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Jane Foole, was one of the only female jester's ever depicted in history. She was the jester to Queen Catherine Parr, Queen Mary I of England and possibly Queen Anne Boelyn.
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An English actor and often cited as the first professional fool. He set the stage for Elizabeathan actors that came after him and for all fools after. The Joker in packs of playing cards is based off of him. He was one of Queen Elizabeth's favorite jesters.
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A tragedy by Shakespeare relies heavily on the character of the fool. Shakespearean fools are usually clever commoners and use their wit to call out the follies of those around them and to outdo people of higher social standing.
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Thomas Killigrew, English dramatist was considered the 'jester' of Charles II's court. In his famous diary, Samuel Pepys wrote that Killigrew had the office of the King's fool and jester, with the power to mock and revile even the most prominent without penalty.
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Common Sense challenged the authority of the British government and the royal monarchy. The plain language that Paine used spoke to the average colonist and was the first work to openly ask for independence. Although it was not exactly parody or satire, Paine's fresh writing style and directness was an accessible call to action.
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Clemens was stationed in Nevada, writing for the Territorial Enterprise, when he fabricated stories including discussions about a petrified man and a ghastly massacre in Empire City. Covering the territorial legislature, Clemens helped form the "Third House," a deliberative body of fellow journalists who met at session's end to mock the lawmakers. Clemens was one of the first 'faux news' journalists of his time.
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Comedian Will Rogers, sets the precedent for satirists like Jon Stewart and Steven Colbert by mocking the president (Woodrow Wilson) and other politicians of the time.
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Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer released a series of ten one-reel theatrical shorts called Goofy Movies, which included "Wotaphony Newsreel," a newsreel parody that paired actual footage with a mocking, deadpan narration
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TWTW as a satirical television comedy show on BBC in the UK. It broke groun in comedy by lampooning the establishment and political figures. It was a significant factor in the satire boom in the UK during the 60s.
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SNL's longest-running sketch comments on and parodies current events. Set up similar to a news broadcast with two anchors, the sktech involves reporting on current events in a very humorous way.
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The format of the show changes and beginning of the era of "fake news" program begins. Stewart skillfully used satire and parody to discuss the news and the way in which the news was presented. It won 18 Primetime Emmy's and at its height had 3.6 million viewers.
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Steven Colbert, a correspondant on The Daily Show, premieres his own show called The Colbert Report which works in the same vain as the TDS and uses parody and satire to report on the news.
