Irony poisoning
Irony poisoning is a term to describe when someone starts out believing something ironically, but later starts to believe it genuinely.
It is often used when referring to normalising extremist views through the use of humour, particularly online, but it's not exclusive to it.[1][2]
Use[edit]
The term is more frequently used by younger people and first appeared in The New York Times in 2018.[3]
Notable examples[edit]
The New York Times used the term to describe the chain of events that led up to German man Dirk Denkhaus trying to set fire to a house sheltering refugees after exchanging racist memes and Nazi greetings online.[4][3] In 2022, the Canadian Anti-Hate Network have accused Diagolon of using irony poisoning to desensitise hateful rhetoric through the use of online jokes and memes.[5]
References[edit]
- ^ Somos, Christy (2019-12-04). "'Deadly serious': Ex neo-Nazi and Iron March user speaks out on de-radicalization". CTVNews. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
- ^ Fang, Lee; Woodhouse, Leighton Akio (August 25, 2017). "How White Nationalism Became Normal Online". The Intercept. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
But for some, the jokey memes became a bridge to a formal association with white nationalism. In other words, when users post so many genocide and rape jokes, they become so detached from reality that they become susceptible to the messages of bonafide hate groups, a transformation referred to in forums as "irony poisoning."
- ^ a b Fisher, Max; Amanda, Taub (23 Aug 2018). "Should We All Be Taking 'Irony Poisoning' More Seriously?". The Interpreter, New York Times. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
- ^ Rosenbaum, S. I. (24 Aug 2018). "'Irony poisoning': when nasty humor spirals downward into something far worse - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
- ^ "What is the Diagolon extremist group and what does it want?". CTVNews. 2022-02-17. Retrieved 2022-12-19.