# Examples Of Popular Culture Irony That People Don't Seem To 'Get' **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 18, 2003, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-popular-culture-irony-that-people-dont-seem-to-get/169596 "2003-04-18T17:35:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-popular-culture-irony-that-people-dont-seem-to-get/169596/101 "2003-04-22T07:36:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Yllaria \* > \*\*Wendell, it WAS by the Mamas and the Papas. I have a copy. Maybe Peter, Paul, and Mary had another song. But your memory is completely accurate. \*\* Unless The Mamas and the Papas also did Puff the Magic Dragon, Lemon Tree, and pretty much every other song Peter, Paul and Mary did, it was NOT The Mamas and the Papas. The may have done a cover, I suppose. It would, however, be very strange to be slamming themselves. (They really DID dig Rock & Roll, unlike the writers of the song in question. And some Folk groups - PP&M, for instance - were rather bitter at them over it.) ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-popular-culture-irony-that-people-dont-seem-to-get/169596/102 "2003-04-22T13:15:37Z")
Look, clearly Peter, Paul, and Mary did do “I Dig Rock and Roll Music.” I’ve got it on an album. Clearly, Paul Stookey (who is the Paul of Peter, Paul, and Mary) is one of the writers of the song, so it’s original with Peter, Paul, and Mary. I can’t find any evidence that the Mamas and the Papas did a cover version of the song. If you have evidence that they did such a cover version, please tell me the name of the album that it appears on. If you have evidence that the Mamas and the Papas did a live version that’s not on one of their albums, cite your evidence. I have a 3-CD boxed set of the Mamas and the Papas songs, and it’s not there. As I pointed out before, I just listened to the Peter, Paul, and Mary version of “I Dig Rock and Roll Music,” and the amazing thing is that they do a dead-on impression of the Mamas and the Papas. ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-popular-culture-irony-that-people-dont-seem-to-get/169596/103 "2003-04-22T14:00:26Z")
> [@](#): > > _originally posted by Leaper_ > See, that’s my point. I think it’s a rather weak/poor sort of irony where the ONLY way to tell that it was ironic was through the title, especially in a world where probably 80% of the people who know the song know it from the radio, which always, as far as I know, gives the title “Time of Your Life.” At least with all the other music-related mentions on this thread, you can actually TELL what it’s saying when you read the lyrics. You can’t in this case, and I don’t think it quite fits in this thread, because it’s hardly the public’s fault that they “don’t get the song.” OK, the irony wasn’t the blatant hit-you-over-the-head sort. It was subtle. But that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t there. The lyrics are, at best, ambiguous - they certainly don’t fit the sentimental mood many people attach to them (_tattoos and dead skin on trial_ is a fairly negative image, for instance). Taken in the context of the complete work, i.e including the title, it becomes apparent that the refrain “I hope you had the time of your life” is indeed ironic. And I agree with what other posters have said. If people fail to educate themselves of certain aspects of the song, like, say, the title, it’s their own fault that they fail to understand the irony. Green Day titled the song Good Riddance. They can’t help what radio announcers call it. > [@](#): > > _originally posted by bluecanary_ > gex: What does your book say ‘Stand’ (off Green) is about? I’ve always been baffled by that one. > [@](#): > > Still, with all the lightheartedness contained in ‘Stand,’ the song does have a simple, but important message: you should take a stand and become involved in the decision-making process “in the place that you live” and work. > > “It is very stupid, but underneath all the stupidity there is something there,” Stipe said on _Rockline_. “‘Stand’ is about as broad as we get, but at least it’s not another dumb radio love song that leaves you cold,” he added in _Musician_. “I’m glad that four-year-olds enjoy it.” Great book. I recommend it, though unfortunately it only goes up to _New Adventures In Hi-fi_. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-popular-culture-irony-that-people-dont-seem-to-get/169596/104 "2003-04-22T15:30:34Z")
Somebody already mentioned “This Land is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie. As I recall, that was used as a campaign song in 1988… by George Bush. Putz. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-popular-culture-irony-that-people-dont-seem-to-get/169596/105 "2003-04-22T20:18:18Z")
Getting back to the OP, does anyone else find it ironic that **Yllaria** could not tell from the lyrics a song that mentions the Mamas and the Poppas from a song sung by them? :smack: > [@](#): > > And **they** got a good thing goin’ > When the words don’t get in the way. > And when **they’re** really wailing, > Michelle and Cass are sailin’. > Hey! **they** really nail **me** to the wall. Bolding mine. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-popular-culture-irony-that-people-dont-seem-to-get/169596/106 "2003-04-22T21:04:29Z")
