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.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
Sarcasm is saying, “Oh yeah. Like I need to provide cites.”
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.
(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!
A fine post, widdershins. 
Ah… no. Oh, wait… were you being sarcastic? 
Haha!
Am I the only one who read the thread title and immediately thought of the Spice Girls being interviewed by John Stewart?
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.
nope 
-wm
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 .
Police Squad was parody, not irony.
Dang! What is with this website and its links?
The OP is, in fact, an unsupportable claim, which I suppose you’re right, do invite other unsupportable claims.
Or were you being ironic?