# The most ironic thing. Ever. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 3, 2004, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ironic-thing-ever/277869 "2004-12-03T07:12:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ironic-thing-ever/277869/1 "2004-12-03T07:12:48Z")
[I hope this needs no further clarification.](http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=390609) ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ironic-thing-ever/277869/2 "2004-12-03T07:31:23Z")
Nope. šŸ†’ ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Girl)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ironic-thing-ever/277869/3 "2004-12-03T07:32:18Z")
> [@xgxlx](#): > > [I hope this needs no further clarification.](http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=390609) Meh. I found [this](http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=731329) more ironic (if ironic is even the right word for it). Perhaps [this](http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=329533), [this](http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=761406), or [this](http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=2659286) and my favorite: [this](http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=1128434). Perhaps Wally World execs ought to start reading the books they put on the shelves, huh? ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ironic-thing-ever/277869/4 "2004-12-03T07:34:16Z")
And itā€™s 40Ā¢ off. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ironic-thing-ever/277869/5 "2004-12-03T11:16:15Z")
I think _Mein Kampf_ is the most ironic book title ever conceived. It would be like Dr. Mengele writing a book titled _My Pain_. ---
**Author:** ![MrFantsyPants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@MrFantsyPants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrFantsyPants)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ironic-thing-ever/277869/6 "2004-12-03T11:24:27Z")
Power To The People! ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ironic-thing-ever/277869/7 "2004-12-03T12:45:54Z")
> [@Cinnamon Girl](#): > > Perhaps Wally World execs ought to start reading the books they put on the shelves, huh? Hope Iā€™m not making a mountain out of a molehill hereā€¦ Do you really think Wal-Mart puts these books on the shelves completely unaware of the applicable social contexts? To me, it sounds like theyā€™re inviting you to analyze an opposing viewpoint within the context of their store and make your own decision. Is that a bad thing? I mean, weā€™d probably give a bookstore some flak if they shelved only those books which advanced opinions and viewpoints strictly in alliance with the storeā€™s. But here theyā€™re offering opposing viewpoints within their own store, and weā€™re accusing them of not even paying attention to the books they stock. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ironic-thing-ever/277869/8 "2004-12-03T13:23:19Z")
Itā€™s ironic, sure - and the jokeā€™s not on Wal-Mart, itā€™s on Marx. ---
**Author:** ![Farmwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8dc957/32.png) [@Farmwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmwoman)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ironic-thing-ever/277869/9 "2004-12-03T13:37:57Z")
aw, what does he care? As long as he makes a buck šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ironic-thing-ever/277869/10 "2004-12-03T13:48:28Z")
Actually he doesnā€™t make a buck > [@](#): > > Marx supports a number of charities. He donates royalties from his song ā€œChildren of The Nightā€ to a Los Angeles charity of the same name that aids runaways. He donates money raised through the sale of the single, ā€œShouldā€™ve Known Better,ā€ to the T.J. Martell Foundation for Leukemia, Cancer, and AIDS Research. He has been involved with Farm Aid, and he has been a spokesperson against smoking and tobacco for the Centers For Disease Control, among his other charitable involvements. . From [here](http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?product_id=869795&cat=5076&type=4&dept=4104&path=0%3A4104%3A4118%3A5096%3A26903) at Walmart. That Richard Marx is older than he looks, eh? ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ironic-thing-ever/277869/11 "2004-12-03T14:12:11Z")
They only sell it there so they can track you. And then they follow the electronic beacon in the book to your home and insert a chip into your brain while you are sleeping. Itā€™s not like Iā€™m paranoid or anything. It turns out the chip was bought at Wal-Mart, and it breaks within a day just like every other Wal-Mart product, so no real harm done. ---
