27-08-2002 00:24									#1
	The Definition of Irony Remove this text

Steve Buscemi says in ConAir, "You wanna know the defination of irony? It's a bunch of idiots jumping around on a plane to a band that died in a plane crash."

In Chicago there is an anarchist bookstore/hangout known as the A-Zone. They have a lending library, a communal kitchen, meeting place, etc. It turns out that they were a half-block from my last apartment in Chicago (I always wondered what all those hippies were doing in there ).

Last week the A-Zone was attacked by a rascist street gang (77th St something or other) which has ties to a white supremicist group (yes, Virginia, there are white street gangs).

Five members of this group gathered outside the A-Zone and began shouting anti-homosexaul slurs at the place. One person was inside the A-Zone and he immediately went outside and confronted these thugs (more guts than brains, I've seen these skinny little hippies ). They asked him if he was a fag, and he said gays were welcome and that he was an anarchist.

At this point, two members start busting the windows of the place, and the anarchist kid runs back inside. The other three thugs chase him and begin beating him up.

A passing police car sees this, and rescues the anarchist!!!! Three of the thugs were arrested.

I have to wonder, how does it feel to be an anarchist and be rescued by the police!

In complete disclosure I should point out that six years ago, the A-Zone was attacked by eight uniformed police officers who had removed their badges. They destroyed records, took computers, and pepper-sprayed all present and then left.

But still, the state rescues the anarchists!


Do you have any tales of ultimate irony?


edit: fixing typos.

	27-08-2002 00:26									#2
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I don't think that I could hope to top "anarchists rescued by the police"...

	27-08-2002 00:27									#3
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A song called "Ironic" (you know the one) that lists several situations refered to as being ironic, yet not one of them was an example of irony.

	27-08-2002 00:29									#4
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Big Crunch

	27-08-2002 00:31									#5
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I watched a martial arts tournament in college where a 60 or 70-year-old guy simultaneously beat the crap out of three 30-year-old 10th degree black belts, but that's not particularly ironic, since the first rule of martial arts exhibitions is that "old men kick ass."

	27-08-2002 00:58									#6
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This thread being started by an American.........that's pretty ironic.

	27-08-2002 01:03									#7
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I spend all day at work being paid to blatantly violate copyright laws by photocopying inter-library loan books for professors and whatnot, then with my wrists all cramped up for illegally turning pages for hours I come home to an e-mail from the uni tech people telling me to stop violating copyright by using Bearshare...

	27-08-2002 01:09									#8
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quote: Originally posted by DrSpike This thread being started by an American.........that's pretty ironic.

Does anybody else not get the joke here, or is it just me?

	27-08-2002 01:09									#9
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sagacious, we've discussed that song amongs us, and someone suggested that the song not featuring a single reference to irony might actually be considered ironic... Takes a few extra steps of thinking

	27-08-2002 01:14									#10
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quote: Originally posted by loinburger Does anybody else not get the joke here, or is it just me?

Sorry, brit humour...........you see the stereotypical American in this country doesn't understand irony.

	27-08-2002 01:16									#11
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Oh, gotcha.

	27-08-2002 01:19									#12
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FeY

	27-08-2002 01:19									#13
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But this is Alanis we're talking about. She sells sold. She don't need no extra steps.

	27-08-2002 01:21									#14
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Need?

	27-08-2002 01:23									#15
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I wasn't so sure about that being the right word in there, either.

	27-08-2002 01:43									#17
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I don't mind a little state authority.

	27-08-2002 02:06									#18
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quote: Originally posted by Sagacious Dolphin A song called "Ironic" (you know the one) that lists several situations refered to as being ironic, yet not one of them was an example of irony.

Yup. Particularly the line "It's a death-row pardon two minutes too late".

I can really picture Derek Bentley's family saying "Oooh. That was a bit ironic". Can't you?

	27-08-2002 02:52									#19
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lol this sounds like an Ed Burns routine.

"Rain on your wedding day?..... no thats not ironic. Maybe if you're marrying a weatherman and you let him pick the day."

	27-08-2002 03:23									#20
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Nah, still wouldn't be ironic. Only if your actions are intended to espace a certain outcome but isntead cause that very same outcome is a situation ironic.

Like taking a train because you are afraid of flying, but the train derails and you are killed... that would be ironic.

Or you fiercly advocate gunrights because 'you want to protect your family' and then you accidentally shoot your kid while cleaning the gun... That would be ironic.

	27-08-2002 04:21									#21
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Let's see, there the time I sold weed in the barracks after coming back from Amsterdam. The next day I find that my First Sergeant is trying to chapter me out of the army for lying to another private about what I had to do for extra duty, when in fact it was the other private who straight out lied to the first sergeant in the first place.

	27-08-2002 06:52									#22
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Not ironic either. It would be ironic if you sold weed to pay for your moms operation, but when she found out you were selling weed she died of heartattack....

	27-08-2002 07:01									#23
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Irony would be when the attackers of A-Zone would have fled in a car listening to disco and highfiving.

	27-08-2002 07:02									#24
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In a pink getaway car.

Or when they got arrested, they'd be mollested by big guys from the same gang, turned into gay stuff in prison.

	27-08-2002 07:05									#25
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Irony is where Ironians come from. Right?

	27-08-2002 07:11									#26
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A friend of mine had a birthday party at his house. This was in the summer in a college town on a Friday night. There was a jam session in the basement, and several good musicians showed up early while I was helping my friend set up his house. They did a sound check, and then started playing. They were actually quite hot and played for about two hours, up to the time when the guests started to arrive. Then they took a break.

Me and another friend were excited by the music, and went outside and started beating out a rythym on some trash cans. Pretty soon others joined us, and we had a happening found-object percussion jam. A lot more people started showing up, both those invited to the party and other people from the neighborhood or just passing by. By now I couldn't even see all of the percussionists, because there were probably at least 30-40 people dancing to our groovy beat, and a number who had begun to chant. At this point the police showed up and broke up the party. It was probably only 9 pm.

People formed into little groups and drifted away from the area where the police would arrest you. My group decided to head to an apartment complex nearby which had a swimming pool, to have a nice swim and cool off. There were about 15-20 of us, and we invaded the apartment complex and hit the pool. No one had swimsuits on, so we just stripped our clothes off and skinny-dipped. It was a lot of fun. As I was looking around to see who had made it from the erstwhile birthday bash I noticed that there was one girl in the group who in fact refused to take off her clothes and swim. Too bad she's shy I thought, she's missing a good time. Then I noticed that her attire consisted of a pair of shorts and a cheap tee-shirt with a press-on decal which stated exuberantly "Party Naked!".

	27-08-2002 07:39									#27
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quote: Originally posted by CyberGnu Not ironic either. It would be ironic if you sold weed to pay for your moms operation, but when she found out you were selling weed she died of heartattack....

I get now. Someone has to die. Like when it is raining on your wedding day and a bunch of mobsters charge in and gun everyone down because the groom didn't pay off his gambling debts.

	27-08-2002 08:53									#28
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Umm, not quite...

Only when your actions actually cause the very event they were supposed to prevent.

Like being so nervous about keeping the exact speed to avoid a ticket that you instead run a red light and get a ticket for that...

Or in the example you quoted, replace 'pay for your moms operation' with 'pay for a plane ticket to see your mom' and 'died of heartattack' with 'forbad you from ever visiting'.

Non-ironically, it is not even ironic that most of the examples in the thread 'definition of irony' aren't ironic either...

	27-08-2002 08:55									#29
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Sikander! Perfect!

	27-08-2002 08:58									#30
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Last edited by DinoDoc on 27-08-2002 at 09:03