NOVEMBER17,2012,3:24PM

HowtoLiveWithoutIrony
ByCHRISTYWAMPOLE

Ifironyistheethosofourageanditisthenthehipsterisourarchetypeofironic living. Thehipsterhauntseverycitystreetanduniversitytown.Manifestinganostalgiafor timesheneverlivedhimself,thiscontemporaryurbanharlequinappropriates outmodedfashions(themustache,thetinyshorts),mechanisms(fixedgearbicycles, portablerecordplayers)andhobbies(homebrewing,playingtrombone).Heharvests awkwardnessandselfconsciousness.Beforehemakesanychoice,hehasproceeded throughseveralstagesofselfscrutiny.Thehipsterisascholarofsocialforms,astudent ofcool.Hestudiesrelentlessly,foragingforwhathasyettobefoundbythemainstream. Heisawalkingcitationhisclothesrefertomuchmorethanthemselves.Hetriesto negotiatetheageoldproblemofindividuality,notwithconcepts,butwithmaterial things. Heisaneasytargetformockery.However,scoffingatthehipsterisonlyadilutedform ofhisownaffliction.Heismerelyasymptomandthemostextrememanifestationof ironicliving.FormanyAmericansborninthe1980sand1990smembersof GenerationY,orMillennialsparticularlymiddleclassCaucasians,ironyisthe primarymodewithwhichdailylifeisdealt.Oneneedonlydwellinpublicspace,virtual orconcrete,toseehowpervasivethisphenomenonhasbecome.Advertising,politics, fashion,television:almosteverycategoryofcontemporaryrealityexhibitsthiswillto irony. Take,forexample,anadthatcallsitselfanad,makesfunofitsownformat,and attemptstolureitstargetmarkettolaughatandwithit.Itpreemptivelyacknowledges itsownfailuretoaccomplishanythingmeaningful.Noattackcanbesetagainstit,asit hasalreadyconquereditself.Theironicframefunctionsasashieldagainstcriticism.The samegoesforironicliving.Ironyisthemostselfdefensivemode,asitallowsaperson tododgeresponsibilityforhisorherchoices,aestheticandotherwise.Toliveironically istohideinpublic.Itisflagrantlyindirect,aformofsubterfuge,whichmeans etymologicallytosecretlyflee(subter+fuge).Somehow,directnesshasbecome unbearabletous. Howdidthishappen?Itstemsinpartfromthebeliefthatthisgenerationhaslittleto offerintermsofculture,thateverythinghasalreadybeendone,orthatserious commitmenttoanybeliefwilleventuallybesubsumedbyanopposingbelief,rendering

