History Main / SarcasticTitle

* ''Fair Game'' is about the decidedly ''un''fair things (from the creators' point of view, anyway) which have been done to Valerie Plame and her husband. The title is a play on words, because the phrase "fair game" also refers to animals that are able to be hunted.

* "Another Day In Paradise" by PhilCollins is about a homeless woman who is either ignored or rejected by whomever she begs for help. The title applies to the much more fortunate people who ignore her. Collins was inspired to write the song after witnessing homelessness and poverty in UsefulNotes/WashingtonDC in TheEighties.
* "With God On Our Side" by BobDylan.

* "Land Of Hope And Glory" by Music/{{Madness}}. The title was borrowed from a well-known British [[PatrioticFervor patriotic hymn]]; the lyrics cynically tell the story of a young man imprisoned in a Borstal institution.
* "God Save The Queen" by the SexPistols pulls the same trick with the British ''[[RefugeInAudacity national anthem]]''.

* "Born in the U.S.A." by BruceSpringsteen. It's a cynical song about a poor and disillusioned Vietnam veteran, but the title makes it sound like a patriotic song - RonaldReagan was among the many who didn't pick up on the sarcasm.

* ''JohnnyGotHisGun'': A book which is fiercely and [[{{Anvilicious}} Anviliciously]] anti-war. The title comes from the American WorldWarOne rallying slogan 'Johnny get your gun'.

[[AC:{{Live Action TV}}]]

* The JustFriends trope is all about characters who, in [[DoggedNiceGuy one way]] or [[UnresolvedSexualTension another]], are anything but.

For some reason, this crops up particularly often in {{Protest Song}}s, in which it may well overlap with HailToTheThief. Compare IronicEpisodeTitle, when the contrast between title and content is one of mood rather than message.

* In ''Literature/AModestProposal'', Jonathan Swift's proposal is that the British solve their Irish problem by literally [[ImAHumanitarian eating the Irish]]--specifically, Irish [[EatsBabies babies]]--since they had been figuratively doing this for years.

* ''TheAssassinationOfJesseJamesByTheCowardRobertFord'': The film actually shows the injustice of Robert Ford's reputation as a cowardly assassin as well as James' reputation as a murdered folk hero.

* "Mr. You're A Better Man Than I" by Music/TheYardbirds. All the verses follow the same pattern: '''if'' [insert opinion TheYardbirds didn't agree with] is true, then mister, you're a better man than I.'

* "Another Day In Paradise" by PhilCollins is about a homeless woman who is either ignored or rejected by whomever she begs for help. The title applies to the much more fortunate people who ignore her. Collins was inspired to write the song after witnessing homelessness and poverty in WashingtonDC in TheEighties.

* "Für meine Fans" by Music/{{Knorkator}}. The title means 'for my fans' in German, implying that the work is meant as a tribute to the band's fans; however, the chorus starts with ''[='=]Ich schäme mich für meine Fans[='=]'' - 'I am ashamed of my fans'. The song is one big long TakeThatAudience

* "Für meine Fans" by Music/{{Knorkator}}. The title means 'for my fans' in German, implying that the work is meant as a tribute to the band's fans; however, the chorus starts with ''[='=]Ich schäme mich für meine Fans[='=]'' - 'I am ashamed of my fans'. The song is one big long TakeThatAudience.

* "Für meine Fans" by Music/{{Knorkator}}. The title means 'for my fans' in German, implying that the work is meant as a tribute to the band's fans; however, the chorus starts with '''Ich schäme mich für meine Fans''' - 'I am ashamed of my fans'. The song is one big long TakeThatAudience.

* ''Literature/BraveNewWorld'': The title is a [[WilliamShakespeare Shakespeare]] quote, in which 'brave' means 'good' or 'beautiful'. The point of the book is that the new world it describes is [[{{Dystopia}} anything]] ''[[{{Dystopia}} but]]'' [[{{Dystopia}} brave]].

* "Für meine Fans" by Music/{{Knorkator}}. The title means 'for my fans' in German, implying that the work is meant as a tribute to the band's fans; however, the chorus starts with ''[='=]Ich schäme mich für meine Fans[='=]'' - 'I am ashamed of my fans'. The song is one big long TakeThatAudience.
* "Jezus Redt" (Dutch for 'Jesus Saves'), by Robert Long. It's a [[ReligionRantSong long rant against religion in general and the Roman Catholic Church in particular]]. Interestingly, it shares its title with a {{Slayer}} song which is ''also'' an example of this trope; see below.

* "Jesus Saves" by {{Slayer}}.

* "Mr. You're A Better Man Than I" by Music/TheYardbirds. All the verses follow the same pattern: [='=]''if'' [insert opinion TheYardbirds didn't agree with] is true, then mister, you're a better man than I.'

* In ''Literature/AModestProposal'', Jonathan Swift's proposal is that the British solve their Irish problem by literally [[ImAHumanitarian eating]] the Irish--specifically, Irish [[EatsBabies babies]]--since they had been figuratively doing this for years.

* In ''Literature/AModestProposal'', Jonathan Swift's proposal is that the British solve their Irish problem by literally eating the Irish's babies, since they had been figuratively doing this for years.

* ''Fair Game'' is about the decidedly ''un''fair things (from the creators' point of view, anyway) which have been done to Valerie Plame and her husband.

