Satire

Alain de Botton's claim that humorists serve a vital function in society because they are able to say things that other people maybe cannot say is definitely in effect all the time and true. Most people have heard of Jon Stewart, who hosted Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" in 1999. People like Jon Stewart used their popularity to bring about issues that maybe weren't really talked about as much as they should have. In Jon's case, he was one of the top political comedians in America, and he used this to his advantage. He was able to bring to talk issues he was passionate about, all the while being comical about them. For some people, political topics and/or debates can be found as boring. But humorists like Jon Stewart bring humor into these topics which bring in more listeners to the topics discussed. This is a big plus in society because many of these people may feel motivated to act upon a certain issue that was spoken about. In this way, Jon Stewart almost had a voice for the people that didn't know that they had a voice.

Cartoonist humorists are most widely viewd and seen through the works of political cartoons. In reality, not many people can be completely outspoken with the way that the country is run and the way things are going. Poitical cartoonists help with these issues with the works of their drawings. Take the political cartoon pictured here. It's basically showing how the United States is a mess, hence a "driverless car" becuase the country essentially has no good president in the eyes of this cartoonist and his/her supporters. These humorous effects help bring about citizens' opinions into reality and help to give them a voice, just like how Jon Stewert has done.

In conclusoin, Alain de Botton's claim regarding humorists is correct in regarding society and is fully backed up with modern examples. Regular people aren't only given a voice through politics, but also pressing issues such as immigration, racism, a certain food, gun control, etc.