The Big Picture: Dumping Irony

[Mojo]

snip.

snip

Not what I meant. I just mean it's no longer seen as strange to say you like a Nickelodeon cartoon. You can like Invader Zim because it funny and the animation is great. Where before it seemed more like, Invader Zim can be liked because it's a perversely dark kids show. You no longer have to be emo or goth to like it. You don't have to be a Girl to like MLP, you don't have to be a kid to like any cartoon you like.

That's another reason I think it hurts shows like Family Guy and other 'Adult' cartoons that were on the 'safe to like' list.

You're making it sound like its a bad thing, buy why would it be? Or am I just misinterpreting your message here? If so, then I'm sorry and must agree that in this case things really have changed for the better. I love me some Zim, Adventure Time or MLP.

 

[RTR]

Whenever I hear "irony", I think back to Futurama:

 

[DoveAlexa]

"Life is short, like what you like"

He forgot to mention how life completely SUCKS and we have to take relief where we can find it.

Also, as an aside, it's not like Masters of the Universe messes you up like recreational drugs, so I don't see how people would be ashamed of enjoying it. I don't see people letting their kids die because they had to watch He-Man.

 

[Jegsimmons]

Few things I can take from Bob's latest episode.

1) I enjoy some bad movies and I'm not afraid to admit that. I recently rented Street Fighter and I love it. Not out of the ironic sense that web culture has misstated and beaten the fuck to death cop-out of watching something because its ironic. I watch it and love it because its an over-the-top bad interpretation of the Street Fighter games with seriously cheesy dialog and hammy acting, mostly from Raul Julia's part (God rest his soul).

2) I barely remember the Chuck Norris animated series and I wish to God I could forget what I just saw with that intro. Repetition of his name is an understatement.

I do recall other 80s movies turned into TV shows for kids and not just the popular Real Ghostbusters. Rambo had an animated series, Karate Kid had one, Conan had two by my recollection, and Bob even mentioned that Toxic Avenger got a show called Toxic Crusaders (had the action figures myself).

3) Totally agree that the Chuck Norris gag has been one of many things the Internet ran into the ground and it shouldn't have started it to begin with imo. If I may, I'd like to offer two memes that are appropriate in this case.

Spoiler

EDIT: Almost forgot to add this. Life is too short trying to be something you're not or liking what other people like. Be yourself and enjoy what you like. Because, most of the time, the majority is usually wrong about what they like.

You know Bruce Lee and Norris were really good friends and never spoke about who was better to keep that friendship.

also, Bruce is good, but he wasn't a competition fighter, Norris won the world karate championship 6 times in a row and retired undefeated. So Norris really is kind of a badass. wish i can look that good in my mid 70s.


But anyway, I agree with what bob said about dialing back irony.
Especially since 'enjoying something ironically' isn't so irony as much as a 'guilty pleasure' which are 2 different things.
Ain't nothing wrong with a guilty pleasure.

 

[ZexionSephiroth]

Whenever I hear "irony", I think back to Futurama:

So "Irony": Expressing things other than the literal intent.

Use of Irony: "If I get married, I would Rather Marry this you you know I hate, than anyone else."

Meaning: "You think I hate him, but I don't, and I'm already married to him."

...

Wait... Then what the heck is an Ironic punishment?

OOOH I know! It's Poetic Justice!

Then... Should We be saying that things we like despite having stupid ass parts we don't make it "Enjoying it Poetically"?

Urgh... that feels dirty to say...

In any case... I don't deal with literal Irony too much. I'm more into Situational Irony or as some would call it "Expectational Irony"... When doing something like setting out to make the worst musical possible ends with people loving the ever living heck out of it.

Or when you Write a song about the very thing you hate from the hated's perspective and somehow the song comes out like a pretty catchy Pop song... And normally you hate pop songs but this one you actually like for some reason you can't explain.

My use of situational Irony works... Somehow... For me... In that sometimes I hate what something stands for... Yet I still enjoy it because "F***! It's somehow Catchy! Why is a song about something so stupid so good?!"

...But On the other hand, while I find it "Ironic" that I like something, I don't actually find myself to be enjoying something "Ironically". Because when I like something... I really do like it... I'm just honestly surprised I like it... And continue to be surprised I like it even after enjoying it for a while.

It's Like Listening to Ke$ha when you hate the Drinking and Partying Lifestyle. It's a pretty good sounding set of songs... BUT WHY ON EARTH DO THEY HAVE TO BE SONGS ABOUT DRINKING AND PARTYING AND GETTING SENSUAL WITH SOMEONE?!

Its Ironic... But its not?

RAGHGHGHGHGA!!!

I HATE IRONY! ITS CONFUSING!

 

[Elijah Newton]

Nice sentiment. Also, thanks for pointing out the relative quality (or lack thereof) of Norris's movies. I've never actually seen them and was thinking of watching them. Maybe will, someday, but I'm pretty certain I can spend my time better on almost anything else.

 

[Furrama]

The thing with Chuck in the early internet days, ( and Barrens Chat in WoW, which was worse), is that Chuck himself didn't matter. It was oneupmanship on how to make the silliest joke along the same lines. The fact that it WAS Chuck, and not some other tougher guy, made it all the sillier. We weren't joking off Bruce Lee or someone like him, but Chuck "hey lets make fun of Texas at the same time" Norris.

 

[emeraldrafael]

"life is short, like what you like,"
Meanwhile bob never misses the chance to rip the nineties but glorify the 80s like they were a decade of gods gift to man...

I don't see how these contradict each other.

I guess they're really not, I just think its funny bob is pushing so hard to say you can enjoy something thats awful (or people view as awful) but has that hate for the nineties. I get why he does, I just think its funny in its own way.