**Author:** ![Cinnamon\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@Cinnamon\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cinnamon_Girl)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ironic-thing-ever/277869/12 "2004-12-03T14:16:26Z")
> [@fetus](#): > > Hope Iā€™m not making a mountain out of a molehill hereā€¦ > > Do you really think Wal-Mart puts these books on the shelves completely unaware of the applicable social contexts? To me, it sounds like theyā€™re inviting you to analyze an opposing viewpoint within the context of their store and make your own decision. Is that a bad thing? I mean, weā€™d probably give a bookstore some flak if they shelved only those books which advanced opinions and viewpoints strictly in alliance with the storeā€™s. But here theyā€™re offering opposing viewpoints within their own store, and weā€™re accusing them of not even paying attention to the books they stock. Herein lies the true irony. Wal-Mart is a notorious censor. Their policy is to only sell what they deem acceptable for their customersā€™ consumption. In light of that, itā€™s refreshing (and somewhat surprising) to see Wal-Mart selling books that may shed an unflattering light on their own corporate monsterdom. By pointing this out, all Iā€™m saying is that maybe if they (the execs who make Wal-Mart policy) read these books their customers must be reading, one of two things might happen: a) theyā€™d pull the books off the shelves deeming them disparaging of Wal-Mart And All That They Stand For, or b) theyā€™d become enlightened enough to change some of the more heinous of their corporate policies. Being the cynic I am, Iā€™m voting for c. Theyā€™re only offering the books for sale to see how many people actually buy them for the purpose of gauging Americaā€™s true feelings for the corporate beast. If you bought one of these books, itā€™d probably be ā€œon backorderā€ indefinitely, and in the case of the union book, theyā€™ll be cross-referencing the shipping address with their employee database.\* - Keep yer pants on, Iā€™m joking, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Genghis\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/45deac/32.png) [@Genghis\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genghis_Bob)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ironic-thing-ever/277869/13 "2004-12-03T14:24:58Z")
Damn, thatā€™s even more ironic than a black fly in my Chardonnay! ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ironic-thing-ever/277869/14 "2004-12-03T15:31:23Z")
> [@Cinnamon Girl](#): > > ā€¦shed an unflattering light on their own corporate monsterdom. Any corporate monsterdom is the product of its management style. They are not a top-heavy organization and the relative freedom of the regional management to make decisions is what creates the stuff that gets bad press. The legal environment will see to it that this will change over time. Interestingly, when Wal-Mart was looking to come to our township, some do-gooder (read ā€œasshatā€) dropped off an article to show how the firm is so evil. She somehow failed to notice that a big portion of the article was about how the firm was changing its practices in response to requests from the localities in which it was located. In the county there is a Wal-Mart, yet the traditional shopping mall, that is the historic downtown district, is still going gangbusters. I agree w/ the OP that Wal-Mart selling Marx is funny. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ironic-thing-ever/277869/15 "2004-12-03T17:14:46Z")
Iā€™ll go for D)Wal\*Martians realize the money they can make off these items outweighs the slight miniscule chance that the marginal information spreading caused by these books will get people to actually do something effective that would cut into their profits. Plus no oneā€™s organized a large Anti-Marx campaign yet, if they did, Wally World would pull 'em as quick as you can say John Birch. ---
**Author:** ![melondeca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@melondeca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melondeca)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ironic-thing-ever/277869/16 "2004-12-03T17:19:03Z")
> [@Genghis Bob](#): > > Damn, thatā€™s even more ironic than a black fly in my Chardonnay! šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ironic-thing-ever/277869/17 "2004-12-03T17:40:51Z")
> [@Farmwoman](#): > > aw, what does he care? > > As long as he makes a buck šŸ˜ƒ šŸ˜› **Farmwoman** , you need to post more often. ā€“Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ironic-thing-ever/277869/18 "2004-12-03T17:57:53Z")
> [@Cinnamon Girl](#): > > Herein lies the true irony. Wal-Mart is a notorious censor. Their policy is to only sell what they deem acceptable for their customersā€™ consumption. And whatā€™s wrong with that? Itā€™s not like you canā€™t get the book or the uncensored rap CD someplace else. They are a business and theyā€™ve made a decision on what they want to sell. Itā€™s not censorship. (BTW, I donā€™t shop at Wal-Mart, but thatā€™s a whole 'nuther thread.) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ironic-thing-ever/277869/19 "2004-12-03T18:43:46Z")
I read a few posts before I went to click the link. It would have been far more ironic if Wal\*Mart was selling a book titled ā€œHow to Unionize Your Workplaceā€. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2004, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ironic-thing-ever/277869/20 "2004-12-03T18:57:59Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Iā€™ll go for D)Wal\*Martians realize the money they can make off these items outweighs the slight miniscule chance that the marginal information spreading caused by these books will get people to actually do something effective that would cut into their profits. Exactly right. If I was a Walmart exec. Iā€™d be giggling every time one of these books sold. There is a big joke in this and itā€™s on us, not Walmart. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-most-ironic-thing-ever/277869.md?page=2)