Some days, you can’t help but believe in the idea that irony is a living, breathing, cosmic force with a very unusual sense of humor and a personal interest in your life. And if you’re one of the rare people who don’t believe in things like irony or fate, don’t worry, we’re pretty sure that they believe in you.
Bored Panda’s collected some of the finest, most iconic (some might even go as far as to say ‘epic’) ironic moments in the recent history of the internet. So get ready to have a good chuckle as you scroll down. Drop us a comment somewhere below explaining which moments you thought were particularly ironic. And remember to upvote your favorite pics, as well as share the post with your amigos who might be in need of some cheering up. Scroll down for Bored Panda’s informative interview with Albert Katz, Professor Emeritus from Western University, who went into detail about irony, its types, uses, as well as how we process it.
Also be sure to look through Bored Panda’s previous post about the most ironic moments ever, as well as our list of the most ironic things that ever happened.
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Kids, This Is What We Call Irony
Uhmm...
There were a couple of moments with unexpectedly delicious ironic twists that stuck in our heads. The first one was how an empty Nigerian apartment was discovered to hold 43 million dollars (shame on us thinking that every single one of those spam emails from supposed princes was from scammers!). While the second one was how publications like Cosmopolitan can support radically different points of view in different articles.
Bored Panda interviewed Albert Katz, Professor Emeritus of Cognitive, Developmental, and Brain Sciences from Western University’s Department of Psychology. The professor went into detail about the topic of irony.
“In my studies I have found that university-level students have a pretty clear notion of sarcasm, but are actually quite vague about irony,” the professor said. According to him, there are several types of irony, such as the irony of fate in literature. An example of that would be Oedipus unknowingly killing his father and marrying mother.
Dogs Are Not Allowed On Beach Due To Possibility That They Might Make A Mess
The Irony Of These Days
National Geographic Magazine Has Arrived. With An Alert About Excessive Use Of Plastic. It Comes In A Plastic Shrink. And Inside A Plastic Bag To Reinforce The Protection
Most of us instinctively understand when a situation is ironic. However, it’s far more difficult to explain what exactly irony is using words. Throughout history, there have been hundreds of suggestions on how best to define it. And some of us might even have our own private definitions of what irony is.
The Irony
Oh The Irony
I always liked that joke about the maxican looking woman in a shop on the phone speaking a different language and a guy telling her "we are in America and speak English. If you want to speak something else, go back to where you are from" and the woman answering "I was speaking Navacho. If you want to speak English, go back to England!".
I love that story too! English is also only a foreign language to America.
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I never understood this attitude in the US. As if it is bad to speak several languages. Thats stupidity. As if US people would make the effort to learn a different language when they go abroad. (I know they aren't all like that, but there are enough who are this entitled). Every other country is proud if they can speak more than one language.
Thank, thank you, thank you!!! When I use my limited language skills, people often ask me where I learned my second or third language. When I say in American high school and college, I have a literally had people tell me "no! People don't learn a [second] language in the US!" Such is our reputation that folks outside the US think that we don't even offer the opportunity for languages in our school. But through the 90s, two years of a foreign language was acquired for a high school diploma, and four years of a foreign language was required for college applications!
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How is that these people can expect others to speak English when they can barely spell it themselves?
I think I saw on Bored Panda that a Muslim woman wearing hijab was on a bus on the western coast of United Kingdom, speaking to her small son on her lap, not in English. An angry man confronted her, telling her that she was in the UK and she should speak English. Another writer spoke up and said "This is Wales, she's speaking Welsh!"
If you are born in the USA, you can be as stupid as you want and aspire to become the president...
This totally made me bust out. Haha thanks for that.
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Yes, the meanspiritedness is oozing out of that truck like a bad smell.
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seriously... shouldn't we be speaking native american then? but also, some immigrants are here legally, and I love the culture they brought with them- I am mixed race myself. But for the record, English is comprised of many languages and we often use foreign words on a day to day basis that don't exactly belong to us... like Bon apetite, Kindergarten, Amigos, Tacos, Sushi, etc. I'm not about to tell the people making my kung pao chicken to start speaking english. What about LATTES! They're an amazing godsend and I love them, I don't care where we got them. The world needs me caffeinated.
All those who speak AMERICAN will have to leave????????????
"speak English or get the f**k out" Obviously English isn't your first language based on that awful spelling, so you must leave based on your logic :D
I hate that Americans like this are what others in different countries see of us. Speak your language, practice your religion, that’s what this country was literally founded on. The pilgrims came to the colonies so they they wouldn’t be persecuted and now in our country founded on the idea that all men were created equal and shouldn’t be persecuted here we are persecuting those that have come here looking for safety and refuge our founding fathers would not be pleased.
