Sarcasm, Irony, Satire and Wit

Introduction

It has been more than four decades  I have been reading about ‘sarcasm’ as part of communication in the English Language. So much has been written and most of the reviews throw 'sarcasm' in bad light lumping wit, irony, puns and nihilism under this word. Ironically current comedy shows that draw huge audiences especially in UK and US  are more than puns, they are based on blatant rude 'sarcasm', correct me if I am wrong. Whether it is a late night American show or a comedy show in the Malaysian theatre, these entertainers thrive on ‘sarcasm’!

Sarcasm has been described to be a ‘primary weapon in the arsenal of anti-socials’!  That is true if the expressions were designed to be so. There are other ways of looking at 'sarcasm' that could lend to  social communication and social order. Some consider 'it' to be witty while yet others feel it is one ‘sure-fire way to get the ever present human detritus off your back’.

A definition I found on the ‘net’ for sarcasm was ‘a keen reproachable expression; a satirical remark uttered with some degree of scorn or contempt, a taunt, a gibe or a cutting jest’.

Do children understand the subtle message?

Penny Paxman from the University of Calgary (Gazette 13-01-2003, Vol 33 No 1) reveals that children do not grasp the concepts of abstract talk and sarcasm at an early age. When they are teased about their behaviour or dressing through witty, humorous or sarcastic comments the message is not got across. Her experiments clearly indicate that cognitive development has not advanced for subtle adult comments to be understood. In fact such comments should be avoided as it can be counterproductive.

Amanda Onion quotes Candice Mills’ findings that young children are extremely gullible up to the age of eight years. Beyond that age information processing changes markedly for them to be able to be cynical.

Processing Sarcasm in the Brain

Sarcasm is a very complex higher order skill that requires an ability to understand other people’s state of mind and emotions. People who are rather sensitive and unsophisticated do not take sarcasm well (that is when the problem starts).  In such situations sarcasm is thought to rank low on the communication scale. The neuro-anatomical basis for sarcasm is traced to the pre-frontal lobe of the brain. Research by Sharma-Tsory & Tomer R indicates that people who have prefrontal lobe damage have impaired performance on sarcasm task. Within this group those with right ventromedial lesions had the worst deficit in understanding sarcasm.

The complexity of sarcasm

This is one skill that one cannot master. Many languages use two negatives to make a positive. what is understood when one says, ‘sure, sure’, in response to a comment which that they disagree to!  Many a time expressive words with wit embedded go unnoticed because it is so ubiquitous. Oscar Wilde, the American write  has his ways of expressing his views on this subject. Many are  'sarcastic' when we don’t agree with authority. One former prime minister once said that forest destruction is national development. He is quoted ,'We are a responsible country; we will conserve 30% of the forest. Those developed countries who make so much noise are very clever people. They can even turn deserts into greens and golf courses. Perhaps the only element that is lacking is that they don’t have the tropical insects we have. Perhaps, we can provide them with such insects!

I said the subject of sarcasm is rather complex and those who brand statements as ‘sarcastic’ maintain a low level of tolerance to humour. Even a phrase like ‘too bad’ which can be  an expression of sympathy, has been misinterpreted as sarcasm. Exponents of sarcasm feel it is an art that few have, it is wit.

How often have we heard these comments?

“Hi, nice day, isn’t it?’ This is meant to break the ice, getting a conversation going.

Three types of replies can be anticipated:

1.       ‘Yes, it is.” (even if it pouring outside!)

2.       ‘No, it isn’t. (correction, as it pouring outside)

3.       ‘Oh yes, it was a lovely day. I  just began enjoying it before tolerance of inane comments was tested. But, Thanks for wasting my time anyway; I am going to look this way now!’

While not being rude, all comments are sarcastic. The third comment clearly is meant to hurt. But when expressed by a stand-up comedian, he will get the better of you making you laugh and parting with your money, in the process. So there is money to be made in sarcasm!

Here is a nice one which I extracted from the Internet (source unknown).

There is a long queue at the cashier counter and you have just reached your turn with 15 items to be cleared and your  parking ticket is due any minute now.

An unassuming old lady is behind you with just a single item and she asks you if she could go before you.

Your reply,

'Oh yes, please be my guest. I have forgotten how little my time is worth in comparison to your obvious need of a Dove soap bar'. Snort and don’t let her pass!

Doctors' waiting time is often a test of tolerance and one cannot refrain from making comments like how long it takes before seeing a doctor. Again the following comments are drawn from the Internet.

After waiting for two hours you are called into the consultation room. He makes a snide comment hoping you weren’t waiting too long!

Your reply:

You want to be subtle so that the doctor does not hurt you during the examination.

‘Oh no, doctor, the wait was not too bad. But I think I may have left a stain on your waiting room chair. My hemorrhoids have been bleeding heavily again.

By the way would you mind checking them out while I am here!'

Irony, Wit, Satire etc

We talked of pun; a form of wit. Wit is not an attribute  everyone has. It can rely on words alone or telling a joke deliberately to make people laugh. Sigmund Freud refers to jokes as dreams that satisfy the unconsciousness desires. They go deep into the mind in releasing one from inhibitions and permits further explorations which may be cynical or aggressive. The urge to laugh begins early in life, the baby begins to produce social smiles, and these become chuckles later on often leaving a happy smile. Man is the only animal endowed with this characteristic of smile and laughter.

