Many years ago I saw Murray McLauchlan (Canadian songwriter) in concert at the National Arts Centre. He's known for, um, crossing the line now and then. On this occasion, I really have no idea why, but he remarked "Woody Allen's a funny guy", expanding on that to say that after his then-wife, or recent ex (not Mia) was raped while walking through Central Park, Woody quipped "knowing my wife, it probably wasn't a moving violation."

Months later I read a story in Maclean's magazine about Murray, which recounted this very incident, and how someone sent him a note that the so-called joke was sickening. "Enhh," said Murray to the interviewer, "the point of my story was that Woody's an asshole."         

I was there, and I didn't catch the irony either--although in retrospect I believe him. You have to be careful using irony, where the implied meaning is the exact opposite of the literal meaning. Too many literalists out there.

W-O