thefirstlaughableatbestandcontemptibleatworst.Thiskindofdefensivelivingworks asapreemptivesurrenderandtakestheformofreactionratherthanaction. LifeintheInternetagehasundoubtedlyhelpedacertainironicsensibilitytoflourish. Anethoscanbedisseminatedquicklyandwidelythroughthismedium.Ourincapacity todealwiththethingsathandisevidentinouruseof,andincreasingrelianceon,digital technology.Prioritizingwhatisremoteoverwhatisimmediate,thevirtualoverthe actual,weareabsorbedinthepublicandprivatespherebythelittledevicesthattakeus elsewhere. Furthermore,thenostalgiacycleshavebecomesoshortthatweeventrytoinjectthe presentmomentwithsentimentality,forexample,byusingcertaindigitalfiltersto prewashphotoswithanauraofhistoricity.Nostalgianeedstime.Onecannot acceleratemeaningfulremembrance. Whilewehavegainedsomeskillsets(multitasking,technologicalsavvy),otherskills havesuffered:theartofconversation,theartoflookingatpeople,theartofbeingseen, theartofbeingpresent.Ourconductisnolongergovernedbysubtlety,finesse,grace andattention,allqualitiesmoreesteemedinearlierdecades.Inwardnessandnarcissism nowholdsway. Bornin1977,atthetailendofGenerationX,Icameofageinthe1990s,adecadethat, bracketedneatlybytwoarchitecturalcrumblingsoftheBerlinWallin1989andthe TwinTowersin2001nowseemsrelativelyironyfree.Thegrungemovementwas seriousinitsaestheticsanditsattitude,withacombativestanceagainstauthority, whichthepunkmovementhadalsoembraced.Inmyperhapsovernostalgicmemory, feminismreachedanunprecedentedpeak,environmentalistconcernsgainedwidespread attention,questionsofraceweremoreopenlyaddressed:allofthesestirringscontained withinthemthesameelectricityandeuphoriatouchinggenerationsthatwitnessa centennialormillennialchangeover. ButY2Kcameandwentwithoutdisaster.Wewerehopefulthroughoutthe90s,but hopeissuchavulnerableemotionweneededaselfdefensemechanism,forevery generationhasone.ForGenXers,itwasakindofdiligentapathy.Weactivelydidnot care.Ourarchetypewastheslackerwhoslouchedthroughlifeinplaidflannel,alonein hisroom,misunderstood.Andwhenwewereboredwithnotcaring,wewerevaguely angryandmelancholic,eatingantidepressantsliketheywerecandy. FROMthisvantage,theironiccliqueappearssimplytoocomfortable,toobrainlessly compliant.Ironiclivingisafirstworldproblem.Fortherelativelywelleducatedand financiallysecure,ironyfunctionsasakindofcreditcardyouneverhavetopayback.In otherwords,thehipstercanfrivolouslyinvestinshamsocialcapitalwithouteverpaying backonesinceredime.Hedoesntownanythinghepossesses. Obviously,hipsters(maleorfemale)produceadistinctirritationinme,onethatuntil recentlyIcouldnotexplain.Theyprovokeme,Irealized,becausetheyare,despitethe distancefromwhichIobservethem,anamplifiedversionofme.

I,too,exhibitironictendencies.Forexample,Ifinditdifficulttogivesinceregifts. Instead,IoftengivewhatinthepastwouldhavebeenacceptedonlyataWhiteElephant giftexchange:akitschypaintingfromathriftstore,acoffeemugwithflashyimagesof Texas,theLoneStarState,plasticMexicanwrestlerfigures.Goodforachuckleinthe moment,butworthlittleinthelongterm.Somethingabouttheresponsibilityof choosingapersonal,meaningfulgiftforafriendfeelstoointimate,toomomentous.I somehowcannotbearthethoughtofafrienddislikingagiftIdchosenwithsincerity. Thesimpleactofnoticingmyselfdefensivebehaviorhasmademethinkdeeplyabout howpotentiallytoxicironicposturingcouldbe. First,itsignalsadeepaversiontorisk.Asafunctionoffearandpreemptiveshame, ironiclivingbespeaksculturalnumbness,resignationanddefeat.Iflifehasbecome merelyaclutterofkitschobjects,anendlessseriesofsarcasticjokesandpopreferences, acompetitiontoseewhocancaretheleast(or,atminimum,aperformanceofsucha competition),itseemswevemadeacollectivemisstep.Couldthisbethecauseofour emptinessandexistentialmalaise?Orasymptom? Throughouthistory,ironyhasservedusefulpurposes,likeprovidingarhetoricaloutlet forunspokensocietaltensions.Butourcontemporaryironicmodeissomehowdeeper ithasleakedfromtherealmofrhetoricintolifeitself.Thisironicethoscanleadtoa vacuityandvapidityoftheindividualandcollectivepsyche.Historically,vacuums eventuallyhavebeenfilledbysomethingmoreoftenthannot,ahazardoussomething. Fundamentalistsareneverironistsdictatorsareneverironistspeoplewhomove thingsinthepoliticallandscape,regardlessofthesidestheychoose,areneverironists. Wherecanwefindotherexamplesofnonironicliving?Whatdoesitlooklike? Nonironicmodelsincludeveryyoungchildren,elderlypeople,deeplyreligiouspeople, peoplewithseverementalorphysicaldisabilities,peoplewhohavesuffered,andthose fromeconomicallyorpoliticallychallengedplaceswhereseriousnessisthegoverning stateofmind.MyfriendRobertPogueHarrisonputitthiswayinarecentconversation: Wherevertherealimposesitself,ittendstodissipatethefogsofirony. Observea4yearoldchildgoingthroughherdailylife.Youwillnotfindtheslightestbit ofironyinherbehavior.Shehasnot,sotospeak,takenontheveilofirony.Shelikes whatshelikesanddeclaresitwithoutdissimulation.Sheisnotparticularlyconsciousof thescrutinyofothers.Shedoesnothidebehindindirectlanguage.Themostpure nonironicmodelsinlife,however,aretobefoundinnature:animalsandplantsare exemptfromirony,whichexistsonlywherethehumandwells. Whatwouldittaketoovercometheculturalpullofirony?Movingawayfromtheironic involvessayingwhatyoumean,meaningwhatyousayandconsideringseriousnessand forthrightnessasexpressivepossibilities,despitetheinherentrisks.Itmeans undertakingthecultivationofsincerity,humilityandselfeffacement,anddemotingthe frivolousandthekitschyonourcollectivescaleofvalues.Itmightalsoconsistofan honestselfinventory.

