Seven Ways to Utilize Sarcasm in Your Post

Sarcasm is a subtle art. If used correctly, half the time the recipient of said sarcasm has to stop and think about it, before actually getting the true meaning of the barb. Sarcasm is conveyed face-to-face usually with a tone of voice, or body language so within the written word can be tough. Half the time, sarcasm comes across as caustic or just fizzles on impact. Your reader either thinks you’re an asshole or they don’t get it and think you are strange.

Seven Ways to Utilize Sarcasm in Your Post

1. If All Else Fails – Embrace Captain Obvious

Sarcasm is conveyed with the tone of your voice and the delivery. There is no vocal tone within a post, so emphasize your sarcasm with italics. Obvious, right? Not always. Maybe make it really obvious – use <sarcasm>Sarcasm code</sarcasm> or maybe even extra punctuation @someone came up with this genius sarcasm delineation.@

2. Assume Your Reader is Not the Brightest Bulb

Most readers will not realize you are joking. Don’t hold their idiocy against them. Chances are your assumption that they know you are a sarcastic person was a bad assumption. Remember this when you are writing your post. They don’t know you…think of it from their perspective. The only person that is reading your post that really knows you is probably your mom. Praise Baby Jesus she at least reads it.

3. Sarcasm is Mean. Duh.

Don’t be afraid to piss people off. Sarcasm pisses people off, if you want your life to be rainbows and unicorns shitting candy corn, don’t be sarcastic. If you are ready to embrace the suck. Let it all hang out.

4. Scratch #1 and Kick Captain Obvious to the Curb

Hint hint. Don’t be too obvious, but hint that your post is not to be taken serious at the beginning of the post. You don’t have to spell it out, but make sure readers are clued in, so they won’t take you too seriously.

5. Seriously? No really.

Subtle is hilarious. Reactions can be the best reward, for your sarcasm. Especially when readers react “wrong.” I’ve been a victim of subtle satire…it is great. Write serious, but in a way that goes against the grain or your own beliefs, turn things around and poke and prod interesting ideas. This is more satire then sarcasm, but you can do it in a sarcastic way if you infuse your voice with a “know it all” attitude. Admit it. You think you know everything, but being a sane human being, you know that saying you know everything might not play out well with other human beings. So, hide your real feelings within the grips of satire. Then you can just go just kidding bitch. Wait, why are you crying?

6. Trip Them Up

Agree to disagree. Dumb, but it works. Pick a topic you disagree with and write like you agree with it and then at the end – as you have SUCKED your readership in and they are hanging on your every controversial word, turn it around and pee in their cheerios. I should probably explain this, Mark Twain was a genius at this, his sarcastic pieces are spot-on. So…let’s say, you disagree with killing baby seals, which is a common practice by sociopath douche-bags that live near seals. Write a post which is like “yeah! Killing baby seals is awesome!” Write points pro this practice and then end it with a crazy conclusion, like, why stop at killing baby seals? We should also kill actual babies…! It has to be outrageous though. You can do this.

7. Embrace Your Inner Thirteen Year Old

Sarcasm tends to be an adolescent tool. How many times has someone looked at you and said “you are so childish?” Not much? Well, it happens to me all the time. Sarcasm does seem to be widely used within the teen population – so roll with it. Bring back that inner mean girl, implement funny gifs to offset your writing, roll your metaphorical eyes as you type out your post. Say it with me… “I’m a mean girl. But, in a nice literate way…”