Oh, the Irony of it All!
No one appreciates—perhaps a better word is enjoys–irony more than I. This became clear to me last week when I briefly developed amnesia at the exact moment déjà vu kicked in, and I realized I couldn’t remember what I wasn’t thinking about in the first place.
Irony exists in verbal, dramatic and situational forms. For the most part, my interest is with situational irony, which, as you know, is simply the juxtaposition of dissimilar or contrasting events that often offer a humorous undertone.
Here, then, is a grouping of ironies all of which make me smile, some make me laugh, and a few cause me to shake my head:
Sometime around 1918, Charlie Chaplin entered a “Charlie Chaplin walk” contest at a county fair and lost badly, only making it to 20th place.
Until around 2013, the McDonald’s employee website advised the staff not to eat the burgers and fries because high-fat foods lead to obesity. To compound the irony, the bad choice photo on the page showed a double cheeseburger, fries, and a cup of soda, while the good choice photo included a cup of water, a plate of salad, and a sandwich that looked a lot like the Subway foot-long ham sandwich.
William Eno, known as “The Father of Traffic Safety,” invented the stop sign, crosswalk, traffic circle, one-way street, and taxi stand—but never learned how to drive.
James Naismith is the man who invented basketball in 1891. He is also the only losing basketball coach in the history of the University of Kansas (he coached for 9 consecutive seasons).
According to researchers at Berkeley Labs, among others, duct tape has over a thousand practical uses, but is not suitable for sealing ducts.
I find it amusing that the condition of not being able to pronounce the letter R is called “rhotacism.” It also tickles me that abbreviation is such a long word.
In 2002, a tree was planted in Griffith Park in Los Angeles in memory of Beatles guitarist George Harrison. The tree later died after being infested by beetles.
Pity Mr. Gary Kremen, the founder of Match.com, the very popular online dating website. He encouraged everyone he knew to join it, including his girlfriend. She left him for a man she met on Match.com. (For me, this might be as much Schadenfreude as it is irony.)
After 35 years of working at Crayola, Emerson Moser, retiring from his position as CEO, revealed that he was colorblind.
From the “he’s rolling over in his grave” department, having Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill is an example of historical irony. During his presidency, Jackson actively opposed both the National Bank and the concept of paper money. In fact, railing against paper money was a key part of his farewell address to the country after eight years as president.
Based on a 9th-century Taoist text, the invention of gunpowder by Chinese alchemists was most likely an accidental byproduct from experiments seeking to create the elixir of life.
In 1974, the Consumer Product Safety Commission had to recall lapel buttons it produced to promote toy safety because they contained lead paint, had sharp edges, and the clips could break off and be a choking hazard.
One last entry, and if this isn’t a perfect example of irony, nothing is: The most shoplifted book in the United States is The Bible.
This week’s Street Advertising Smile:
