We were talking about irony in class.
Specifically, the conversation revolved around a song by Alanis Morissette that I can’t help but really dislike. You all know it. This is a song that has made it even harder for Generation X to determine what things are ironic and which things are just an enormous bummer. There is an argument that her situations represent cosmic irony. I remain unconvinced. In any event, if you adhere to the basic definition that irony is a situation in which the result is the opposite of what one would expect, Morissette’s song does poorly.
Fly in your chardonnay. It may make me swap my glass, but it is not ironic. It’s not even unusual, if you are outside.
Meeting the man of your dreams and then meeting his beautiful wife? Not ironic. In fact, most of my single friends would argue it is so common that they could scream.
Rain on your wedding day? Judging by the soggy season we’ve all had here in the D.C. area, this is more likely than not! Therefore, I say it is (again) not ironic.
A good way to get a fly in your chardonnay
Alanis Morissette fails miserably at thinking up ironic situations (although she may more recently be overshadowed by Natasha Bedingfield, who pronounces the word hyperbole as “hyper BOWL” in a hit song). After our discussion in class, during which we tried to think of truly ironic situations, something happened to me that I felt qualified. I had to share it.
My husband and I have been trying for months to get an approval from our very strict homeowner’s association. We want to plant a tree in the common area behind our house. Finally, the approval was given and the homeowner’s association sent us some paperwork to sign, finalizing our permissions to plant this tree.
They sent it to the wrong address.
Twice.
“Isn’t it ironic. Don’t you think? A little too ironic. Oh yeah I really do think.” – Alanis Morissette
Oh, look. It’s pouring rain again.
