54053 sarcasm and irony

The “funny” side of
life:
Irony - the use of words to convey a meaning that
is the opposite of its literal meaning.
Sarcasm - harsh or bitter derision or irony.
Satire - the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the
like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice,
folly, etc.
Parody - a humorous or satirical imitation of a
serious piece of literature or writing

Sarcasm & Irony:
Have you ever seen something you thought was hilarious but everyone around you
seems to think differently? Well then you are part of the percentage of people that
appreciate sarcasm and dry humor.
Sarcasm and irony are all about intonation and the intended use is to entertain,
however, in some cases it is very easy for the receiver
to misinterpret the message and become offended if
jokes are directed towards them.
Sarcasm and irony have now become the modern
man’s method of not only telling jokes but also as a
rhetorical device to avoid offensive and spiteful
remarks/responses.

Parody:
With the soaring popularity of websites such as youtube.com and vimeo.com, it has
become much easier for the average person to become a filmmaker. In addition to this,
the world is now fixated on reality shows which publicize the lives of not only celebrities
but also the everyday man. As a result, there has been a shift from scripted comedy to
parodies of real people or situations. Sometimes a real life situation (for example habits
and customs of social groups) may have been so funny that other people try to put their

spin on the original footage resulting in parodies. These parodies often go viral and
become well-known around the world.

1. to put their spin on
it
2. fixated
3. publicize
4. soaring
5. misinterpret
6. intonation
7. dry humor
8. hilarious

- To explain or understand something incorrectly
- (informal) To be overly concerned with or obsessed by something
- To do your own version of something that has already been done
- Calm and straightforward delivery of jokes
- To make information known to everyone
- Something very funny
- The manner of producing tones with the voice
- To be extremely high

Conversation Questions:
1. What do you think about sarcasm and irony?
2. Have you ever listened to a comedian that was very sarcastic.
3. What type of humor is your favourite?
4. Are you often sarcastic or ironic?