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A sarcastic lens.
Sarcasm has many uses and all of them require a certain amount of smarts, timing, and wit. For centuries, perhaps at the very dawn of time when humanity first walked upright (or 200 years ago if you're a literalist Christian) sarcasm has been used to draw attention to the stupid, to squash lame ideas, and to highlight poor treatment of worker cavemen by insensitive boss cavemen.
Luckily, bosses today are as dense and humorless as ever. Politicians and altruistic concerns are just as shortsighted and stupid. As you can see sarcasm is the insult has a universal use to emphasize ignorance.
There are many different critics of the use of sarcasm. To make sure I am fair to such people, who are sensitive and valuable, I have made a poll to make sure I don't cross any lines. It's below... see?... just push one of three buttons... Now I have proven I care. No, really, I do.
What do you think?
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Contents Table List of What's Here
sar·casm
(sar'kaz'em) noun
[Late Latin sarcasmus, from Greek sarkasmos, from sarkazein, to bite the lips in rage, from sarx, sark-, flesh.]
- A cutting, often ironic remark intended to wound.
- A form of wit that is marked by the use of sarcastic language and is intended to make its victim the butt of contempt or ridicule.
- The use of sarcasm. (The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Company.)
- Irony or bitterness, as of tone: acerbity, acidity, acridity, causticity, corrosiveness, mordacity, mordancy, trenchancy. (Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company.)
- A form of irony in which apparent praise conceals another, scornful meaning. For example, a sarcastic remark directed at a person who consistently arrives fifteen minutes late for appointments might be, "Oh, you've arrived exactly on time!" (The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company.)
- The act of making fun of a person to hurt her or his feelings; harsh or bitter irony. A sneering or cutting remark; ironical taunt. (spellingpolice.com)
- the sneering, sly, jesting, or mocking of a person, situation or thing. It is strongly associated with irony, with some definitions classifying it as a type of verbal irony intended to insult or wound- stating the opposite of the intended meaning, e.g. using "that's fantastic" to mean "that's awful".
It is used mostly in a humorous manner, but can express annoyance or anger. (Wikipedia)
Sarcasm at Work
A live example of sarcasm in case you don't get it.
Your boss gives you an assignment. It's an easy job with an expense account and a hot assistant. You say:
"Awesome! How did I get so lucky?"
Your boss give you an assignment. It's a thankless job that will take at least twelve hours off the clock to finish and produce no rewards or satisfaction. You say:
"Awesome! How did I get so lucky?"
"Awesome! How did I get so lucky?"
Your boss give you an assignment. It's a thankless job that will take at least twelve hours off the clock to finish and produce no rewards or satisfaction. You say:
"Awesome! How did I get so lucky?"
Teens: Masters of Sarcasm
What is it about teenagers and their innate ability to project sarcasm in any situation? Since I have a teenager, I am qualified to answer:
You're not allowed to punch them.
No, really. Some people might get around that rule but it is not generally considered good parenting. So teens can use sarcasm at various levels of sophistication without a lot of fear of retribution.
On the way to grandma's house: OMG! I can't wait to see grandma and get a cat pee smelling hug from her!
Teens have one very specific trick in the use of sarcasm that seems to fade as they march towards adult-hood: the eye roll. It is the most singularly irritating countenance communication device in the world. Every teen in every country of every ethnicity as the innate ability to produce a dramatic, demoralizing, detestable eye roll. (Although some might be more subtle than others.)
You're not allowed to punch them.
No, really. Some people might get around that rule but it is not generally considered good parenting. So teens can use sarcasm at various levels of sophistication without a lot of fear of retribution.
On the way to grandma's house: OMG! I can't wait to see grandma and get a cat pee smelling hug from her!
Teens have one very specific trick in the use of sarcasm that seems to fade as they march towards adult-hood: the eye roll. It is the most singularly irritating countenance communication device in the world. Every teen in every country of every ethnicity as the innate ability to produce a dramatic, demoralizing, detestable eye roll. (Although some might be more subtle than others.)
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Talk Is Cheap: Sarcasm, Alienation, and the Evolution of Language
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Sarcasm: Pros and Cons
A balanced view of sarcasm.
Pope John Paul II, February 2003:
Sarcasm is used by people as a tool for "isolating the righteous with mockery and irony".
Bumper sticker, 2007-ish:
"My soul was removed to make room for all of this sarcasm."
Sarcasm is used by people as a tool for "isolating the righteous with mockery and irony".
Bumper sticker, 2007-ish:
"My soul was removed to make room for all of this sarcasm."
Link List
Because you could care less...
- Sarcasm Society
- A quote from How to be Sarcastic:
Just because I am trying to teach you something that is usually innate and comes easy to those who are clever and intelligent, or at least quick-witted, does not mean that I presume to think myself your superior, and expect that you genuflect before me. - BBC News: 'Sarcasm' brain areas discovered
- By comparing healthy people and those with damage to different parts of the brain, they found the front of the brain was key to understanding sarcasm.
... this one's too easy. - Field Guide: Sarcastic Masters
- Psychology Today Magazine, Jul/Aug 2007: If there's such a thing as a congenital smart aleck, Rachel Mosteller is it. The 27-year-old Houston journalist has been ready with a well-timed barb since her elementary-school years...
- Sarcasm Seen as Evolutionary Survival Skill
- LiveScience, 20 June 2008: Neurophysiologist Katherine Rankin... has also recently discovered that sarcasm, which is both positively funny and negatively nasty, plays an important part in human social interaction.
- Internerd -Sarcasm
- 75 Sarcastic Remarks: 1. Well, this day was a total waste of makeup. 2. Well, aren't we just a ray of frigging sunshine?..
Reader Feedback
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- crazedmama crazedmama Jan 1, 2009 @ 10:29 pm
- Love the lens! Im quite a sarcastic B**ch and proud of it!! I'm gonna lensroll you!!
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- The_Party_Animal The_Party_Animal Jun 19, 2008 @ 11:08 am
- I love to be sarcastic - too bad people are slow in getting it
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- mesocksorange mesocksorange Sep 9, 2007 @ 10:16 pm
- Love sarcasm. Thank goodness someone had the brain to put this in!
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- FJ-Canyon FJ-Canyon Jun 16, 2007 @ 2:13 pm
- Great Lens...love sarcasm. Need more examples of dumb-a** bosses and sarcasm.
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