BS: Irony: your best examples?

Subject: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: frogprince
Date: 04 Apr 09 - 10:22 PM

Verbal irony is pretty much synonymous with sarcasm. Situational irony seems to me to be a little trickier to define. The dictionary says it's incongruity between actual reality and the expected. My attempt at a definition is that irony has a quality of poetic inappropriateness. One of my favorite examples: there must be quite a few American men named after actor John Wayne, but the best known are John Wayne Gacey and John Wayne Babbit. What are your favorite examples?

Subject: RE: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: Peace
Date: 04 Apr 09 - 10:42 PM

The grenade exploded near my leg and now my leg is very irony.

Subject: RE: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: Rapparee
Date: 04 Apr 09 - 10:49 PM

Of course, John Wayne's real name was Marion Morrison. I find THAT ironic...along with Leonard Sly, King of the Cowboys (oops, I meant Roy Rogers, his nombre de caballo).

Subject: RE: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: alanabit
Date: 05 Apr 09 - 03:53 AM

My favourite story of situational irony concerns the British boxing promoter, Frank Warren. He was getting out of a car on November 30, 1989, when he was shot in the chest by an unknown gunman. The bullet just missed his heart. That was lucky enough, but what makes the story barely credible is that while the surgeons were removing the bullet, they discovered a small tumor, which they removed. Had the putative murderer have left his gun at home, nature would have taken its course and the world would have been left with one fewer Frank Warrens... The gunman inadvertantly saved Rank Warren's life! Can anyone top that for a "least successful murder attempt" story?

Subject: RE: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: alanabit
Date: 05 Apr 09 - 10:24 AM

Er I think the gunman inadvertantly saved Frank Warren's life rather than "Rank" Warren... Time for some typing practice...

Subject: RE: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: John Hardly
Date: 05 Apr 09 - 03:58 PM

Frankly joining the ranks of the ironic.

Subject: RE: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: GUEST,lox
Date: 05 Apr 09 - 04:14 PM

Here is the definitive lecture!!

Fortunately it is also very funny.


Irony

Subject: RE: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: GUEST,lox
Date: 05 Apr 09 - 04:28 PM

Drat

I posted a shorter version.

In the extended version he concludes by telling the audience that the American society for the preservation of good english had come out and openly condemned Alanis Morisette for misusing the word and in the process perpetuating the whole "Americans don't know what irony is" stereotype ...

... but here's the rub ...

... she isn't American, she's Canadian ...

So that was quite Ironic.

Subject: RE: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 05 Apr 09 - 05:15 PM

IIRC, Bill Bryson has helped to perpetuate the "Americans don't know what irony is" stereotype.

I never meant to be taken literally, though...

Kitty

Subject: RE: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 06 Apr 09 - 02:48 AM

At the 1994 annual awards dinner given for The American Association of Forensic Science, (AAFS)President Dr. Don Harper Mills astounded his audience with the legal complications of a bizarre death. Here is the story:

On March 23, 1994 the medical examiner viewed the body of Ronald Opus, and concluded that he died from a shotgun wound to the head. Mr. Opus had jumped from the top of a ten-story building intending to commit suicide. He left a note to the effect indicating his despondency.

As he fell past the ninth floor, his life was interrupted by a shotgun blast passing through a window, which killed him instantly. Neither the shooter nor the deceased was aware that a safety net had been installed just below the eighth floor level to protect some building workers and that Ronald Opus would not have been able to complete his suicide the way he had planned.

The room on the ninth floor, where the shotgun blast emanated, was occupied by an elderly man and his wife. They were arguing vigorously and he was threatening her with a shotgun! The man was so upset that when he pulled the trigger, he completely missed his wife, and the pellets went through the window, striking Mr. Opus. When one intends to kill subject 'A' but kills subject 'B' in the attempt, one is guilty of the murder of subject 'B.'

When confronted with the murder charge, the old man and his wife were both adamant, and both said that they thought the shotgun was not loaded. The old man said it was a long- standing habit to threaten his wife with the unloaded shotgun. He had no intention to murder her. Therefore, the killing of Mr. Opus appeared to be an accident; that is, assuming the gun had been accidentally loaded.

The continuing investigation turned up a witness who saw the old couple's son loading the shotgun about six weeks prior to the fatal accident. It transpired that the old lady had cut off her son's financial support and the son, knowing the propensity of his father to use the shotgun threateningly, loaded the gun with the expectation that his father would shoot his mother.

Since the loader of the gun was aware of this, he was guilty of the murder even though he didn't actually pull the trigger. The case now becomes one of murder on the part of the son for the death of Ronald Opus.

Now for the exquisite twist... Further investigation revealed that the son was, in fact, Ronald Opus. He had become increasingly despondent over the failure of his attempt to engineer his mother's murder. This led him to jump off the ten-story building on March 23rd, only to be killed by a shotgun blast passing through the ninth story window. The son, Ronald Opus, had actually murdered himself. So the medical examiner closed the case as a suicide. A true story from Associated Press

Subject: RE: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 06 Apr 09 - 02:51 AM

I guess I am not too sure if the above story is true or not but it makes fun reading whatever.
Best wishes, Mike.

Subject: RE: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: GUEST,Mike
Date: 06 Apr 09 - 04:12 AM

"she isn't American, she's Canadian"

Last time I looked, Canada was part of America, which is a continent, not a country.

People who call themselves Americans are usually from the USA.

Subject: RE: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: alanabit
Date: 06 Apr 09 - 05:13 AM

Mike, if you check that story up on Snopes, you will find it well and truly demolished. It was made up to illustrate what the legal implications could be after a bizarre combination of coincidences. It is fun to read, but it never was intended seriously.

