for some artists can come from issues that are present today. Deborah Silverman, Professor of History and Art History at the University of California in Los Angeles, states that the "Analysis of particular visual forms expands to an interpretation of art and artists as carriers of cultural history in the crucible of modernity." This notion has been present in art throughout time. An example is [[Vincent van Gogh|Vincent Van Gogh's]] 1885 painting '[[The Potato Eaters]]'. This picture depicts a group of poverty stricken people gathered in a small room around a table. Vincent Van Gogh created this piece of artwork in order to present a confronting time to the viewer. A modern example is [[street art]], also known as [[graffiti]]. With an international reputation, artist and political activist [[Banksy]] is known to produce street art that raises public issues such as slave Labour, loss of childhood and the effects of war.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Salib|first=Peter|date=2015|title=The Law of Banksy: Who Owns Street Art?|jstor=43655484|journal=The University of Chicago Law Review|volume=82|issue=4|pages=2293–2328}}</ref>

=== Photography ===
Social commentary photography's purpose is to "expose social issues on ethics, society, religious, the way of life, how people live and other similarities."<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last1=Yaacob|first1=Husaini|last2=Azahari|first2=Mustaffa Halabi|last3=Ismail|first3=Adzrool Idzwan|date=2013|title=Visual social communication through photographic images|url=http://iafor.org/archives/offprints/mediasia2013-offprints/MediAsia2013_0159.pdf|journal=The Asian Conference on Media and Mass Communication|access-date=15 May 2016}}</ref> Sometimes this includes the harsh reality of society such as homelessness, discrimination, war and defenceless children. "Social Commentary artists try their best to create artworks in order to convey messages to the community."<ref name=":0" /> Due to the fact that the photos are of real life situations, the contents can be perceived to be more confronting than other visual forms of social commentary. An example are the works of photojournalist and war photographer [[James Nachtwey]]. James Nachtwey's works include the Rwanda Genocide (1994),<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Möller|first=Frank|date=1 April 2010|title=Rwanda Revisualized: Genocide, Photography, and the Era of the Witness|journal=Alternatives: Global, Local, Political|language=en|volume=35|issue=2|pages=113–136|doi=10.1177/030437541003500202|s2cid=145138717|issn=0304-3754}}</ref> the Somalia famine (1992) and the Jakarta Riots (1998) and the September 11 attacks in 2001.{{cn|date=October 2021}}

=== Direct publication ===

=== Public speaking ===
Most [[public speaking]] constitutes social commentary of some form. Many [[sermon]]s will describe the ills of society and offer religious solutions. Many politicians may speak in a similar fashion&nbsp;– in [[Julius Caesar (play)|Shakespeare's Julius Caesar]] one can see [[Mark Antony]]'s funeral speech as a commentary. The larger audience offered by radio and television has diminished the significance of public speaking as a means of social commentary.

The [[United Nations General Assembly]] is one of the biggest global organisations that focus of planet Earth and humans. The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) strive to make the Earth a better place, however without the input of many passionate individuals the UNGA would not be able to achieve this.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Weiss|first=Thomas G.|date=1 October 2010|title=How United Nations ideas change history|journal=Review of International Studies|volume=36|issue=Supplement S1|pages=3–23|doi=10.1017/S026021051100009X|s2cid=144603063|issn=1469-9044}}</ref> Influential public speakers such as [[Pope Francis]], [[Malala Yousafzai]], [[Barack Obama|President Barack Obama]] and [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]],<ref>{{Cite journal|last=II|first=Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth|date=1 February 2011|title=The United Nations: A Real Force for the Common Good|journal=The Round Table|volume=100|issue=412|pages=95–96|doi=10.1080/00358533.2011.542302|s2cid=153641103|issn=0035-8533}}</ref> comment of society's issues. This allows the UNGA to directly listen to the issues at hand and address them accordingly.

