h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Irony - A697412
Author: Just zis Guy, you know? † [welcome to the H2G2 cycle club at A690572] - U54363

Not sure this is *quite* ready yet, you muight feel it needs a short trip to the writing workshop, but let's run it up the flagpole and see if it flaps.

I'd say it was pretty much there. I like your style, and GuideML is, as always, functional and sensible.

I find it somewhat ironic you did not feel the need to mention that after the September 11 outrage, various posturing, self-important American media outlets declared that the tragedy signalled the death of irony.

Naturally, it didn't and hasn't.

I try never to listen to self-important American media outlets. At the risk of causing offence (for which I apologise freely in advance) we had over two decades of bombing and murder in the UK funded primarily by Americans, in particular the powerful Irish American political lobby.

I feel great compassion for the victims of 11 September, but feel that there is also a degree of hubris in the way America has reacted. For the last fifty plus years no other nation has interfered so wilfully in the domestic affairs of other nations; no other nation has supported so many terrorist organsiations and destabilised so many flashpints around the world.

Sorry, I think you clicked the Rant button by mistake

Or to put it another way. 'Never let a chance go by'

JTG, as always, the article is splendid.

Excellent Entry - and no, I'm not being ironic!

One double nitpick: Alanis Morissette spells her surname with two 's'es, and the song you quote is called 'Ironic', not 'Irony'. There is an Edited Entry on Ms Morissette to which you might like to link, on A311167 .

Good article.

You might enjoy the following definition of irony, from Fowler's Modern English Useage:

'Irony is a form of utterance that postulates a double audience, consisting of one party that hearing shall hear and shall not understand, and another party that, when more is meant than meets the ear, is aware of that more and of the outsider's incomprehension.'

BTW, have you seen Al Yankovic's send-up of Alanis Morissette? Brilliant!

I like that definition. No I haven't seen Wierd Al's version - is it on t'net?

Greetings,

Yet another good entry!

Could I make two suggestions:

I think your point about Socratic irony needs a little expansion, perhaps mentioning that the phrase comes from the character of Socrates as portrayed in Plato's Republic, who, as you say used to feign ignorance to ask simple questions of those who thought themselves wise

Secondly, it would perhaps be interesting to have something about the cultural place of irony in different countries. Obviously its strong in the UK, but its less common elsewhere, and the assumption is that others don't get it - particularly Americans. (although the fact that there are so many Americans here shows that they must understand irony, or they could't have properly understood Douglas Adams' writings)...

Just some thoughts...

Otto.

Just barely on-topic

Weird Al's Alanis send-up was aired shortly after the lady's 'Ironic' hit the Big Time. I saw it only a couple of times. Hopefully it is available on video wherever fine satire is sold

Excellent Entry!

There's one word which I think is out of place:

"unexpected series victory"

Should this be "unexpected victory"?


I spotted one typo:

escapingt he --> escaping the

Can I have one of those flashpints, if you have any to spare?

Well done.
I particularly enjoyed the deflation of that Morissette song, as I still bear the scars from the years when I couldn't remark "Isn't that ironic" without someone else rejoining "doncha think?"

Hi. I've been given this entry to sub-edit, and I've just finished working on it. I didn't need to make many changes, it's a fab entry!

I haven't returned it to the editors yet, so if you spot any mistakes I've added, or still left in there, let me know within the next couple of days and I'll be able to change them! - A700958

Frankie

Oh, I moved the link to the Ironic Times into a 'Relevant Links' section, which just left 'So there you have it' as a summary after the Alanis Morissette section. It didn't make much sense on its own, so I took it out. If you would like to write an alternative summary that I could splice in, please let me know, otherwise, it's fine as it is.

Looks good to me

How about www.theonion.com as a nice source of irony much in the manner of the ironic times.

Both the Ironic Times and The Onion pale into insignificance beside George Bush's announcement that he doesn't recognise the results of Zimbabwe's "flawed" election.....

heh, good one.

I would like to add the following para:

Irony can also be unconscious. It is unlikely that George W Bush was being intentionally ironic when he said that he would not recognise the result of the Zimbabwean presidential election, since the process had been "flawed."

I would like to insert this under the bit about Catch-22