# Why dont Americans get irony? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 23, 2003, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-get-irony/183774 "2003-06-23T15:21:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-get-irony/183774/61 "2003-06-24T16:35:15Z")
No, I think it’s that she just didn’t know what irony really is. There’s no ‘wink’ in the song to demonstrate that she knows better (which would have kept her from looking like a dunce), and from the song she seems to be sincere in her opinion that that stuff is ironic. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-get-irony/183774/62 "2003-06-24T21:12:33Z")
The who was afraid to fly and then worked up the courage and his plane crashed… that’s ironic, no? I don’t mean to defend the song… most of the other stuff she claims as “ironic” is just a bummer. And since we’re splitting hairs, “Good advice that you just didn’t take” is a stumper. I have to file it under “bad judgement” vs. bummer vs. ironic. ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-get-irony/183774/63 "2003-06-24T21:35:15Z")
I think it’s ironic that the OP asks why Americans don’t get irony, then does not go on to say what he sees as ironic. Not a website, not a quote, nada. We have no basis for comparison. To further add to this irony, we introduce Alanis Morrisette. I have not the words. ---
**Author:** ![WILLASS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/54ee81/32.png) [@WILLASS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WILLASS)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-get-irony/183774/64 "2003-06-24T21:40:21Z")
Maybe a better title would have been ‘why doesn’t comedy travel to different cultures so well?’ or ‘why do some cultures/countries share the same sort of humour?’ I didnt really want to imply that Americans dont get irony at all, but to ask why are humour tends to be different and what causes a difference in humour to evolve? Funnily enough I have just realised that the question came to me after an experience that was wholly un-ironic. I find that in the UK a lot of the times you will ask a question of someone and receive an extrordinary answer delivered in a totally deadpan manner and only by the nature of the answer are you are able to see that the person is just fucking with you. I have been unable to see the fact that the person is just messing about on occasion but usually get it, my girlfriend on the other hand always looks at me incomprehendingly for a while until I say i’m joking. Essentially it was more of a general question about why some people find this funny and others dont. On another note I have noticed that Americans have an awful lot of ironic/satirical humour that is brilliant ‘The Onion’ is one and ‘Bill Hicks’ another that spring to mind at the moment so I do realise that Americans are into this style of humour, but I also have noticed that Americans seem to not ‘get it’ so readily. ‘Bonsai Kitten’ springs to mind, even the audience at a Bill Hicks show didn’t seem sure if he was joking or not… PS Alanis Morrisette isn’t being ironic by righting a song that isn’t ironic, she’s just being annoying. ---
**Author:** ![thirdshiftgrottoslack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9a28c/32.png) [@thirdshiftgrottoslack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdshiftgrottoslack)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-get-irony/183774/65 "2003-06-24T21:57:20Z")
i frankly don’t know if i get irony, because the irony gestapo keeps changing the meaning of the word. damn, someone cracks open webster’s and all of a sudden they’re the irony police. the simpsons is pretty ironic, don’t you think? “don’t judge people based on where they come from, that’s what the russians do.” ---
**Author:** ![WILLASS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/54ee81/32.png) [@WILLASS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WILLASS)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-get-irony/183774/66 "2003-06-24T22:18:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Maureen \* > \*\*I think it’s ironic that the OP asks why Americans don’t get irony, then does not go on to say what he sees as ironic. Not a website, not a quote, nada. We have no basis for comparison. To further add to this irony, we introduce Alanis Morrisette. I have not the words. \*\* Is that ironic? Lets try and fit that into an Alanis Morisette song: ‘its like raaaaiiinn on your wedding day, its thats good advice that you just didn’t take, its like asking a question about irony without giving an example of what your own personal definition of irony is due to the fact that there is only one definition of irony…etc, etc’ Hmmm I personally think it improves it somewhat. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-get-irony/183774/67 "2003-06-24T22:48:19Z")
Irony is saying, “I think everyone should have cites! Cites, cites, and more cites! I see people not giving cites ALL the time!” … and then not providing a cite of the people providing no cites. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-get-irony/183774/68 "2003-06-24T22:49:30Z")
Sarcasm is saying, “Oh yeah. Like I need to provide cites.” ---
