[below an IRONY ONLY sign, at a desk showing a dog about to be kicked, a yellow character reassures us]
Don’t worry, it’s all irony!
Here at the ironic dog kicker club we are just pretending to be dog kickers in order to mock real dog kickers

[a huge sign reads]
ONE YEAR LATER

[lots of different characters are shown smirking while kicking dogs, trash is all over the place]
Kick!
Pow!
Heheheheh
Totally ironic I swear
I love kicking dogs
Boomshaka
Yeah wreck those doggos
Kicky the doggy

[a character which looks suspiciously like the one in the first panel but sideways shrugs above a LIVE ANONYMOUS NARRATOR REACTION]
Wow, unexpected!

[a wall of text follows]

This comic is sponsored by the Anti Irony Club.

We take irony very seriously. If exposed to irony, immediately quarantine yourself and consume only sincere media until symptoms subside. Side effects of prolonged ironic exposure include accidentally cultivating the exact audience you claimed to be mocking, saying “based” unironically, and waking up one day to discover your community is now 95% composed of the people you insisted it was making fun of.

If you or a loved one has accidentally founded an ironic community, remain calm. Seek immediate assistance from your nearest licensed grass toucher and begin a strict twelve week rehabilitation program consisting of sane hobbies, sunlight exposure, and conversations that aren’t buried under multiple layers of snark.

Together, we can build a blander tomorrow.

https://thebad.website/comic/the_irony_trap

  • Wrufieotnak@feddit.org
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    3 days ago

    Yep, that was already stated by Nietzsche: (Paraphrased, not sure about the exact words)

    Careful what you portray to be, because act it too long and it becomes a part of you. But do not think that is only a negative thing. Every notion to be a better person is always a lie in the beginning, but can become a truth with time and expertise.

    • BadOP
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      3 days ago

      Nietzsche gazed into the abyss, and saw r/the_donald (true fact)

    • brian@lemmy.ca
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      3 days ago

      the difference I see here is that the comic isn’t really talking about the individual becoming something new, rather it is creating an environment where the false persona is replicated by others.

    • lugal@sopuli.xyz
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      3 days ago

      It’s totally based to use it unironically. It’s more about using it ironically and later realizing you use it unironically in situations where you used to use it ironically. Hope that helps.

  • Pixel_Jock_17@piefed.ca
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    3 days ago

    The ending of this post about a blander scoiety reminds me of a Simpsons episode about safe investing thats boring but consistent and sometimes thats better than craziness.

    • Cris_Citrus@piefed.zip
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      3 days ago

      Many of the worst spaces on the internet were once being ironic about their harmful rhetoric. They ceased to be. Thats a pattern that has played out like a million times

      Creating groups for ironically roleplaying as harmful actors usually just creates large groups that do that exact harm.

      • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        That would make sense until you read that weird section at the bottom right that rambles a lot about how irony is bad. That part is extremely confusing but seems to think it’s making a really obvious and smart point or something? The tone is strange.

        • Cris_Citrus@piefed.zip
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          3 days ago

          You know what, it is actually kinda strange, I kinda missed that end-most part

          Where its being sarcastic about snark being bad for you, but then also says “together we can build a blander tomorrow”

          Fair point

          • Arrkk@lemmy.world
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            3 days ago

            I think it’s trying to be meta-commentay, utilizing diagetic irony as a form of meta-irony. At least that’s the only reading that really coherently parses. Ironic spaces/jokes have always been infiltrated by those who genuinely hold those beliefs, it’s basically impossible to defend against, the kinds of things you would want to make fun of via irony are almost always held by those who are unable to understand more than surface level interpretation of media more generally.

            The thesis is probably better read as “fuck it we ball” and refusing to let go of irony just because supider people misunderstand it.

          • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
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            3 days ago

            Thank you! So often on here if I make a point like that, it just draws ire. It’s nice to be met with not-anger on occasion lol

            • Cris_Citrus@piefed.zip
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              3 days ago

              The fediverse is nicer when we engage with eachother sincerely and with a willingness to hear eachothers perspectives ❤️

              I hope you have a lovely day my friend ☺️