In simple terms, when something seems ironic but the speaker means it sincerely, or when the speaker is ironically being ironic.
Considered the second level of irony in the Layers of Irony model along with meta-irony, where sincerity is the zeroth layer and irony is the first.
Originated in the current metamodernistic/internet era.
Sometimes synonymous with New Sincerity.
Often conflated or confused with meta-irony, and nobody really knows which
one was originally which. On
the internet post-irony is generally accepted to be levels of irony resulting in sincerity, but sometimes meta-irony is a sub type of post-irony that is specifically ironic irony.
The generally accepted internet
definition of Post-irony may be used in three different situations :
1. To describe when something is originally done or posted ironically but over time becomes a habit that is done or posted unironically.
2. To describe a meme when it makes you expect irony, but you get sincerity. As a result the meme is ironic in context as it wasn't what you were expecting, so is funny.
3. To describe a meme that is making fun of a meme making fun of a meme. something is originally posted on
the internet because its funny, but after a while it isn't funny anymore; it's then funny to make fun of it.
Eventually it isn't funny to make fun of it, but it is funny to make fun of making fun of it.
Example 1: When irony becomes sincerity through habit.
"Me and my friends started saying "
oof" ironically, but now we say it unironically whenever something sucks, we've hit post-irony."
Example 2: When you expect irony but get sincerity (Meme)
Top Text: When you get charged with tax fraud
Funny Image of Doge
Bottom Text: guys this isnt funny i actually committed tax fraud what do i do
Example 3: When
something funny is originally posted sincerely but then evolves.
2010 Doge is posted as its a funny image of dog with dog misspelled.
Over time doge loses humor as it becomes more popular and
the internet gets used to it.
2013 iFunny user hiyro posts the first ironic doge meme of doge with an image of someone burning drugs in a spoon super imposed over it.
2017iFunny user Paddy popularizes the ironic doge meme meta with doge with the words "ok retard" blocking the majority of the image.
Over time ironic doge memes lose humor as they become more popular and
the internet gets used to them.
Sometime 2018-2020 Post ironic doge memes (either ironically posted ironic doge memes or ironic doge memes that are sincere) become popular.
Future The wave of what is perceived as ironic in context and therefore funny progresses
another level of irony as post-irony becomes mainstream and expected.
