Is it trolling if sarcasm is blatantly obvious?

SteveJWatson

i always wonder if someone makes an outrageous statement if it means they are trolling or just oblivious.

like if someone says The New Kids on the Block is better than The Beatles. or if someone thinks television in the 70s(or some other decade) is better than today's television.

You're confusing trolling with 'disagreeing with your opinion'. This is a common mistake on these forums.

OR... trolling you with an obviously bad definition of trolling.

META TROLL!

Ha!

It does seem that media types define trolling as insulting someone. Maybe media types are trolling?

To be fair - the "Nathan Barleys" of this world are better off when mocked mercilessly - it is doing society a favour.

UsedToBeHusky

Never been of fan of laughing at someone missing the joke. Either the joke is funny or it's not - on its own merit (including humorous ridicule). But someone not getting the joke isn't generally funny. Especially setting someone up to not get it. Not funny at all to me.

Then clearly you are ripe to be the 'victim' in a game of spoof.

Maybe. And that's fine.

Believe me, I don't have a problem with making fun of, ridiculing, etc. And I'm not making the rules for humor. You can do whatever you want, including throwing banana peels in my path.

I simply enjoy humor much more that is less contrived. Humor that comes spontaneously seems more clever to me. It can be snarky, sarcastic, even mean-spirited. If it's funny, it's funny.

But setting a trap only to laugh at someone's gullibility (or sincere desire to help) seems lazy and uncreative. It's too easy. And, to me, less funny.

Ah... but that's the definition of a true troll and not at all what I was referring to by discussing 'blatantly obvious sarcasm'.

A troll is not being sarcastic. Troll posts are generally written to mislead people. Whereas, when someone posts a joke, its so ridiculous and far-fetched that it is obviously a joke. However, if you missed the joke, then you feel as if you have been trolled.

'Twas my point.

SteveJWatson

Never been of fan of laughing at someone missing the joke. Either the joke is funny or it's not - on its own merit (including humorous ridicule). But someone not getting the joke isn't generally funny. Especially setting someone up to not get it. Not funny at all to me.

Then clearly you are ripe to be the 'victim' in a game of spoof.

Maybe. And that's fine.

Believe me, I don't have a problem with making fun of, ridiculing, etc. And I'm not making the rules for humor. You can do whatever you want, including throwing banana peels in my path.

I simply enjoy humor much more that is less contrived. Humor that comes spontaneously seems more clever to me. It can be snarky, sarcastic, even mean-spirited. If it's funny, it's funny.

But setting a trap only to laugh at someone's gullibility (or sincere desire to help) seems lazy and uncreative. It's too easy. And, to me, less funny.

Its incredibly funny.

see: spoons.

kennethmgreen

Never been of fan of laughing at someone missing the joke. Either the joke is funny or it's not - on its own merit (including humorous ridicule). But someone not getting the joke isn't generally funny. Especially setting someone up to not get it. Not funny at all to me.

If someone slips on a banana peel, that's funny. If you throw the banana peel right down in front of them and they slip - way less funny.

But how is one to know whether or not someone on the wide world of the internet will fail to get the joke? Seems to me the odds are good that at least one person will miss it.

That doesn't mean the person who posted the joke was trolling. That just means that someone didn't get it.

If someone fails to get a joke, then that's it. They failed to get the joke. It could be the joke wasn't very good, or they aren't very smart. Or a combination of both.

But when the joke becomes them not getting it, it's less funny for me. It's generally the behavior after the joke I'm talking about.

For example, MFP joke threads (satire or sarcasm threads meant as a spoof). Some of them are hilarious. But often those threads provoke people in the community to offer sincere, genuine help. Then people begin to ridicule the posts offering help because they "don't get it." That's the part I don't think is funny.

I posted a spoof thread about "sabotage" recently. I thought it was great. Very few agreed with me. Ah well. I tried. But as soon as people started responding seriously, not getting the spoof, the *facepalm* posts and "joke missed" gifs appear. I replied to one of the serious responses to explain the spoof. Because I don't like the idea of something being funny simply because I know something you don't.

I know there are plenty of people on my friends list who disagree with me on this. Maybe I'm just weird. Thankfully, I don't get to make the rules about what's funny for everyone.

UsedToBeHusky

Never been of fan of laughing at someone missing the joke. Either the joke is funny or it's not - on its own merit (including humorous ridicule). But someone not getting the joke isn't generally funny. Especially setting someone up to not get it. Not funny at all to me.

If someone slips on a banana peel, that's funny. If you throw the banana peel right down in front of them and they slip - way less funny.

But how is one to know whether or not someone on the wide world of the internet will fail to get the joke? Seems to me the odds are good that at least one person will miss it.

That doesn't mean the person who posted the joke was trolling. That just means that someone didn't get it.

If someone fails to get a joke, then that's it. They failed to get the joke. It could be the joke wasn't very good, or they aren't very smart. Or a combination of both.

But when the joke becomes them not getting it, it's less funny for me. It's generally the behavior after the joke I'm talking about.

For example, MFP joke threads (satire or sarcasm threads meant as a spoof). Some of them are hilarious. But often those threads provoke people in the community to offer sincere, genuine help. Then people begin to ridicule the posts offering help because they "don't get it." That's the part I don't think is funny.

