# Traditional Irony

###### tags: `Higher Ironies Project`

[TOC]

<p align="center"> <img width="690" height="300" src="https://media.pinatafarm.com/protected/B183D0EF-49B8-47BF-A523-E72FD0CFFAAC/Palpatine-Ironic.1.meme.webp"> </p>

## Irony Defined
To begin, it is worth reiterating the definitions of the three main types **traditional irony**:

* **verbal Irony:** the expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.
* **situational Irony:** a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result.
* **dramatic irony** a literary technique, originally used in Greek tragedy, by which the full significance of a character's words or actions are clear to the audience or reader although unknown to the character.

**Traditional Irony** takes (at least) three distinct forms, and one might reasonably ask what all three have in common that makes **"irony"** the proper term to describe them. There is, however, a fairly straightforward answer to this question: **subversion of expectations.** Each of the three forms of **traditional irony**, in its own way, **subverts** the expectations it establishes--either the expectations of the audience, or (in the case of **dramatic irony**) the expectations of the characters.

## Use of Subversion in Irony

Let us examine more closely how each of the three forms of **traditional irony** actually works:

* **verbal irony** "[expresses] one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect." To put it another way, **verbal irony** sets the expectation that it means whatever the words it is using typically mean; the ordinary meaning of the words is **subverted.**
* Ex:
<p align="center"> <img width="500" height="450" src="https://i.imgur.com/F47CODI_d.jpg?maxwidth=520&shape=thumb&fidelity=high"> </p>
* **situational irony** is "a state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result." To put it another way, **situational irony** sets establishes a situation in such a way that the audience expects one thing to happen, but then some other thing happens instead; the audience's expectations are **subverted.**
* Ex:
<p align="center"> <img width="690" height="450" src="https://imgix.ranker.com/list_img_v2/8704/2908704/original/2908704"> </p>

* **dramatic irony** establishes a situation in which "the full significance of a character's words or actions are clear to the audience or reader" but "unknown to the character." In other words, the character expects his words or actions to mean one thing, but the audience is aware that they have a different meaning or significance than what the character thinks. This, too, is a **subversion** of expectations--just one from the character's point of view, rather than from that of the audience.
* Ex:

<p align="center"> <img width="690" height="280" src="https://i.imgur.com/VFJOVf2.jpg"> </p>

*(If only you knew, Obi-Wan...)*

**Subversion** is fundamental to the use of **traditional irony,** in all of its forms. This begs the question: what is the purpose of such **subversion**? There are several possible answers.

### Subversion for Humor

Very often, the point of **subversion** is simply to be funny.

<p align="center"> <img width="400" height="690" src="https://sadanduseless.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/irony10.jpg"> </p>

<p align="center"> <img width="400" height="600" src="https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/funny-examples-irony-42__605.jpg"> </p>

In these cases, the point of the **subversion** is merely to get a laugh out of people by doing the unexpected, or by intentionally contradicting oneself for humor. However, sarcastic humor is not always pointless. There is often some **sincere** message that the **irony** is being used to convey--albeit by reverse-psychology. **Subversion** for humor can often bleed over into...

### Subversion for Mockery

***Watch the following video:***
___
<p align="center"> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t8nrdiQqFAs" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen> </iframe> </p>

*Tensions Mount After North Korea Destroys All Of Asia*, being from the satire website The Onion, is of course partly using **traditional irony** for humorous effect. Clearly it not a **sincere** video; the video is not discussing events that really occurred. And, clearly, it is a video meant to amuse the audience--specifically by how calm both the U.S. military and the news media seem to be over North Korea's cataclysmic attack, and its promises to come for Europe and America next.

