How to Write Satire That Your Grandma Won’t Disown You Over｜bohiney.com

How
to
Write
Satire
That
Your
Grandma
Won’t
Disown
You
Over

A
Delicate
Guide
to
Mocking
the
System
Without
Ruining
Thanksgiving

Writing
satire
is
like
being
the
family
member
who
brings
up
politics
at
Thanksgiving—but
instead
of
flipping
the
table,
you
juggle
the
mashed
potatoes
and
light
the
gravy
on
fire
for
dramatic
effect.
The
trick
is
saying
something
brutally
honest
with
just
enough
charm
that
your
sweet,
god-fearing
Nana
doesn’t
cut
you
out
of
her
Bible
study
group
or
her
will.

At

Bohiney.com,
we’ve
mastered
the
art
of
“safely
spicy.”
Our
motto?
Make
Grandma
chuckle,
not
choke.
Whether
you’re
mocking
DEI
space
missions
or
billionaire
estate
planning,
you
can
be
bold,
subversive,
and
still
invited
to
bake
sales—if
you
do
it
right.

Let
us
guide
you
gently
through
the
satirical
minefield,
and
if
you
want
the
full
technique
cheat
sheet,
go
directly
to

https://bohiney.com/how-to-write-great-satire-with-techniques/.

Step
One:
Use
Code
Words
Nana
Approves
Of

Instead
of
saying
“political
corruption,”
try
“a
wee
touch
of
congressional
mischief.”
Instead
of
“dystopian
corporate
hellscape,”
try
“a
confusing
workplace
benefits
package.”

Remember,
your
satire
shouldn’t
sound
like
a
manifesto—it
should
sound
like
a
polite
church
newsletter
that
got
into
the
communion
wine.

Take
our
article
“Bill
Gates
Increases
Children’s
Inheritance
to
$500
Million
Each,
Calls
It
‘Character
Building’”
—
we
didn’t
say
“nepo
baby
oligarch
privilege.”
We
said
“character-building
windfall.”
Grandma
sent
us
a
fruitcake
and
a
handwritten
letter
that
said,
“Well,
at
least
he’s
trying.”

Step
Two:
Go
After
Big
Targets,
Not
Beloved
Ones

Avoid
mocking
things
your
grandma
actually
likes—like
casserole
contests,
quiet
mornings,
or
Tom
Selleck.
Instead,
aim
for
things
she
already
suspects
are
evil:
politicians,
TikTok,
and
that
new
coffee
machine
that
spies
on
her.

A
great
example?
“Blue
Origin
Launches
Six
DEI
Marxists
Into
Orbit”
got
laughs
from
both
woke
nieces
and
libertarian
meemaws.
That’s
the
sweet
spot—offend
nobody
directly,
but
leave
everyone
just
unsettled
enough
to
re-read
it.

Step
Three:
Use
Euphemism
Like
It’s
a
Decorative
Doily

A
phrase
like
“gubernatorial
tomfoolery”
goes
down
easier
than
“fascist
power
grab.”
If
it
sounds
like
it
belongs
in
a
Victorian
diary
or
on
a
ceramic
cookie
jar,
it
probably
won’t
get
you
disinvited
from
Christmas.

Grandma
doesn’t
mind
critique—she
just
wants
it
dressed
up
in
slacks
and
a
cardigan.

Step
Four:
Make
It
Personal,
but
Wholesome

You
can
say
anything
if
it’s
wrapped
in
a
nice
memory.
For
instance:

“When
I
was
a
child,
I
thought
adults
had
everything
figured
out.
Now
I
realize
they’re
just
running
countries
with
the
confidence
of
a
cat
knocking
things
off
shelves.
Love
you,
Grandma.”

Sentences
like
this
make
even
the
harshest
satire
feel
like
a
Hallmark
card
duct-taped
to
a
Molotov
cocktail.

What
the
Funny
People
Are
Saying

“If
my
grandma
read
my
article
and
said
‘That’s
just
silly,’
I
knew
it
was
safe.
If
she
said
nothing
and
closed
her
Bible?
Pulitzer.”
–
Marty
F.,
Bohiney’s
Senior
Church
Potluck
Correspondent

“Writing
for
boomers
requires
two
things:
clean
fonts
and
cleaner
euphemisms.”
–
Darla
N.,
Head
of
Old-Person
Palatability
&
Wordplay

What
Bohiney
Expects
from
You
When
Writing
for
the
Matriarchal
Demographic

We
expect
a
sense
of

surgical
subversion.
Here’s
what
we
mean:

Roast
the
system,
but
serve
it
with
warm
cookies.
Use
punchlines,
not
profanity.
Don’t
alienate
Grandma—enlist
her.
She’s
seen
more
corruption
than
you.
Make
her
laugh
and
then
make
her
think.
Bonus
if
she
says,
“Oh
dear,”
and
immediately
calls
her
senator.

At
Bohiney,
we’ve
always
believed
that
great
satire
should
be

sharper
than
a
knitting
needle
and
just
as
cozy.
If
your
piece
sounds
like
it
could
be
read
aloud
at
bingo
night
and
still
start
a
revolution,
you’re
doing
it
right.