by David Denby
First published 2009
David Denby identifies a poison spreading through American discourse. The New Yorker critic and bestselling author examines snark, that teasing and undermining abuse that attempts to steal someone's effectiveness and erase their credibility. Denby argues that snarkers believe they deploy wit, but they actually expose the anger of an unhappy nation. He outlines nine standard techniques that practitioners use to sharpen their attacks. The book traces this phenomenon from the drinking clubs of ancient Athens through the Internet age, where snark has become the primary style of many websites. Denby explores how snark emerges when dying classes struggle to maintain power or when outsiders seek to overthrow established authority. He examines its role in publications like Private Eye and Spy magazine, and in writers from Juvenal to Alexander Pope to Tom Wolfe. While defending the right to be cruel, Denby shows how genuine professionals execute criticism effectively, arguing that snark drains humor from life and belongs to amateurs.
Genres: american, social-issues, non-fiction, criticism, 21st-century, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: cultural-critique, social-commentary
Period: 21st-Century
145 pages · Kindle Edition · Simon Schuster