Satires are different in poking fun at individuals and situations. Many of the late night show  and stand up comedians thrive on this ability. But when this becomes a bit more brutal one refers to as sarcasm.

Quotes by some of the well know ‘comedians’:

‘My wife is such a bad cook that roaches hang themselves in the kitchen.

Her cooking is so bad that flies chip in to fix the screen door!

Most guys go home to get pot roast,

I go home and get roast pot!

You ever see meat loaf that glows in the dark?

In my house, I pray after dinner!

My wife’s former English Lecturer from Melbourne (Dr Douglas Mucke) has written a book on ‘Irony’.  It is worth reading this difficult  subject neatly tackled in this small book. Irony implies 'that the opposite of the meaning or message is communicated'. It is a rather subtle ‘hit’ as often it begins as a simple statement or compliment and then comes the ‘sting’ often concealed within!

W.C Fields has this to quote,

‘Long ago, a young girl drove me to drink,

I never wrote to thank her.'

Changing the words of a story or song to make it sound humorous is a parody. Ironically some of the words that appear since biblical times appear to be humorous in nature. Laughter is said to have been traced to the Old Testament.

‘Abraham is told by GOD his 90 year old Sarah will bear him a son’

His response (as chronicled Genesis 17.17): Abraham fell on his face and laughed!

Sarah soon joins him in laughter at the prospect of pregnancy. 
Abraham names his son, Isaac (in Hebrew, it means God’s laughter)’. It is said that the term ‘laugh’ appears 43 times in the New Revised Standard version of the Bible.

The earliest joke book appears to be in Greek, ‘The Philogeles’ or ‘Laughter Lover’. Two authors appear to be involved in its production, Hierodes and Philagrius.

Sarcasm and Culture

It is said that sarcasm is rampant in the US and also in India.  It is used as a common means of communication. On the other hand sarcasm is not welcome in Latin America. The President of the US institute of Languages says that because of a lack of sarcasm in Latin America , there is more respect between people!.
The cultural and societal differences are far too numerous to quote  when we deal with the vagaries of sarcasm, wit, irony and puns. The French apparently don’t delve in irony (Peter Merle). It is again quoted that ‘one culture regards as brutal sarcasm that may come as jocular pleasantry or interrogative jargon in another’.  Newspapers in Indian language use loaded language with both cynicism and sarcasm leading to  a huge increase of middle income class buying newspapers and periodical for such flair (Language in India, 2003; Vol ¾-4).

V. Ramesh (the Hindu, 2003; 17^th July) quotes that Cho S. Ramasamy (the actor and advocate) is scathing particularly when criticising critics. He was referred to as the ‘Sultan of Sarcasm’. His political satire “Mohd bin Tughlug” is a brilliant parody of Indian Democracy mocking the parliamentary system and the collective responsibility of the cabinet.

As we scan the subject further, so much is written on the subject that one needs to be literally well armed to know the differences in the interpretation. As one writes satires we talk in terms of smacking nihilism, but if it evokes laughter in the majority, sarcasm becomes wit. Much also depends on mismatch between intonation and message that makes one draw a conclusion as to what category of humour it is.

Steve Holden has this to say,

‘A native Yorkshire man, who migrated to the United States, I was told to moderate my aggression.
I was puzzled, as I was not naturally an aggressive person'.

It took me several days to realise sarcasm, meant humorously, and was interpreted as aggression!

I am convinced that those of us who have this endowed characteristic to recognise wit in a conversation welcome such but those who do not have this attribute categorise any talk that deviates from the core as sarcasm. What is perceived as sarcasm had irony and when the latter is introduced appropriately without the nasty and bitter bite, would be a welcome approach to healthy conversation.

What would you consider of these statements that I extracted from the Internet?

1.       The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and a leak in the tyre!

2.       If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.

3.       A poem translated (Heinrich Heine, 1847)

‘Marrying a French’

Once you are my wedded wife,

Enviable you will be

Yours will be an idle life,

Full of bliss and glee.

And all your nagging I will face,

With patience’ gentle force.

But if my verse you don’t praise,

Then thou I shall divorce.

Here a couple of statements for you to categorise as humour or sarcasm. They involve  doctors.

1.       Your infection may be antibiotic resistant, but let’s see how it responds to intensive litigation. ( Alex Gregory)

2.       In the operating theatre, the surgeon is demonstrating after one failure.

‘Next, an example of the very same procedure, when done correctly’ (Tom Cheney).

Conclusions

It is all about words and how it is interpreted. In the use of language, the appropriate interjection to break monotony and to be the live wire in communication, one needs wit. It would be futile to categorise a statement as sarcastic and lose out on making the majority happy. On the other hand ,It is no point saying that sarcasm is a crude form of satire when it hurts another human. But when it is made to make another happy, I would advice, say  it with the right intonation. Whether it is sarcasm, irony or pun, the primary aim should be to strengthen our communities and unite  society.

Sivalingam Nalliah

25 April 2012