**Author:** ![Syntropy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/65b543/32.png) [@Syntropy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Syntropy)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-get-irony/183774/69 "2003-06-24T22:58:13Z")
steady on, **dan**. Were you in the pit? **Willass** , I think irony IS subjective. I don’t happen to believe that ironic and sarcastic are the same thing. And you have a lovely singing voice, dear. ---
**Author:** ![WILLASS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/54ee81/32.png) [@WILLASS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WILLASS)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-get-irony/183774/70 "2003-06-24T23:08:20Z")
(from Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary) irony (FIGURATIVE SPEECH) noun a means of expression which suggests a different, usually humorous or angry, meaning for the words used: Her voice heavy with irony, Simone said, “We’re so pleased you were able to stay so long.” (= Her voice made it obvious they were not pleased). Compare sarcasm. ironic adjective (ALSO ironical) an ironic comment/reply ironically adverb you know what? I honestly didn’t think that irony and sarcasm were the same thing either! ---
**Author:** ![Blackeyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f6c823/32.png) [@Blackeyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackeyes)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-get-irony/183774/71 "2003-06-24T23:10:05Z")
A fine post, widdershins. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2003, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-get-irony/183774/72 "2003-06-24T23:23:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Maureen \* > \*\*steady on, **dan**. Were you in the pit? > > \*\* Ah… no. Oh, wait… were you being sarcastic? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-get-irony/183774/73 "2003-06-25T05:34:29Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Salem \* > \*\* Why don’t Americans get irony?_\* > Oh, I don’t know. Maybe for the same reason that Brits love Benny Hill? > That was sarcasm, by the way. Haha! Am I the only one who read the thread title and immediately thought of the Spice Girls being interviewed by John Stewart? ---
**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:** [June 25, 2003, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-get-irony/183774/74 "2003-06-25T07:04:02Z")
Americans will appreciate irony more when they produce more comics like England has - Steven Wright, George Carlin, Barry Crimmins, Bill Hicks. None of these guys could have sustained a career in the states. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-get-irony/183774/75 "2003-06-25T07:47:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by don’t ask \* > \*\*Americans will appreciate irony more when they produce more comics like England has - Steven Wright, George Carlin, Barry Crimmins, Bill Hicks. None of these guys could have sustained a career in the states. \*\* I see what you’ve done there. ---
**Author:** ![whatmove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecc23a/32.png) [@whatmove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whatmove)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-get-irony/183774/76 "2003-06-27T22:45:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eonwe \* > \*\*Am I the only one who read the thread title and immediately thought of the Spice Girls being interviewed by John Stewart? \*\* nope 🙂 -wm ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-get-irony/183774/77 "2003-06-27T23:54:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Carl\_A\_Norris \* > \*\*Another example - Police Squad got canned because _they didn’y get it_ !! \*\* Police Squad was parody, not irony. Irony is somewhat more subtle. But then you brits have the all the subtlety of a tank, considering you think programs like Benny Hill are the height of imaginative humor…oops, sorry, _humour_ . ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-get-irony/183774/78 "2003-06-28T00:00:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Carl\_A\_Norris \* > \*\*Another example - Police Squad got canned because _they didn’y get it_ !! \*\* Police Squad was parody, not irony. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-get-irony/183774/79 "2003-06-28T00:02:14Z")
Dang! What is with this website and its links? ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Caustic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@Capt.Caustic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Caustic)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2003, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-get-irony/183774/80 "2003-06-28T00:55:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by everton \* > > **WILLASS** : Past experience suggests that threads like this get nowhere. They just invite unsupportable claims along the line of “we do _too_ get irony”, “because irony isn’t funny” and “why do Brits have bad teeth?” There isn’t a factual answer and this will just subside into some name calling before it gets moved to another forum or else closed altogether. \*\* The OP is, in fact, an unsupportable claim, which I suppose you’re right, do invite other unsupportable claims. Or were you being ironic? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-get-irony/183774.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-americans-get-irony/183774.md?page=5)