Company Blog

You’re so funny. Not.

by Adam Zack — June 6, 2018

So thank you Tony for the comment from a couple years ago.

sar·casm
ˈsärˌkazəm/
noun
noun: sarcasm; plural noun: sarcasms
the use of irony to mock or convey contempt.

1. Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until they speak.

2. When people ask me stupid questions, it is my legal obligation to give a sarcastic remark.

3. It’s okay if you don’t like me. Not everyone has good taste.

4. You look good when your eyes are closed, but you look the best when my eyes are closed.

5. I’ll try being nicer, if you try being smarter.

6. If ignorance is bliss. You must be the happiest person on this planet.

7. If it looks like I give a damn, please tell me. I don’t want to give off the wrong impression.

8. Think I am sarcastic? Watch me pretend to care!

9. I’d agree with you but then we’d both be wrong.

10. Zombies eat brains. You’re safe.

Pretty funny stuff right? A couple weeks ago my wife asked me why I didn’t say anything when she commented on one of my blogs on the DW Green website. I didn’t know. All the comments I got were replies to the email version. So I asked DW, who told me how to access them. Later he asked if I wanted to see them so I could see the nice comments my wife and mother left. Funny. Real funny. So I started looking at the comments, and there were a lot of them, going back to 2014. Who knew? I got to one from Tony Draeger (who, like everyone, probably wondered why no one ever responded to their comments) that suggested the topic of sarcasm, and how there is a differentiation between funny and mean. Sarcasm runs pretty strong in our family. And just like developing listening skills, avoiding sarcastic comments and gestures takes awareness. Because sarcasm mocks, it is the chosen verbal tool of the bully. It has no hidden compliment or teaching lesson. It’s not caring or nurturing. It’s inherently mean, and when it does what it’s designed to do, it makes someone feel bad, which usually results in the sarcas-er saying to the sarcas-ee “Soorrryyyyy. I was just joking! Jeeze, someone’s got thin skin! Take a joke!” So thank you Tony for the comment from a couple years ago. It wasn’t as nice as my wife’s or my mom’s, but damn it sure hit home and made an impact.