Sarcasm and Irony

 The misinterpretation of sarcasm intrigues me because I often utilize sarcasm through digital or written means. Whether it’s in the form of an Instagram caption or text to a friend, I often find myself trying to be funny – and sometimes the recipient misses the point.  

It’s interesting that we read individually read authors’ humor the come together to discuss our various interpretations. This proves that humor and sarcasm as a form of humor can be misinterpreted due to the difference between electronic (or in our case written) and verbal communication. For example, many of Irby's jokes and tone translated differently when we watched her read aloud versus reading them on the page. Furthermore, it’s interesting that the Scientific American article concludes with, “Given the risks and benefits of sarcasm, your best bet is to keep salty remarks limited to conversations with those you know well, lest you offend others”. The suggestion to keep humor on a personal level contradicts the focus of our whole class. The authors we read share their humor on a universal level, allowing anyone to consume it. However, someone like Sedaris did point on the problematic nature of humor not translating to everyone. Specifically, Sedaris often treads the line between sarcasm and offense.  

Ellis’s “Convergence: Irony and Urban Indian Epistemologies in Tommy Orange’s There There” connects to this article by addressing the “surprising benefits” of irony. The discrepancy between irony and sarcasm can appear muddled, but Orange’s irony is best understood as Ellis cites, “in the space between (and including) the said and unsaid” (4). Irony means the exact opposite of the reality of a situation and “when the said and unsaid rub against one another and explode to make visible a third meaning, in that flash of recognition irony’s edge can both reveal and bridge the abyss between contexts and communities, or between what is and what might be” (5). The use of irony differs from the use of sarcasm because in Orange’s case, irony is a necessary tool for communication, and it creates a space for readers to see what lies between the said and unsaid. The reason sarcasm can end up being harmful is because it relies more on the words being said and that saying is what gets misinterpreted and taken as offensive. The power of irony is that the point lies in an ambiguous in-between state