* "Mr. You're A Better Man Than I" by Music/TheYardbirds. All the verses follow the same pattern: [='=]''if'' [insert opinion TheYardbirds didn't agree with] is true, then mister, you're a better man than I.'
* "Mr. Brightside" is about a man leaping to the worst possible conclusions.

[[AC:FanFic]]
* Perhaps the most straightforward usage of this trope is [[HorribleCampingTrip "Camping on a Deserted Rock is FUN!"]] from ''Fanfic/CalvinAndHobbesTheSeries''.

As we all know, [[NeverTrustATitle a work's title doesn't always give a reliable indication of its contents]]. In some [[AuthorTract works which try to make a point]], the title deliberately and sarcastically contradicts the work's message. Often, the title will be (part of) a [[TitleDrop statement by a character]] who is clearly shown to be ''wrong'' (from the creator's perspective, that is - [[StrawmanHasAPoint not necessarily from the audience's]]).

Done well, this serves to ram the point home in a brutal yet funny way (thus making it a lot more likely that the audience will pay attention to, and remember, the message); done poorly, it will only confuse the audience.

For some reason, this crops up particularly often in {{Protest Song}}s, in which it may well overlap with HailToTheThief. Compare IronicEpisodeTitle, when the contrast between title and content is one of mood rather than message.

!!Examples:

[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* ''Fair Game'' is about the decidedly ''un''fair things (from the creators' point of view, anyway) which have been done to Valerie Plame and her husband.

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* ''Literature/BraveNewWorld'': The title is a [[WilliamShakespeare Shakespeare]] quote, in which 'brave' means 'good' or 'beautiful'. The point of the book is that the new world it describes is [[{{Dystopia}} anything]] ''[[{{Dystopia}} but]]'' [[{{Dystopia}} brave]].
* ''JohnnyGotHisGun'': A book which is fiercely and [[{{Anvilicious}} Anviliciously]] anti-war. The title comes from the American WorldWarOne rallying slogan 'Johnny get your gun'.
* In ''Literature/AModestProposal'', Jonathan Swift's proposal is that the British solve their Irish problem by literally eating the Irish's babies, since they had been figuratively doing this for years.
* GeorgeOrwell's essay ''Such, Such Were The Joys'' is about his miserable childhood at a BoardingSchoolOfHorrors.

[[AC:{{Music}}]]

* "With God On Our Side" by BobDylan.
* "Für meine Fans" by Music/{{Knorkator}}. The title means 'for my fans' in German, implying that the work is meant as a tribute to the band's fans; however, the chorus starts with ''[='=]Ich schäme mich für meine Fans[='=]'' - 'I am ashamed of my fans'. The song is one big long TakeThatAudience.
* "Jezus Redt" (Dutch for 'Jesus Saves'), by Robert Long. It's a [[ReligionRantSong long rant against religion in general and the Roman Catholic Church in particular]]. Interestingly, it shares its title with a {{Slayer}} song which is ''also'' an example of this trope; see below.
* "Land Of Hope And Glory" by Music/{{Madness}}. The title was borrowed from a well-known British [[PatrioticFervor patriotic hymn]]; the lyrics cynically tell the story of a young man imprisoned in a Borstal institution.
* "God Save The Queen" by the SexPistols pulls the same trick with the British ''[[RefugeInAudacity national anthem]]''.
* "Jesus Saves" by {{Slayer}}.
* "Born in the U.S.A." by BruceSpringsteen. It's a cynical song about a poor and disillusioned Vietnam veteran, but the title makes it sound like a patriotic song - RonaldReagan was among the many who didn't pick up on the sarcasm.
* Swamp Dogg's song "God Bless America For What" would have been an example if he had titled it simply "God Bless America", as he intended to. He had to change the title to avoid looking like he was plagiarising the well-known patriotic song by Irving Berlin.

* "Mr. Brightside" is about a man leaping to the worst possible conclusions.

* "Another Day In Paradise" by PhilCollins is about a homeless woman who is either ignored or rejected by whomever she begs for help. The title applies to the much more fortunate people who ignore her.

* In ''AModestProposal'', Jonathan Swift's proposal is that the British solve their Irish problem by literally eating the Irish's babies, since they had been figuratively doing this for years.

!Examples:

* "Für meine Fans" by {{Knorkator}}. The title means 'for my fans' in German, implying that the work is meant as a tribute to the band's fans; however, the chorus starts with ''[='=]Ich schäme mich für meine Fans[='=]'' - 'I am ashamed of my fans'. The song is one big long TakeThatAudience.

* ''BraveNewWorld'': The title is a [[WilliamShakespeare Shakespeare]] quote, in which 'brave' means 'good' or 'beautiful'. The point of the book is that the new world it describes is [[{{Dystopia}} anything]] ''[[{{Dystopia}} but]]'' [[{{Dystopia}} brave]].

* "Mr. You're A Better Man Than I" by Music/TheYardbirds. All the verses follow the same pattern: [='=]''if'' [insert opinion TheYardbirds didn't agree with] is true, then mister, you're a better man than I.'

* "Jezus Redt" (Dutch for 'Jesus Saves'), by Robert Long. It's a long rant against religion in general and the Roman Catholic Church in particular. Interestingly, it shares its title with a {{Slayer}} song which is ''also'' an example of this trope; see below.