There are also those who combine the two; and they are likely among the 1.3 million people who follow the ‘Sarcasm’ Instagram account. Sharing witty yet oh-so-relatable memes since 2017, it has undoubtedly provided a hearty chuckle for people in need of one. So wait no longer, scroll down to find some of their best memes on the list below and enjoy a little break for kicks and giggles. The Smithsonian pointed out that nearly a quarter of people who’ve said ‘yeah, right’ while talking to someone on the phone were being sarcastic. As a matter of fact, many popular phrases were ruined by it, such as the good old ‘Bless your heart’ or ‘Lucky you’, which are rarely ever said in a sincere manner anymore. A linguist at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the author of Talk is Cheap: Sarcasm, Alienation and the Evolution of Language, John Haiman, told The Smithsonian, “It’s practically the primary language,” referring to sarcasm in modern society. According to Haiman, there are many ways to show that what a person is saying is not direct or sincere; and they can be found in both spoken and written language, given away by a certain choice of pitch, tone, volume, pauses, duration, or punctuation. A good example of this is a simple ‘Excuse me’, which in the context of a regular conversation would most likely be sincere. But when presented as “Excuuuuuse me”, it typically evokes a different emotion, suggesting that a person is not actually all that apologetic. According to studies on expressing sarcastic sentiment, people tend to use heavy tonal stress and certain gestural clues, such as rolling their eyes or using certain hand movements, to show that they’re being sarcastic. “In the textual data, these tonal and gestural clues are missing, making sarcasm detection very difficult for an average human.” But, thanks to emoticons, messages, too, can become quite clearly sarcastic. Just take the simplest smiley face—also known as :) for those who have grown up in the pre-emoji era—unless it’s your mother, an aunt, or someone representing the older generation messaging you, chances are they are being sarcastic. Though, research on emoticons as markers of intention suggests that the tongue-showing and winking emoticons are the principal indicators of sarcastic intent. He pointed out that it often works for comedians on stage, but in personal communication, it can create barriers and even end relationships among people. That’s because, according to the expert, such a form of expressing oneself is often nothing more than hostility disguised as humor. Often used as a “power play for the gutless”, it might negatively affect those on the receiving end. According to the expert, “A little sarcastic wit is like a spicy seasoning. A pinch of it can make food enjoyable, but a serving of the spice itself hurts.” When it comes to cultural differences in regards to perception of humor in general, Easterners reportedly don’t have as positive of an attitude towards it as Westerners do, making the latter more prone to using humor as a coping strategy, compared to their eastern counterparts. Follow Bored Panda on Google News! Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda! Please use high-res photos without watermarks Ooops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.