=== Fiction ===
Allegorical [[fiction]]al works such as ''[[Animal Farm]]'' clearly contain a social commentary and one can find some degree of social commentary in almost any novel. ''[[To Kill a Mockingbird]]'' can be interpreted as a commentary on racial issues, especially given the date of its publication (1960). Another example of social commentary is [[Thomas More]]'s ''[[Utopia (More book)|Utopia]]'' in which he uses the Utopia to satirize the values of 16th century Britain. Social commentaries have been searched for even in [[fantasy]] novels such as ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', though such connections often require much conjecture, or in modern satirical fables.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Vuong|first1=Quan-Hoang|title=Wild Wise Weird|date=2024|publisher=AISDL|isbn=979-8353946595}}</ref>

=== Non-fiction ===
Directly speaking to a topic in the social discourse in writing by defining the audience, the bounds of the topic, and the presenting facts and opinions based on the primarily author and possibly on another's perspective.

=== Radio, television and film ===
Fictional works in these mediums have a similar scope to that of their literary counterparts and documentaries to the non-fiction works described above. Television and films often use powerful images to enhance their message, for example, [[Michael Moore]]'s films utilise this to great effect in promoting his political beliefs. Some examples of films include ''[[Food, Inc.]]'', ''[[The Story of Stuff]]'' featuring [[Annie Leonard]], and [[Morgan Spurlock]]'s ''[[Super Size Me]]''. And to a lesser degree, the prominent Italian [[exploitation film]] ''[[Cannibal Holocaust]]'' uses graphic violence, shocking imagery, and underlying topics in anthropology to express [[Ruggero Deodato]]'s distaste for modern society&nbsp;– more importantly&nbsp;– what it has become. West Indian calypsonians participate annually in songwriting competitions with the common use of [[double entendre]], humour and metaphor as well as monikers to avoid legal complications (see [[Calypso Music]]). The [[slasher film]] ''[[The Texas Chain Saw Massacre]]'' also uses [[animal rights]] social commentary, in the form of the movie being a [[metaphor]], the chainsaw victims being treated like animals in [[slaughterhouses]] and then put into fridges, [[Meat tenderiser|tenderised]], and hung on [[meat hook]]s and in an interview, [[Russell Simmons|Russel Simmons]] said: "The way that woman was screaming, ‘Aaaahhh,’ and she's running away—that's how every animal you eat is running for his or her life".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Wickman|first=Forrest|date=30 July 2013|title=The Ultimate Animal Rights Film Is the Last Movie You'd Expect|url=https://slate.com/culture/2013/07/texas-chain-saw-massacre-and-vegetarianism-animal-rights-themes-in-the-original-movie-analyzed.html|access-date=13 April 2021|website=Slate Magazine|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=12 June 2008|title=Top 10 Movies That Make You Go Meatless|url=https://www.peta.org/blog/top-10-movies-make-go-meatless/|access-date=13 April 2021|website=PETA|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=15 August 2016|title=Texas Chainsaw Vegan Horror: I like meat, please change the subject!|url=https://ludditerobot.com/vegan-horror/texas-chainsaw-vegan-horror/|access-date=13 April 2021|website=Luddite Robot|language=en-US}}</ref> The [[shockumentary]] ''[[Mondo Cane]]'' also provided social commentary, as in one frame, there are [[Dog walking|dogs being walked]] in [[San Francisco]] and in the other, in [[Papua New Guinea]] people are eating [[dog meat]], using cultures different from Western culture to shock the viewer and make them feel uncomfortable.<ref name=":1">{{Citation|title=Mondo Cane (1962)|url=https://letterboxd.com/film/mondo-cane/details/|language=en|access-date=13 April 2021}}</ref> ''Mondo Cane'' was made to promote "[[Christian values|being civil]]", and uses language in the film such as "[[Barbarian|savages]]".<ref name=":1" />