Your? God help this person. Can't speak English so they gotta get the F*** out!
So, he/she probably didn't think about me when he/she put all this up. I am mostly of Norwegian descent, so I am "white". My grandparents on my father's side didn't speak English until they learned it at public school. Their parents never really became fluent, because that's how it goes when immigrants come here. It's very difficult to become fluent as an adult, especially if you don't have the opportunity to hang out with English speakers all day (and how many immigrants are going to be in that situation?) So, as per this, my great-grandparents should have gone home, along with everyone else like them. If they'd done so, perhaps the Lakota would not be permanently banned from Minnesota where I live. Maybe the land would be mostly occupied by Lakota and Ojibwe. Come to think of it, that would have been better!
HAHAHAHAHA.....I love when the regressives prove how stone stupid they are.
Not 2b a racist but if you want to live in another Country at least have the decency to learn their language b4 you plump your butt in their country
A dictionary is on its way to you. Keep it next to your AK47 and your bible.
Bless his heart... "Butt Your" abusing correct grammar and spelling... "But you're" okay to have the right to be STUPid...
Holy c**p, suddenly I'm overcome with the urge to break that window and key the heck out of that car. This is stupidity and general horrible person-ness beyond belief.
🤦♀️ Cannot get the font sized correct. Just like those garage/yard sale signs...trailing off to what ever will fit.
Strangely, Americans don't actually speak English, they speak American. Totally different language altogether!
Oh The Irony
The most basic definition of irony will include that it’s a contradiction between what’s expected and what actually happens in real life. When you put it like that, you come to realize that irony really is all about expectations being shattered in a humorous way.
Professor Katz said: “There are several components that usually go into irony, and turning irony into sarcasm. Basically, a central motif is the violation of an expectation. But the context in which that violation occurs may make it humorous or not, or sarcastic or not.”
The Irony Present
I am not english .. but I never understood why they have so much trouble with your and you're... I mean it's so logical right? What am I missing ...
Oh The Irony
Walmart Employee
"Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans."
A thing that a lot of us mix up is verbal irony and sarcasm. Though they’re usually used interchangeably, they’re not the same.
One way to remember the difference is this: sarcasm is primarily used to insult someone or cause them harm. If it hurts your feelings, it’s most likely sarcasm, not irony. Now that’s a piece of trivia that you can really wow your friends with.
Katz agreed with the idea that sarcasm has “a negative usage” when compared to “verbal irony, such as how we use it in everyday speech.”
“One can think of irony used sarcastically (e.g. when saying something framed positively, but intending a negative insulting meaning: when one says “you’re my best friend” just after said friend did something mean). But one can also get irony used in the opposite way, such as saying something that on the surface sounds nasty, but is meant positively (e.g. “You're sooo bad”).”
Stop Texting While Driving
This Sign In My Kid’s Elementary School Fills Me With Nihilistic Joy
Oh The Irony
“The question of how easy it is to understand or get the point of irony, or sarcasm, is a difficult one," the professor noted. "People differ both in the habitual usage of irony or sarcasm and when dealing with a person who often uses sarcasm, for instance, people sometimes erroneously interpret an ambiguous comment not intended ironically as being ironic, or sarcastic.”
“Also there is research that indicates individual differences in using and understanding irony in general,” Katz explained. “Some people are very literal thinkers and miss the irony presented. Some of my own work indicates that the processing of irony occurs almost immediately during comprehension. One doesn't think about it and at some later point think, oh, was he being ironic when he said X.”
“One thing I do believe is that the processing of irony, or sarcasm, is not based on any one factor, such as a failed expectation, but on a set of computations going on simultaneously,” the professor added.
Nigerian Princes Were Real All This Time
Quite Ironic Really
Oh The Irony
Wasps Made A Nest On My Wasp Spray Bottle
They're establishing dominance. I for one support our future leaders
Not Too Good At Her Job
My Mom Is Cleaning Out The Library At The Preschool Where She Works And Sent Me This
Effing Horrible
You're Welcome
The Irony Was Strong With This One
How Did He Get Hired?
Just one of these "advanced" drivers showing of their "advanced car handling skills". AKA jerks.
