History Main / CannotConveySarcasm

'''Homer Simpson:'''[sarcastic voice] Ooh, look at me! I'm making people happy! I'm the Magical Man from Happy-Land, in a gumdrop house on Lollipop Lane!

* Simply put, it's ''very'' hard [[PoesLaw to convey sarcasm through an online post]] without somehow marking it as such. Some use mock-html end tags (</sarcasm>) or punctuation marks such as a tilde (~), and TheOtherWiki has a page about [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony_punctuation proposed new punctuation marks]], but there hasn't been much consensus, perhaps because on one's sure which proposals are serious. Meanwhile, here at TV Tropes, [[SarcasmMode we don't really have any favorite method.]][[note]][[SincerityMode This only needs to be used when the sarcasm isn't immediately obvious.]][[/note]]

* Simply put, it's ''very'' hard [[PoesLaw to convey sarcasm through an online post]] without somehow marking it as such. Some use mock-html end tags (<\sarcasm>) or punctuation marks such as a tilde (~), and TheOtherWiki has a page about [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony_punctuation proposed new punctuation marks]], but there hasn't been much consensus, perhaps because on one's sure which proposals are serious. Meanwhile, here at TV Tropes, [[SarcasmMode we don't really have any favorite method.]][[note]][[SincerityMode This only needs to be used when the sarcasm isn't immediately obvious.]][[/note]]

* The Internet comes standard with sarcasm filters built into HTML protocol, rendering it highly possible that offhand flippant comment you thought was the height of clever LampshadeHanging insulted everyone who read it. Detecting sarcasm in text requires the reader to rely on wording and context alone, and a conversation between strangers provides a lot less context than one between friends. It might be related to the rampant ''overuse'' of ''italics'' to make something seem more outstanding or ALL CAPS SPEAK TO SUGGEST YELLING.

--> '''Feygor:''' "Yeah, that's a good idea."
--> ''({{beat}})''
--> ''Feygor [[ActuallyPrettyFunny reluctantly raises his hand]].''

->'''Bloo:''' I want a cooookie.
->'''Mac:''' ''[{{beat}}]'' Wait. Are you being sarcastic?
->'''Bloo:''' I'm being huuuungry.
-->-- ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends''

* In one episode of ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'', Mr. Herriman tries to receive funding from an EccentricMillionaire, and tells Bloo with obvious sarcasm that he and Mac will get race cars from the money. Bloo's glee at this comment reveals to Mac that [[SarcasmBlind he has absolutely no idea what sarcasm is]], and his attempts to teach him lead to the page quote. [[spoiler: As it turns out, the "millionaire" had no money, and thought his baldfaced lying was sarcasm. [[RuleOfThree Additionally]], Mr. Herriman was telling the truth, and gives Mac and Bloo race cars in the end.]]

* Maybe GLaDOS from ''{{VideoGame/Portal}}''. Her being a robot doesn't help. She might not have the intonation, but given that most of her sarcasm is the variety you would expect from a bratty six-year-old it isn't exactly difficult to make out. At least in the sequel she is promoted to teenager-level bitchiness.

* In ''Videogame/{{Borderlands 2}}'', Zer0 has this as a taunt when he manages to kill someone with a critical hit. Being Zer0, he does it in Haiku.

** Even better in ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'', as she gets the same reaction from resident {{badass}}, Commander Shepard.

* Simply put, it's ''very'' hard [[PoesLaw to convey sarcasm through an online post]] without somehow marking it as such. Some use mock-html end tags (<\sarcasm>) or punctuation marks such as a tilde (~), and TheOtherWiki has a page about [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony_punctuation proposed new punctuation marks]], but there hasn't been much consensus, perhaps because on one's sure which proposals are serious. [[SarcasmMode We don't have any favorite method here at TV Tropes.]][[note]][[SincerityMode This only needs to be used when the sarcasm isn't immediately obvious.]][[/note]]

* Simply put, it's ''very'' hard [[PoesLaw to convey sarcasm through an online post]] without somehow marking it as such. Some use mock-html end tags (<\sarcasm>) or punctuation marks such as a tilde (~), and TheOtherWiki has a page about [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony_punctuation proposed new punctuation marks]], but there hasn't been much consensus, perhaps because on one's sure which proposals are serious. [[SarcasmMode We don't have any favorite method here at TV Tropes.]]

* Simply put, it's ''very'' hard [[PoesLaw to convey sarcasm through an online post]] without somehow marking it as such. Some use mock-html end tags (<\sarcasm>) or punctuation marks such as a tilde (~), and TheOtherWiki has a page about [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony_punctuation proposed new punctuation marks]], but there hasn't been much consensus, perhaps because on one's sure which proposals are serious.

* Simply put, it's ''very'' hard [[PoesLaw to convey sarcasm through an online post]] without somehow marking it as such.

* Shizune in ''KatawaShoujo'' occasionally has this problem. Being deaf and mute, her sign language is interpreted by Misha, who tends to speak in a cheerful, bubbly tone regardless of Shizune's intent.

-->'''Bloo:''' I want a cooookie.
-->'''Mac:''' ''[{{beat}}]'' Wait. Are you being sarcastic?
-->'''Bloo:''' I'm being huuuungry.
-->--''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends''

-->'''Mac:''' ''{{{beat}}}'' Wait. Are you being sarcastic?

* Inverted in a ''KidsInTheHall'' sketch in which Dave Foley’s character inadvertently insults people due to his speech impediment which causes it to sound as though he’s ''perpetually'' being sarcastic. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziH9St7ajuw Check it out]].

* The ''SaturdayNightLive'' sketch "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLc8RIdRzio Sarcasm 101 with Matthew Perry.]]" They know what sarcasm is but they don't all quite get how to do it.

'''Maude Flanders:''' Uh, I'm right here.\\

* Sten from ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins''. He's extremely stoic and does not seem to make jokes. However you can, at one point, tell him you recognize his jokes and you think he's funny, and he'll become much friendlier towards you as a result.

* [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] by Beckett in ''Videogame/VampireTheMasqueradeBloodlines''. His line reading sounds like he's being constantly sarcastic, making even innocuous statements like "pleasure to make your acquaintance" sound like he's mocking you.

* [[InvertedTrope Inverted]] by Beckett in ''Videogame/VampireBloodlines''. His line reading sounds like he's being constantly sarcastic, making even innocuous statements like "pleasure to make your acquaintance" sound like he's mocking you.

** Absolutely. On ThisVeryWiki, one can never, ever, ever tell when a troper is being sarcastic or snarky. Such is the monumentally difficult task of communicating sarcasm through text alone.

* Every so often Brennan and (at one point anyway) Zack from ''{{Bones}}'' (on the off chance that they'd actually use sarcasm).

* In ''Literature/DragonBones'', this is played for drama, when Ward says something like "Yeah, right, I would totally kill my uncle, he is the last one standing between me and inheriting castle Hurog", and Oreg thinks he's ''serious''. Ward is deeply hurt that ''everyone'' seems to believe he's a CompleteMonster like his father.