=== Dystopian fiction ===
A lot of books and games from the [[Cyberpunk|Cyberpunk genre]], including 2020 video game ''[[Cyberpunk 2077]]'' use social commentary usually as a means of questioning technology (ex: "Will technology make us selfish?") or questioning [[Business ethics|unethical]] [[megacorporations]], as in most Cyberpunk plots the megacorporations are [[Antagonist|antagonised]] and [[Demonisation|demonised]] and Cyberpunk also sheds light on poverty-related issues.<ref>{{Cite web|title=What is Cyberpunk?|url=https://techraptor.net/gaming/opinions/what-is-cyberpunk-discussion-on-intent-and-context|access-date=13 April 2021|website=TechRaptor|date=27 June 2019 |language=en}}</ref> The video game series ''[[Watch Dogs]],'' in which the protagonists are [[Cyber-vigilante|cyber vigilantes]] that rebel against an all-seeing government, uses social commentary against [[mass surveillance]]. 1999 film ''[[The Matrix]]'' and 1932 book ''[[Brave New World]]'' provide commentary on the [[Blissful ignorance effect]], where in ''The Matrix,'' [[Red pill and blue pill|the protagonist named Neo can choose the red pill, a dark truth, or the blue pill, a blissful lie to stay in the Matrix or to wake up in the real world]] and in ''Brave New World'' the character has a choice whether or not to take [[Recreational drug use|soma]], a drug used by the [[World State in Brave New World|totalitarian government]] to keep the people happy and docile, both inspired by ''[[Plato's Cave]]'' which some consider a [[metaphor]] for life.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Alexander|title=The Matrix Is Real - But Not How You Think It Is - SELFCONQUERING|url=https://selfconquering.com/the-matrix-is-real-but-not-how-you-think-it-is/|access-date=13 April 2021|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=22 November 2013|title=Aldous Huxley: the prophet of our brave new digital dystopia {{!}} John Naughton|url=http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/nov/22/aldous-huxley-prophet-dystopia-cs-lewis|access-date=13 April 2021|work=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=13 February 2017|title=Which Dystopian Novel Got It Right: Orwell's '1984' or Huxley's 'Brave New World'?|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/13/books/review/which-dystopian-novel-got-it-right-orwells-1984-or-huxleys-brave-new-world.html|access-date=13 April 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=30 May 2012|title=Matrix: A philosophical analysis|url=https://www.the-philosophy.com/matrix-philosophical-analysis|access-date=13 April 2021|website=Philosophy & Philosophers|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Society and Culture: The Matrix: Reality Check {{!}} Vision|url=https://www.vision.org/matrix-reality-check-1147|access-date=13 April 2021|website=www.vision.org|language=en}}</ref> 

In a similar situation, the [[fascist]] government of video game ''[[We Happy Few]]'' use drugs to keep people in a state of [[mania]], to forget a certain "incident" that occurred and [[secret police]] are dispatched to kill people who remember the event or don't take the pills and the citizens are forced to wear masks that mold faces in permanent smiles.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Tach|first=Dave|date=11 May 2016|title=We Happy Few is about drugs and Nazis and whatever you want it to be|url=https://www.polygon.com/features/2016/5/11/11656432/we-happy-few-drugs-nazis-hands-on-impressions|access-date=13 April 2021|website=Polygon|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Drugs and Dead Bodies in the Dark, Twisted Game We Happy Few|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/drugs-and-dead-bodies-in-the-dark-twisted-game-we-/1100-6441252/|access-date=13 April 2021|website=GameSpot|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Hall|first=Charlie|date=10 August 2018|title=We Happy Few is the story of what comes after the fall of European democracy|url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/8/10/17674798/we-happy-few-story-world-war-ii-england-fascism|access-date=13 April 2021|website=Polygon|language=en}}</ref> The main character is presented with a choice at the start of the game: to take the "happiness pill" or to abstain. If the player takes the pill, the game ends and the [[credits roll]], whereas if the player pick the latter, they begin the game. [[George Orwell|George Orwell's]] [[dystopian novel]] ''[[Nineteen Eighty-Four]]'' is also written as a critique of [[Ingsoc|totalitarianism]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bartleby.com/essay/A-Look-into-Totalitarianism-In-1984-by-P3YSDN4JDBRS#:~:text=George%20Orwell%20uses%201984%20to%20criticize%20the%20devastating,rebel%20against%20Big%20Brother%20and%20the%20Thought%20Police.|access-date=13 April 2021|website=www.bartleby.com|title=A Look into Totalitarianism in 1984 by George Orwell &#124; Bartleby}}</ref>