Ironic That My Pup Chewed Up This Specific Cards Against Humanity Card
The Silent And Powerful Mocking Of A Single Sign
Well Now, That's Ironic
My Computer Lab At My School Is Ironically Labeled
Lady Posts On Facebook To Complain About Employees Not Helping Disabled Customer While Simultaneously Not Helping, Either
Live. Local. Late Braking
In Court For Shoplifting
My Car Displays A Long Distracting Message Reminding You To Not Participate In Distracted Driving–while Driving
Mine too. One when you turn the car one, and again when you put it in drive! Please don't distract me right when I'm shifting from reverse!
Nothing Is Written In Stone
Didn't Have Time To Read It I Guess
The Epitome Of Irony
Author Asks Why His Book Called 'No. More. Plastic' Was Wrapped In Plastic
The Irony Of The Bar At A Paypal Business Event
I Found This Picture To Be Incredibly Ironic
The Irony Of This Snickers Bar
I Don't Think The Women's Department Gets The Irony
The Very Definition Of Irony
Those Gears Won't Turn, Which I Guess Makes It A Fairly Apt Metaphor For School Districts And Education
I'm A Public Defender. The ATM In Jail Always Strikes Me As A Little Ironic
I Mean Isn’t This Ironic?
Note: this post originally had 90 images. It’s been shortened to the top 45 images based on user votes.
I miss the unpaid internship offered by Fight Against Slavery. Slavery-5d...c2b332.png 
Apparently Bored Panda can't tell the difference between irony & coincidence!
I think it's clear that the definition of irony needs to be changed to reflect what almost everyone perceives it to be.
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I love Bored Panda. This is the first time I've seen caustic political comments. That c**p is everywhere. Let's keep Bored Panda out of the battle.
Why did you take away like a hundred posts?? Yes people are complaining but come on, stop scrolling after 50 then!! Why destroy it for everyone else that thought #90 was funny? Seriously. Idiots.
The extra items are still accessible by clicking the link at the bottom of the shorter article.
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Okay, why do we need over 100 posts (maybe this is just me) but I get to about maybe 50 and then skip down to the comments session. Like @Carol Emory said some just get week aswell.
Well usually they cut it down after a couple of hours to the top 30-50 pictures because of what you’re talking about, but many people (including myself) actually like reading the whole thing (judging by amount we complained before they added the button to see the whole post after they cut it down).
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Found that in my parent's souvenir. Sadly ironic :( 734348_101...09834e.jpg 
Holy s**t. I'm amazed that's not a viral photo. Wow.
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This was on the whole, one of the most hateful things ever posted on Bored Panda, as a conservative, I deal with a lot of sporadic insult on this page because of liberal bias, but honestly people should be ashamed of themselves. Free speech is out the window in this country because people like you think it's ok to ostracize, harass and even brutalize people for their opinions. Disgusting.
cause some people might post inappropriate comments
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Which would probably be why they don't have many votes and are at the bottom of a ranked list.
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I miss the unpaid internship offered by Fight Against Slavery. Slavery-5d...c2b332.png
Apparently Bored Panda can't tell the difference between irony & coincidence!
I think it's clear that the definition of irony needs to be changed to reflect what almost everyone perceives it to be.
Load More Replies... I love Bored Panda. This is the first time I've seen caustic political comments. That c**p is everywhere. Let's keep Bored Panda out of the battle.
Why did you take away like a hundred posts?? Yes people are complaining but come on, stop scrolling after 50 then!! Why destroy it for everyone else that thought #90 was funny? Seriously. Idiots.
The extra items are still accessible by clicking the link at the bottom of the shorter article.
Load More Replies... Okay, why do we need over 100 posts (maybe this is just me) but I get to about maybe 50 and then skip down to the comments session. Like @Carol Emory said some just get week aswell.
Well usually they cut it down after a couple of hours to the top 30-50 pictures because of what you’re talking about, but many people (including myself) actually like reading the whole thing (judging by amount we complained before they added the button to see the whole post after they cut it down).
Load More Replies... Found that in my parent's souvenir. Sadly ironic :( 734348_101...09834e.jpg
Holy s**t. I'm amazed that's not a viral photo. Wow.
Load More Replies... This was on the whole, one of the most hateful things ever posted on Bored Panda, as a conservative, I deal with a lot of sporadic insult on this page because of liberal bias, but honestly people should be ashamed of themselves. Free speech is out the window in this country because people like you think it's ok to ostracize, harass and even brutalize people for their opinions. Disgusting.
cause some people might post inappropriate comments
Load More Replies... Which would probably be why they don't have many votes and are at the bottom of a ranked list.
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