In today's society, the quality of lifestyle of youth is getting worse and worse. Mostly influenced by big companies and the media, young people have begun to fall under the influence of television and junk-food more than their own parents. In the article, "Television, Processed Foods Couldn't Be More Proud of the Child They Raised", t.v. programs and junk-food companies are portrayed as the parents of an obese child named Brian. This article uses situational irony, burlesque, and hyperbole to criticize television programs and processed food companies for creating an unhealthy lifestyle for youth.
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The article uses burlesque by portraying the serious subject of obesity and laziness in children as a positive lifestyle. For example, the article states that "Jo Ann Smith, board member of Tyson Foods was equally delighted with the dangerously obese young man her company helped raise." Obesity is a very [can't read word] and unhealthy problem especially in America, but this article makes it seem like a good thing. By questioning the importance of the damage that obesity can cause for people, this article criticizes societies ignorance of the affect that processed foods has on youth. In addition, the article describes watching [Brian] blossom into a 241-pound adult "as magical." Even though 241 pounds is severely overweight for a person, Brian is described as everything his parents, "the nation's television and processed food producers " wanted him to be as he grew older. The burlesque reveals how obesity is actually a very serious problem, the article is criticizing the bulk of society for ignoring this serious matter. The burlesque in this article is irreverent to show how the media has badly influenced society into thinking a lifestyle of obesity is acceptable.
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Situational irony is also used in this article to further criticize t.v. and food companies but by altering reality and describing a situation that is opposite of what most people would expect.
