Satire: The Simpsons

The Simpsons series, created by Matt Groening and the show focuses on satirizing the modern day American family. In this episode, originally from 2008 during the 2008 Presidential Election between John McCain and President Obama. Homer goes to the voting booth in an attempt to vote for President Obama, however, the machine malfunctions and counts the vote for McCain instead. As Homer realizes that machine is rigged, it suddenly sucks him in and harms Homer in the process. Homer tumbles out of the machine, unconscious and a man sticks an "I voted" sticker on his forehead.

I think that the clip is satirizing the idea that the American electronic voting machines are rigged or flaws in the overall voting process.

There are multiple techniques used within the short clip to help convey the message:

1. A parody was used to make fun of the voting machines in Ohio during the 2008 Presidential Election when the machines mysteriously switched votes from President Obama to John McCain. 
2. Verbal irony is used when Homer says "I would like to vote for President, Governor, or anything else that will take money away from our parks and libraries" (The irony is that voting for someone is supposed to bring positive changes not negative ones). 
3. Once again verbal irony/incongruity is used when Homer says "This doesn't happen in America! Maybe Ohio, but not in America!" (Ohio is in America!)

I think that this clip overall is an effective use of satire because it emphasized concerns that the American people had our voting system by using the Ohio incident as an example. In fact, people today still have the same concerns regarding electronic voting systems today as they did ten years ago, especially after the 2016 Presidential Election. Read more about it here.