Hereisastart:Lookaroundyourlivingspace.Doyousurroundyourselfwiththingsyou reallylikeorthingsyoulikeonlybecausetheyareabsurd?Listentoyourownspeech. Askyourself:DoIcommunicateprimarilythroughinsidejokesandpopculture references?Whatpercentageofmyspeechismeaningful?Howmuchhyperbolic languagedoIuse?DoIfeignindifference?Lookatyourclothes.Whatpartsofyour wardrobecouldbedescribedascostumelike,derivativeorreminiscentofsomespecific stylearchetype(thesecretary,thehobo,theflapper,yourselfasachild)?Inotherwords, doyourclothesrefertosomethingelseoronlytothemselves?Doyouattempttolook intentionallynerdy,awkwardorugly?Inotherwords,isyourstyleanantistyle?The mostimportantquestion:Howwoulditfeeltochangeyourselfquietly,offline,without publicdisplay,fromwithin? Attemptstobanishironyhavecomeandgoneinpastdecades.ThelooselydefinedNew Sinceritymovementsintheartsthathavesproutedsincethe1980spositioned themselvesasresponsestopostmoderncynicism,detachmentandmetareferentiality. (NewSincerityhasrecentlybeenassociatedwiththewritingofDavidFosterWallace, thefilmsofWesAndersonandthemusicofCatPower.)Buttheseattemptsfailedto stick,asevidencedbythenewageofDeepIrony. Whatwillfuturegenerationsmakeofthisrampantsarcasmandunapologeticcultivation ofsilliness?Willwebesatisfiedtoleaveanarchivefilledwithvideoclipsofpeople doingstupidthings?Isanironiclegacyevenalegacyatall? Theironiclifeiscertainlyaprovisionalanswertotheproblemsoftoomuchcomfort, toomuchhistoryandtoomanychoices,butitismyfirmconvictionthatthismodeof livingisnotviableandconcealswithinitmanysocialandpoliticalrisks.Forsuchalarge segmentofthepopulationtoforfeititscivicvoicethroughthepatternofnegationIve describedistosiphonenergyfromtheculturalreservesofthecommunityatlarge. Peoplemaychoosetocontinuehidingbehindtheironicmantle,butthischoiceequalsa surrendertocommercialandpoliticalentitiesmorethanhappytoactasparentsfora selfinfantilizingcitizenry.Soratherthanscoffingatthehipsterafavoritehobby, especiallyofhipstersdeterminewhethertheashesofironyhavesettledonyouas well.Ittakeslittleefforttodustthemaway. ChristyWampoleisanassistantprofessorofFrenchatPrincetonUniversity.Her researchfocusesprimarilyon20thand21stcenturyFrenchandItalianliteratureand thought.

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