I posted a spoof thread about "sabotage" recently. I thought it was great. Very few agreed with me. Ah well. I tried. But as soon as people started responding seriously, not getting the spoof, the *facepalm* posts and "joke missed" gifs appear. I replied to one of the serious responses to explain the spoof. Because I don't like the idea of something being funny simply because I know something you don't.

I know there are plenty of people on my friends list who disagree with me on this. Maybe I'm just weird. Thankfully, I don't get to make the rules about what's funny for everyone.

Just for the record...

I love the Beastie Boys! And that was an awesome thread!

rml_16

Or perhaps they just have an opinion different than yours? :huh:

Question for you... is it trolling to enter threads at random and proclaim that you are the ultimate authority on what is good or bad and that all opinions differing yours are wrong?

Things that make you go... hmmmm!

i view those people as angels...people who see a wrong(a horribly misguided opinion) and take the time and effort to "put right what once went wrong".

Quantum Leap hasn't aired in like 20 years.

Your point is invalid!

Although quoting it kind of proves MY point. lol

EmilyJackCO

Or perhaps they just have an opinion different than yours? :huh:

Question for you... is it trolling to enter threads at random and proclaim that you are the ultimate authority on what is good or bad and that all opinions differing yours are wrong?

Things that make you go... hmmmm!

i view those people as angels...people who see a wrong(a horribly misguided opinion) and take the time and effort to "put right what once went wrong".

Quantum Leap hasn't aired in like 20 years.

Your point is invalid!

Sadly, I've been watching reruns on what used to be G4. I love it so much. :blushing:

rml_16

But when the joke becomes them not getting it, it's less funny for me. It's generally the behavior after the joke I'm talking about.

A few months ago, I posted something in a thread that was very clearly ridiculous. I mean REALLY over-the-top. All but one guy got that. He engaged me in conversation and so I played serious, but every on of my subsequent posts continued to be more and more ridiculous. I really was trying to get him to get the joke. Like, I really have no idea how anyone didn't get it. But he kept going and going and going.

I'm sorry, but that was funny. It was more like the banana peel was there, he looked right at it and slipped, anyway.

Contrarian

Never been of fan of laughing at someone missing the joke. Either the joke is funny or it's not - on its own merit (including humorous ridicule). But someone not getting the joke isn't generally funny. Especially setting someone up to not get it. Not funny at all to me.

Then clearly you are ripe to be the 'victim' in a game of spoof.

Maybe. And that's fine.

Believe me, I don't have a problem with making fun of, ridiculing, etc. And I'm not making the rules for humor. You can do whatever you want, including throwing banana peels in my path.

I simply enjoy humor much more that is less contrived. Humor that comes spontaneously seems more clever to me. It can be snarky, sarcastic, even mean-spirited. If it's funny, it's funny.

But setting a trap only to laugh at someone's gullibility (or sincere desire to help) seems lazy and uncreative. It's too easy. And, to me, less funny.

Its incredibly funny.

see: spoons.

If I may, I think eyelikepie might be suggesting that he doesn't enjoy exclusionary humour threads. If a joke is made and most posters think it is funny, but then one person says "I don't get it", the subsequent responses that make that poster feel stupid for not understanding are the ones he has an issue with. I don't disagree, actually. The joke is still funny, but poking fun at a person for not being able to appreciate it doesn't add a new and fresh dimension to the humour. It turns it into schoolyard taunting.

I'm still a total *kitten*, though.

Krizzo87

faceoff4

MsPudding

in general i agree but sometimes the claim can be so outrageous that its intention could be trolling.

Unless you just happen to have some outrageous opinions of course. For instance, I don't like babies. They irritate me. Many people find that opinion outrageous, but it's only trolling if I go post it on a Mother & Baby forum really. In the context of MFP, it's just an opinion.

rml_16

in general i agree but sometimes the claim can be so outrageous that its intention could be trolling.

Unless you just happen to have some outrageous opinions of course. For instance, I don't like babies. They irritate me. Many people find that opinion outrageous, but it's only trolling if I go post it on a Mother & Baby forum really. In the context of MFP, it's just an opinion.

If your opinion differs from the peron's you quoted, it is "outrageous."

Tony_Brewski

Welcome to the Internet my friends where the men are men and the women are men and the children are policemen!

MsPudding

A troll I very much admire - the original 'I accidentally the whole bottle' (won't post the image as it's huuuuge.)



http://media.fukung.net/images/9332/bca4b05a6d105b9dd142353d3ee49dac.jpg

kennethmgreen

The joke is still funny, but poking fun at a person for not being able to appreciate it doesn't add a new and fresh dimension to the humour. It turns it into schoolyard taunting.

Phew! Thank you. That's what I was trying to say. You said it much more goodlier than myself could did.

ETA: really, I just wanted to make people think about bananas.

sabified

Sometimes sarcasm is the tool of the trolls...

sabified

I can't wait to see how this turns out!

lol... and also lol to the "trolling... this takes it to another level" pic

jonjhayden

i always wonder if someone makes an outrageous statement if it means they are trolling or just oblivious.

like if someone says The New Kids on the Block is better than The Beatles. or if someone thinks television in the 70s(or some other decade) is better than today's television.

Wait television in the 70's was way better than today! Sanford and Son, Rockford Files, The Six Millilon Dollar Man, The Waltons, Hawaii 5 - 0 (the original) vs. what Jersey Shore? C'mon....

ldrosophila

I'm not sure but on a different note...

OP I just LOVE your post it's sooooooo original









Did you catch it?