Subject: RE: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 06 Apr 09 - 05:37 AM

Thanks Alanabit... good to know the truth always! Best wishes, ike.

Subject: RE: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 06 Apr 09 - 08:58 AM

I always enjoy the "Buy Penguins Tickets Now" ads that run during game the Pens are losing. Apparently they kick this strategy up a notch at the end of the season: Last night we watched a losing double-header. The ads featured playoff tix going on sale Tuesday.... fire sale? ;~)

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 06 Apr 09 - 10:59 AM

My unabridged dictionary defines irony as of 1933.

1. The word 'ironic' does not occur. Closest is 'ironical.'

2. There are three definitions. The first is ancient Greek and is too much trouble.

3. The second is for gentle sarcasm. In true irony, the meaning is the opposite of the words, but the statement is light. True sarcasm is 'bitter and reproachful.'

4. Third definition is that irony is when results are the opposite of expectation. The Frank Warren example upthread, where a gunshot leads to removal of a tumor and saves his life, fits this definition.

I believe I understand irony after all these years.

Subject: RE: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: meself
Date: 06 Apr 09 - 11:16 AM

"Last time I looked, Canada was part of America, which is a continent, not a country.

People who call themselves Americans are usually from the USA."


I don't know if this is ironic or not - I'm sure Alanis would say it is - but as long as I can remember, and in my experience, Canadians generally refer to citizens of the U.S.A. as "Americans". However, it has only been in recent years that I have noticed many Canadians referring to the U.S.A. as "America". Which seems weird to me, but not much I can do about it. Formerly, it was usually "the U.S.", or "the States".

I don't know any fellow-Canadians who wouldn't resent being called "Americans", or being told that our country is part of "America" (no offence intended to Americans I mean USAians; we just have our pride).

Subject: RE: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: Ron Davies
Date: 06 Apr 09 - 11:56 PM

As you know, history is full of ironies.


One from a while ago, one quite recent.

1)   From Ian Kershaw, Hitler 1936-1945 Nemesis:

"Hitler's own popularity and prestige reached new heights after Munich.....He was being feted as the saviour of the peace he had not wanted."   



2) From just last year:   The man who gloried in being called "the first black president" opposed Obama so clumsily and coarsely that he was in large part responsible for his wife's defeat at the hands of the man who is now the real first black president.

Subject: RE: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: catspaw49
Date: 07 Apr 09 - 12:53 AM

Jeff Gordon is one of the finest racing drivers of all time, not just in NASCAR but in general.   With 4 NASCAR championships and 82 wins he had never won at the Texas track, but last Sunday he ended an unusual(for him) 47 race losing streak at Texas, one of only 3 NASCAR tracks that he had never won at. In 17 previous attempts there he rarely finished in the Top Ten and last year crashed out early and finished last.

If its not irony its at least a helluva' great way to end a losing streak.


Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: Neil D
Date: 07 Apr 09 - 04:13 AM

I always thought "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry was a good example of irony, albeit sweet irony. If you have 5 minutes to spare you can google it and read the entire text courtesy of The Guttenberg Project. I tried to provide a link but it didn't work.

Subject: RE: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: GUEST,Elfcall
Date: 07 Apr 09 - 04:25 AM

Blackadder: Baldrick, have you no idea what irony is?

Baldrick: Yes, it's like goldy and bronzy only it's made out of iron.

Elfcall

Subject: RE: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: frogprince
Date: 07 Apr 09 - 10:53 AM

Re The Gift Of The Magi: Besides the element of irony, there's a distinct paradox there. Everything came out wrong. Everything came out right.

Subject: RE: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: SINSULL
Date: 07 Apr 09 - 11:10 AM

Got this today:
(minus the photos)


"Black is in!"

The most powerful politician in the world is Black.

The head of the Republican National Committee is Black.

The best known media mogul on earth is Black.

The greatest golfer in the world is Black.

The top female tennis players in the world are Black.

The highest grossing actor worldwide is Black.
Will Smith
The fastest racing driver in the world is Black.

The brightest Astrophysicist under the sun is Black.

The Superbowl-winning Head Coach is Black.

The most successful brain surgeon in the world is Black.

The fastest human on the planet is Black.


... Michael Jackson must be kicking himself.













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Subject: RE: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: GUEST,lox
Date: 07 Apr 09 - 01:46 PM

He would but his face might fall off ...

Subject: RE: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: Don Firth
Date: 07 Apr 09 - 02:02 PM

I dunno, Mike. I think that if the story of the bizarre demise of Ronald Opus isn't actually true, it should be.

That's a priceless set of circumstances. At the very least, whoever invented the story deserves some kind of award.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 07 Apr 09 - 03:00 PM

Not funny, but ironic - my dad, a Quaker pacifist, was killed by Islamic fundamentalist terrorists... I always thought that was the height, or depth, of irony.

But I like the murder-suicide one. Remember that great British movie whose name escapes me, where the killer killed someone who was already dead?

Subject: RE: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 07 Apr 09 - 05:30 PM

I agree Don... it took a twisted mind to think that one out so I suggest some sort of 'twisted' prize... anyone any ideas???

Subject: RE: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: Art Thieme
Date: 07 Apr 09 - 05:48 PM

History repeats--and we never learn from it. But it costs twice as much every time around--and we always seem to be surprised!

Art

Subject: RE: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: frogprince
Date: 15 Jun 18 - 11:00 AM

Irony: an adjective meaning smooth, generally in reference to fabric.

Subject: RE: BS: Irony: your best examples?
From: Donuel
Date: 15 Jun 18 - 11:31 AM

IT CAN'T HAPPEN HERE   Sinclair Lewis 1935