However, there is more going on here than simple humor. Beneath the **(traditional) situational irony** of the scenario the video shows, there is a **sincere** point: namely, that in many cases United States politicians are ineffective in dealing with aggression by foreign leaders, failing to take threats seriously and responding in a lackluster way when those threats materialize. The video also makes the point that many in the media are either ignorant of international affairs or regard them merely as a subject of academic interest, without regard for the human life involved. The video's fictional portrayals of military officials and news anchors are meant to mock, or at least poke fun at, such people. *Tensions Mount* uses a comically over-the-top scenario to demonstrate these qualities in the targets of its satire--thus, it is **ironic**--but there is a layer of **sincerity** below the **irony**.

**Irony**, when it is being used for some purpose other than mere humor, has some **sincere** point that it is trying to make. This is worth noting, as it is key to understanding how **[Meta-Irony](/CiYW-9KJQNOvIXv_HbnVlg)** and **[Post-Irony](/YI8fzFBRS4KUdc6YFnuQfQ)** differ from **traditional irony.**

### Subversion for Deconstruction

<p align="center"> <img width="690" height="450" src="https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/notapipe_3289.PNG">

*(The Treachery of Images by René Magritte. It reads "This is not a pipe" in English)*

One might reasonably ask: "if **traditional irony** is used to convey a **sincere** point, why not simply convey whatever that **sincere** point is, rather than going through the trouble of using **irony**?" The answer to this question may in some cases come down to: "Because **irony** is funnier." However, there is more to the story than that. **Traditional irony**, in addition to being used for humor, may also be used for **deconstruction**.

**Deconstruction**, like **irony** itself, is a bit of a nebulous term to define. We can use the following as a working definition:

* **Deconstruction:** Breaking down some point of view, work of art, or experience into its component parts and then analyzing those parts in isolation as a means of exposing falsehood.

For example, someone might **deconstruct** the belief in God as being composed of the need for purpose in life, or the fear of the future, or the desire for a loving father figure, etc. **Deconstruction** is a method of breaking down **sincere** beliefs and showing them to be absurd.

**Deconstruction** is very much wrapped up in the philosophy of **[Postmodernism](/2dAVGsHITN6uCoIMInRJHg)**, which is in many ways the dominant philosophical framework of the current day and age. I will discuss it in more detail presently. For our purposes here, however, it suffices to say that **traditional irony** can use **subversion** to **deconstruct** some **sincere** belief. Consider the following meme:

<p align="center"> <img width="700" height="400" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B_AiI9_XIAA67_t.jpg">

This meme uses **subversion** to **deconstruct** the idea of nationalism. It shows the "us" side as perceiving their land, leader, religion, and people to be in every way superior to the "them" side, but in actuality the images on both sides are identical--minus the color of the flags. Now, this meme still has a **sincere** message: namely, that any preference one has for one's own land, or leader, or religion, or people is, in fact, merely an illusion caused by ingroup mentality. However, this **sincere** belief is **deconstructive** in the sense that it is predicated on the dismantling of the opposite **sincere** belief that there *is* something unique and noble about one's own land, or leader, or religion, or people.

**Traditional irony** as a literary device is quite useful for the purpose of **deconstruction**, as its **subversive** character can be used to reveal contradictions or flaws in the target of the **irony** with precision.

## Irony on the Internet

There is, however, a problem with **traditional irony**: if it becomes so pervasive that it is *no longer unexpected,* it very quickly loses its edge. **Traditional irony** operates by **subversion**, and subversion operates by establishing expectations and then thwarting them. But if **subversion** becomes *expected*, is it really still **subversive?**

This is a question that has become of more than merely academic concern on the internet, where **traditional irony** has become, in many ways, the default method of communication. And with this development, **traditional irony** has begun to carry less and less weight as a literary device. **Ironic** humor, because it is so ubiquitous, is no longer quite so funny. **Ironic** deconstruction, because it has been used so often, is no longer quite so piercing. To put the question another way: once *everything* has been subjected to **ironic** mockery and **deconstruction**, where else is there for **irony** to go?

This is a question I shall attempt to answer presently. But first, it is worth examining *why* irony has become so prevalent on the internet.

Next Chapter: **[Communication on the Internet](/2Dy4yHCoTCSRTykYoDvldg)**