Yes, _I Dig Rock and Roll Music_ was a Peter, Paul & Mary song, and it was not recorded by The Mamas & The Papas. But the fact that the lyrics of _I Dig Rock and Roll Music_ refer to The Mamas & The Papas in the third person does not alone mean anything. After all, so does The Mamas & The Papas song [Creeque Alley](http://www.purelyrics.com/index.php?lyrics=syiqbdwm): > [@](#): > > Sebastian and Zal formed the Spoonful > **Michelle** , **John** and **Denny** gettin’ very tuneful > McGuinn and McGuire just are catchin’ fire > in L.A. you know where that’s at > And everybody’s gettin’ fast except **Mama Cass** ---
**Author:** ![Payton\_s\_Servant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@Payton\_s\_Servant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Payton_s_Servant)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-popular-culture-irony-that-people-dont-seem-to-get/169596/107 "2003-04-22T21:13:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Evil Death \* > \*\*The irony of Born In The USA being used as a political anthem isn’t contained in the song - it’s on the cover of the album, where Springsteen is pissing on the flag. \*\* No, he isn’t. I’d like a cite for your claim that he is. ---
**Author:** ![Payton\_s\_Servant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@Payton\_s\_Servant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Payton_s_Servant)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-popular-culture-irony-that-people-dont-seem-to-get/169596/108 "2003-04-22T21:17:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Walloon \* > \*\*It’s hard to believe Lennon’s back-pedaling when you read the quotation [in context](http://www.geocities.com/nastymcquickly/articles/standard.html) from the _London Evening Standard_: \*\* Lennon was referring to England, not America. And it could be argued that what he said was true, at that point in time, the Beatles _were_ more popular then Jesus in England. But he wasn’t gloating, in fact that was his way of pointing out how strange the whole thing was to him. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2003, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-popular-culture-irony-that-people-dont-seem-to-get/169596/109 "2003-04-22T23:10:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Payton’s Servant \* > \*\*But he wasn’t gloating, in fact that was his way of pointing out how strange the whole thing was to him. \*\* What did John Lennon mean, then, when in the same breath he said, “Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary.” ---
**Author:** ![MusicJunkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@MusicJunkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MusicJunkie)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-popular-culture-irony-that-people-dont-seem-to-get/169596/110 "2003-04-23T02:28:56Z")
That he approved of Xianity but not the church? ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-popular-culture-irony-that-people-dont-seem-to-get/169596/111 "2003-04-23T02:35:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gex gex \* > \*\*OK, the irony wasn’t the blatant hit-you-over-the-head sort. It was subtle. But that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t there. The lyrics are, at best, ambiguous - they certainly don’t fit the sentimental mood many people attach to them (_tattoos and dead skin on trial_ is a fairly negative image, for instance). Taken in the context of the complete work, i.e including the title, it becomes apparent that the refrain “I hope you had the time of your life” is indeed ironic. \*\* I will certainly agree that there’s enough ambiguity there to interpret it the ironic way. However… > [@](#): > > **And I agree with what other posters have said. If people fail to educate themselves of certain aspects of the song, like, say, the title, it’s their own fault that they fail to understand the irony. Green Day titled the song Good Riddance. They can’t help what radio announcers call it.** I ask one more time: how are people who hear it only on the radio, like myself, supposed to KNOW to “educate themselves” on the real title of the song? To take myself as an example, was I supposed to think to myself, “Self, I know the radio always calls this song ‘Time of Your Life,’ but the radio might be lying to me. I’d better research this in case that’s not the real title.” Would YOU think that? Granted, one could argue that the ambiguity might move you to try to find that out, but even “Time of Your Life” works as an ironic title. So unless you automatically assume that every title announced on the radio is a fabrication, my point still stands, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2003, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-popular-culture-irony-that-people-dont-seem-to-get/169596/112 "2003-04-23T05:33:40Z")
And everybody’s gettin’ fast except Mama Cass Actually it’s: And everybody’s gettin’ **fat** except Mama Cass [http://www.creequealley.com/](http://www.creequealley.com/) \<-a lengthy analysis Sorry, can’t let a mis-quote go by. We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread. ---
**Author:** ![li\_l\_Dickie\_Dirtz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/2bfe46/32.png) [@li\_l\_Dickie\_Dirtz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/li_l_Dickie_Dirtz)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-popular-culture-irony-that-people-dont-seem-to-get/169596/113 "2003-04-24T13:17:22Z")
Is it ironic that Corona advertises itself as the “Official Beer of Cinco de Mayo,” or is it just me? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/examples-of-popular-culture-irony-that-people-dont-seem-to-get/169596.md?page=5)