=== Rap music ===
{{main|Hip hop and social injustice}}

A lot of [[hip hop music|hip hop]] associated with [[gangsta rap]] or [[conscious rap]] uses sociopolitical commentary, such as [[N.W.A|N.W.A's]] [[Protest songs in the United States|protest song]] "[[Fuck Tha Police]]" or [[Chamillionaire]] and [[Krayzie Bone|Krayzie Bone's]] "[[Ridin'|Ridin]]", typically against [[Racial profiling|black racial profiling]] and [[police brutality]] and music from gangsta rap artist [[2Pac]] also speak of the poverty in [[inner cities]] and [[racism in the United States]] and 1991 2Pac song ''[[Trapped (2Pac song)|Trapped]]'' discusses an incident in which 2Pac was assaulted by a police officer and talks about [[police brutality in the United States]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hip-Hop & Politics › "Fuck Tha Police", N.W.A|url=https://wordpress.clarku.edu/musc210-hhp/hip-hop-culture-politics-exploring-the-narrative-and-power-of-rap-lyrics/fuck-tha-police-n-w-a/|access-date=12 April 2021|website=wordpress.clarku.edu}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Grow|first=Kory|date=9 June 2020|title=How N.W.A's 'Fuck tha Police' Became the 'Perfect Protest Song'|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/nwa-fuck-tha-police-protest-song-1010355/|access-date=12 April 2021|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Pareles|first=Jon|date=14 September 1996|title=Tupac Shakur, 25, Rap Performer Who Personified Violence, Dies|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/09/14/arts/tupac-shakur-25-rap-performer-who-personified-violence-dies.html|access-date=15 April 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2 August 2019|title=2Pac's "Changes" Lyrics Meaning|url=https://www.songmeaningsandfacts.com/2pacs-changes-lyrics-meaning/|access-date=15 April 2021|website=Song Meanings and Facts|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=7 September 2016|title=Tupac Shakur's Legacy|url=https://www.du.edu/news/tupac-shakurs-legacy|access-date=15 April 2021|website=University of Denver|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|title=2Pac (Ft. Shock G) – Trapped|url=https://genius.com/2pac-trapped-lyrics|language=en|access-date=15 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Tupac Shakur - Trapped Lyrics Meaning|url=https://www.lyricinterpretations.com/tupac-shakur/trapped|access-date=15 April 2021|website=Lyric Interpretations}}</ref>{{overcite|date=October 2021}} In a 1988 interview about societal perspective, rapper [[2Pac]] said “More kids are being handed [[Crack cocaine|crack]] than being handed diplomas.” and "Society is like that. They’ll let you go as far as you want, but as soon as you start asking too many questions and you’re ready to change, boom, that block will come".<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=A Youth Perspective on Society: Tupac Shakur at Age 17|url=http://www.thesociologicalcinema.com/1/post/2015/12/a-youth-perspective-on-society-tupac-shakur-at-age-17.html|access-date=15 April 2021|website=@TheSocyCinema|language=en}}</ref> In the interview, he also states his opinions on government action, requesting [[School reform|school classes]] on [[Drug education|drugs]], [[Sex ed|“real” sex education]], [[scams]], [[Religious cult|religious cults]], [[police brutality]], [[apartheid]], [[American racism]], [[poverty]], and [[food insecurity]].<ref name=":2" /> Other [[School curricula|subjects]] such as [[Language education|foreign languages]], are written off by 2Pac, saying that he doesn't need to learn [[German language|German]], he says he can hardly pay his rent, let alone book a flight to [[Germany]].<ref name=":2" />