Ashley Bowen-Murphy

In response to Marita Sturken’s

Tourists of History: Memory Kitsch and Consumerism from Oklahoma City to Ground Zero

Today1. Broadly define irony

- The Onion’s September 26, 2001 issue2. Irony as a method for reconciling conflicting emotions

- David Cross’ on the proliferation of flags3. Preserving satire, humor, and irony

Components of irony:• Critical edge • Semantic complexity• “Discursive communities” that make irony possible • Intention and attribution of irony• Contextual framing and markers

Hutcheon, L. Irony's Edge : The Theory and Politics of Irony.

Irony is a political, social, and rhetorical act because it highlights contradictions and multiple meanings. As such, irony can threaten dominant political discourse by giving form to incongruities.

The Onion September 26, 2001. 37(4)

Irony encourages engagement

• A way into a large, overwhelming event.• A method to make sense of contradictor responses within the culture.• Allows people to work through their own ambivelence about kitsch

culture.• Contextual.

“Has that flag waving, cheer leading rah rah b---s---died down yet? I get it, the first week. After like 4 months and you see these f----- trophy wives with their $80,000 Lexus SUVs driving around with flags you’re like SHUT UP, stop it… It doesn’t mean anything to you, it’s just an empty gesture… You’re just excited to be part of the club. Yay let’s all wave flags…

You know 24-hours after those f--- buildings went down somebody was like, “I own a flag distribution company. Hello ribbon money, hello flag money...””

And it was like 3 days later that you couldn’t turn on the TV without seeing those infomercials for things like “the Freedom Kit” for $14.99, 12 different sized flags you can stick everywhere… All flags made by Chinese Prison Labor. How’s that for a weird global comic irony?”

- David Cross, 2002

Silencing Comedy, Elevating Kitsch

• Comedy and comic irony is excluded from Sturken’s analysis• Comedic work often excluded from the archives• These silences create an artificial sense of unity

How to preserve comedy and satire while remaining respectful?

• The Newseum does not display The Onion’s September 26th edition.• Brown’s library does not include The Onion in its serial collection.• Will Ferrell’s post 9/11 Saturday Night Live skits are not included in

the American History Museum.• David Cross’ stand up routine is not included in exhibits.• Jon Stewart’s piece on the 9/11 first responder bill spurred media

action.

The Onion September 7, 2011. 47(36)

Works ConsultedBeers, D. (2001). “Irony is Dead! Long Live Irony!” Salon.com. Available online <http://www.salon.com/life/feature/2001/09/25/

irony_lives/print.html> .

Cross, D. (2002) Shut Up You [F----g] Baby! [Audio CD]. Seattle, WA: Sub Pop records.

Didon, J. (2003 January 16) “Fixed Opinions, or The Hinge of History” The New York Review of Books. Available online <http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2003/jan/16/fixed-opinions-or-the-hinge-of-history/?page=1>.

Hutcheon, L. (1994). Irony’s Edge: The Theory and Politics of Irony. New York: Routledge.

Onion Staff Writers. (2001 September 26). The Onion 37(34). Available online <http://www.theonion.com/issue/3734/>.

Rosenblatt, R. (2001). “The Age of Irony Comes to an End” TIME

Stelter, B. (2010 Deember 17). “Jon Stewart, the Advocate, on the 9/11 Health Bill.” Media Decoder blog on New York Times online. Available online <http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/17/jon-stewart-the-advocate-on-the-911-health-bill>.

Sturken, M. (2007) Tourists of History: Memory, Kitsch, and Consumerism from Oklahoma City to Ground Zero. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.

Image sources (in order of appearance)

“Stand Up Comedy” in Cosmic_Flurk’s Flickr Stream http://www.flickr.com/photos/cosmic_flurk/5712236914/ Licensed via the creative commons

“American” in Thomas Hawk’s Flickr Stream <http://www.flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/5251659170/>. Licensed via the creative commons.

“American Flag” in Bart Everson’s Flickr stream <http://www.flickr.com/photos/editor/4608041938/>. Licensed via the creative commons.

“20080617 002” in The Accidental Photographer’s Flickr Stream <http://www.flickr.com/photos/an0nym0usmuse/2589127730/>. Licensed via the creative commons.

“Young man on unicycle with American flag. People at Morro Bay, CA Fourth of July 2011 Celebration” in Mike Baird’s Flickr Stream <http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikebaird/5902691955/>. Licensed via the creative commons.

“David Cross” via Bopmyspace.com <http://www.bopmyspace.com/image_68/david_cross>.

“9/11 Headlines” in Kafu Chau’s Flickr Stream <http://www.flickr.com/photos/kafuchau/5028328458/>. Licensed via the creative commons.