 

[Dirty Apple]

Hello everyone, my name is Dirty Apple and I loved the snot out of FireWalker when I was a kid. For years it maintained its spot in my warm childhood memories without a smudge on its record. Until the day I watched it as an adult. I can't think of any movie that produced more snorts of derision or entire head moving eye rolls. That being said, it's still kind of enjoyable for what it is. So, while I'm in no rush to watch it again, it still has special significance for me. Not because I enjoy it "ironically," but rather because it's a true display how far my tastes have evolved and matured.

 

[ACman]

No, Norris is not "a nice guy". He is notoriously bat shit hyper-religious crazy. He has publicly stated that he literally believes that the POTUS is the antichrist. Yea, he's one of THOSE people.

I was going to say,... I'm sure Chuck Norris is a nice guy, to other white evangelical Christians and appropriately assimilated black, hispanic, Arab, Asian or or otherwise differently brown or Asianic people who know their place in Church.

As long as everybody is a Republican, a paid member of the NRA and a member of Teaparty Movement chapter that is aligned with Mike Huckabee, Chuck will not come to kick your ass.... By kicking your ass I mean making creepy political videos involving walking around his home talking about 'God' and 'Murica' with his similarly creepy wife.

 

[RTR]

Whenever I hear "irony", I think back to Futurama:

So "Irony": Expressing things other than the literal intent.

Use of Irony: "If I get married, I would Rather Marry this you you know I hate, than anyone else."

Meaning: "You think I hate him, but I don't, and I'm already married to him."

...

Wait... Then what the heck is an Ironic punishment?

OOOH I know! It's Poetic Justice!

Then... Should We be saying that things we like despite having stupid ass parts we don't make it "Enjoying it Poetically"?

Urgh... that feels dirty to say...

In any case... I don't deal with literal Irony too much. I'm more into Situational Irony or as some would call it "Expectational Irony"... When doing something like setting out to make the worst musical possible ends with people loving the ever living heck out of it.

Or when you Write a song about the very thing you hate from the hated's perspective and somehow the song comes out like a pretty catchy Pop song... And normally you hate pop songs but this one you actually like for some reason you can't explain.

My use of situational Irony works... Somehow... For me... In that sometimes I hate what something stands for... Yet I still enjoy it because "F***! It's somehow Catchy! Why is a song about something so stupid so good?!"

...But On the other hand, while I find it "Ironic" that I like something, I don't actually find myself to be enjoying something "Ironically". Because when I like something... I really do like it... I'm just honestly surprised I like it... And continue to be surprised I like it even after enjoying it for a while.

It's Like Listening to Ke$ha when you hate the Drinking and Partying Lifestyle. It's a pretty good sounding set of songs... BUT WHY ON EARTH DO THEY HAVE TO BE SONGS ABOUT DRINKING AND PARTYING AND GETTING SENSUAL WITH SOMEONE?!

Its Ironic... But its not?

RAGHGHGHGHGA!!!

I HATE IRONY! ITS CONFUSING!

 

[DoctorImpossible]

Believe it or not I've recently noticed this phenomena of people "enjoying things ironically" and how that doesn't square with the definition of the word as I've always known it, and 'irony' as it's generally defined has always been a difficult one for me to grasp. Like, I know what it meant, but I could never explain it to someone if asked.

Anyway.

I also largely agree about Chuck Norris but I cannot forgive the exclusion of Silent Rage.

"Martial Arts master vs.... superhuman killing machine!"

 

[Farther than stars]

I completely agreed with the whole damn thing. Well... there is one minor thing. It's not just crimes about which we should feel guilty. Crimes are simply codifications of what is deemed so amoral by society that the perpetrator deserves to be punished for them. But there are actions that don't have a formal punishment but do deserve a social backlash. Actions like 'cheating on your partner' or 'lying' may not be illegal, but I would argue that the existence of guilt to restrain ourselves from these actions has a social function.
So, in conclusion, I wouldn't say that crimes are the only thing about which you should feel guilty, but any action that hurts someone else and where you had the choice not to take that action (with varying degrees of guilt based on how much of a choice you had).

P.S. But this nuance is not really applicable in this situation anyway, so you might as well forget about it.

 

[Flunk]

I never realized that they made an animated version of Walker: Texas Ranger.

 

[MB202]

Seriously though, I fail to understand how so many people are unable to detect sarcasm and joking in general, even on the internet. It's pretty obvious, if you are aware of the context, and have some basic social/communication skills..

That's funny, because I can't see how so many people can tell who's being serious or not. Seriously, not that I can't tell sarcasm or obvious joking at all, but sometimes people say something, and I have know idea if they're just fucking with me or if they really mean it, and no context is given for their behavior.

Also, having autism/aspergers, I guess my social skills are a bit... lacking.

 

[Giest4life]

I see Bob's point, even though I don't think I am guilty of it, despite the fact that I only recently came out as an anime fan to my brother.

 

[Edguy]

Also, having autism/aspergers, I guess my social skills are a bit... lacking.

I'm not really familiar with the specific symptoms of either of those, but that sounds a much more valid reason than most

 

[Cpt. Slow]

Well, the remark about 'like what you like' is a slippery slope to say the least. So I can has a cheezburger? like the Hangover part III? Or should I like Star Trek: Into Darkness also? Because when someone who reviews films for a living torpedoes his own line of work, then why bother watching film/game reviews. It's all 'like what you like'. And I'm going to kill myself for putting like and ST:ID in one sentence.

 

[Novuake]

Bronies understand liking something because you ENJOY it, screw irony and SMILE!!!

 

[Howling Din]

That dictionary definition of irony sounds like the definition of sarcasm.