I came across this on my local Fox TV station’s website. What do you all think?
I’m not even sure this thing is needed. It seems to me that if sarcasm is done right, there should be no reason to point out what it is. And I’m certainly not going to pay two dollars for a punctuation mark that I’ve not needed in 40 years.
We (i.e. the creators of Pain in The English) developed a series of iPhone apps to teach preschool kids how to recognize letters and words. (My wife developed the characters and I did the coding.) Our own 4-year old daughter has been enjoying them. They are now available on Apple's App Store. You can search for "bitskis" on your iPhone, or visit the official website at bitskis.com.
If you have kids and own an iPhone, please check it out. It's $2.
Oh yeah, I think that’s a really great idea
Sarcasm? Yeah, there’s an app for that.
Wow. I hope nobody downloads this font and Paul Sak makes no money at all off this stunt and is thoroughly embarrassed by this crap. It’ll happen.
-P
Considering how much blatantly obvious sarcasm I’ve seen getting overlooked and misinterpreted in text-based communications on a daily basis, I’m not entirely sure it’s a bad idea.
Odd, however, that he seems to have overlooked making a punctuation mark for pointing out irony … perhaps that one’s failed once too often already? :P
So. . . the sarcasm mark looks like an upside down ear. . .thats interesting. Maybe we can put it above the 6 on the keyboard – because almost no one uses kitty ears anymore.
I understand the value of indicating sarcasm in a text message, because sarcasm is not conveyed through words, but through vocal inflection.
That being said, I don’t advocate any person or corporation making a business of this limitation. As thousands of internet forum-goers already do, you can end a sarcastic remark with [/sarcasm] or some other such indication.
Really? Sarcasm is not conveyed through words? I think Mark Twain might disagree:
“I didn’t attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.”
As might Oscar Wilde:
“Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.”
Or Groucho:
“I have had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn’t it.”
I particularly like Groucho’s choice of tense.
Is sarcasm conveyed through words? To paraphrase Woody Allen, it is if you do it right.
Excellent examples. I suppose that I’ll amend my statement to say that sarcasm is not ~necessarily~ conveyed through word choice, and often relies on vocal inflection (especially in casual, personal conversation).