It's far too poetic and Petrarchian with the language for it to be strictly satirical. Yes, the youth of the characters make it funny, but then what are they satirizing? The impetuous nature of young love?

I think some of the language in Romeo and Juliet is gorgeous, and that the romance is very effective, as long as it's not played in that cliched faux-Renaissance "I am acting Shakespeare" kind of way. I think one could even go far as to say the scenes between them are very sexy.

There are certainly satiric elements, and Mercutio is a voice of satire. But he dies halfway through the play, and for a reason. The comedy, the fun, the satire...it's all gone once Mercutio dies.

So while I see where you're coming from, I'd hesitate to let your personal opinion on a romance blind you from the fact that millions and millions of people find the romance very effective, lol.

I'd say the thing that people fail to realize about Romeo and Juliet is how difficult it is to make it work on stage, not just because of how overplayed it is, but how difficult it is to balance that line between impetuous youth, teen lust, rebels in an oppressive world...there's a LOT going on that has to all be present simultaneously. It's an easy play to make into a boring production, but it's a very difficult play to make into a stimulating production.