Tales of irony My brother was telling me that the first time

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around various anecdotes and reflections on irony, exploring personal experiences, cultural references, and humorous observations. Participants share stories that illustrate ironic situations, often relating to childhood experiences, societal norms, and popular culture.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant recounts a personal story about lying in confession as a child, suggesting it was their first lie due to pressure from a teacher.
  • Another participant agrees that the story is quintessentially ironic, noting the lasting impact of the experience.
  • A different participant introduces the idea of antibiotics leading to super-bugs as another example of irony.
  • One participant critiques the song "Isn't it Ironic" by Alanis Morissette, arguing that the examples given in the song do not actually represent irony.
  • Another participant shares a humorous anecdote about a movie involving Catholic school boys and their confessional experiences, relating it to their own childhood confessions.
  • A participant humorously questions the nature of irony by comparing it to materials like gold and bronze.
  • One participant describes a frustrating experience with a rayon shirt and the failed attempt to iron it, presenting it as an ironic situation.
  • A participant reflects on a classroom discussion about creationism and protests, questioning the irony of the situation in relation to their professor's comments.
  • Another participant expresses confusion about the irony in the previous comments, indicating a lack of clarity on the topic.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally engage with the concept of irony, sharing personal anecdotes and cultural references. However, there are differing views on what constitutes irony, particularly regarding the examples provided in popular culture, indicating that the discussion remains somewhat unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about the definitions and examples of irony, suggesting that there may be differing interpretations based on personal experiences and cultural contexts.

Ivan Seeking
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Tales of irony...

My brother was telling me that the first time that he remembers lying was in [Catholic] confession. It was his second time, and being about age seven, he didn't feel that he had done anything wrong since the last visit. But the nun, his teacher, insisted that he must have done something wrong. So he was instructed to go into the confessional and tell the priest what he has done. Since the little guy couldn't think of anything to say, he lied. What's more, he believes that this was the first time that he ever told a lie.
 
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that's...what is it?


what's the word?...bionic? no,


IRONIC! that was it! :rolleyes:
 
Yes, that is a quintessentially ironic story.
 
zoobyshoe said:
Yes, that is a quintessentially ironic story.


Yes, and he still hasn't gotten over it! :rolleyes:

...but that's another story...
 
Okay, here's another one that comes to mind: The use of antibiotics leading to super-bugs that can't be killed.

Another funny one - though I'm sure not to the authorities - is what is supposed to be one of the most secret military installations in the world: Area 51, Groom Lake, Nevada. Has anyone not heard of this?
 
That song "Isn't it Ironic" by Alanis Morissette was very ironic, because, as one comedian pointed out, all the examples of irony she used were not actually ironic at all. "Rain on your wedding day", is merely sad, not ironic.
 
Ivan Seeking said:
Tales of irony...

My brother was telling me that the first time that he remembers lying was in [Catholic] confession. It was his second time, and being about age seven, he didn't feel that he had done anything wrong since the last visit. But the nun, his teacher, insisted that he must have done something wrong. So he was instructed to go into the confessional and tell the priest what he has done. Since the little guy couldn't think of anything to say, he lied. What's more, he believes that this was the first time that he ever told a lie.
Ha ha, that reminds me of a movie I saw...darn, can't recall the title...it was about the misadventures of a bunch of Catholic school boys (Heaven Help Us...maybe, or was that something else?). They're standing in line for the confessional, and one of them is really worried about admitting to masturbating or looking at some porn mags, so he asks the kid next to him, who instructs him that he can't possibly share that, so just add a few more lies to his list of sins and he'll be covered.

I did the same thing as a kid...er...that is lie in confession...when forced to go to confession, it was common to make up stuff that sounded believable, "I didn't listen to my parents once and I lied a few times." That's probably why the Catholic school kids in my town were so much worse than us public school kids. They had to go to confession every week, so if you're going to have to confess to stuff, you might as well go ahead and do it. :biggrin:
 
zoobyshoe said:
That song "Isn't it Ironic" by Alanis Morissette was very ironic, because, as one comedian pointed out, all the examples of irony she used were not actually ironic at all. "Rain on your wedding day", is merely sad, not ironic.
:smile: Yes, I've noticed that too. I still like the song though. It's hard to find good examples of real irony.
 
Irony? Isn't that a bit like goldy or bronzey only it's made of iron?
 
  • #10
I had this shirt made of rayon. Whenever it was washed and put into the dryer it got puckered and was quite unwearable. Usually I washed it again and let it hang-dry and then it was still puckered but at least wearable, and after a while it looked quite normal.

Then once I tried to iron out the puckers. The iron caused it to wrinkle up like a prune. Beat THAT irony!
 
  • #11
Monday morning I was in class and my professor made a comment about creationism being enforced in Kansas public schools. He mentioned some Christian churches making public anti-gay protests. Later that day I saw the news and there was a large group of Christian church members from Kansas that were bused out here to protest schools in several Massachusetts cities. Tuesday I asked the professor if he had heard the news report before class on the previous day. He hadn't. Should I ask the protestors if they heard my professor?
 
  • #12
Huckleberry:

First of all, thank you for averting my "threadkiller" position on this thread. Second, I don't see the irony, yet.
 

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