TREND RESEARCH
NETNOGRAPHIC APPROACH
SOCIAL MEDIA &STYLING
HUMOUR STUDIES
ESSAY
NETNOGRAPHIC APPROACH
SOCIAL MEDIA &STYLING
HUMOUR STUDIES
ESSAY
CONCEPT
Meta-Irony is a niche kind of humour and is the term used to describe something that can not be categorised as either serious or ironic. It is neither known what the intentions or the sincere opinion of the person using meta-irony are, nor how the joke should be understood by the target group. Either the meta-ironic person themselves is not sure what was originally serious and sincere, or they use meta-irony to conceal their own opinion.
Meta-Irony is a niche kind of humour and is the term used to describe something that can not be categorised as either serious or ironic. It is neither known what the intentions or the sincere opinion of the person using meta-irony are, nor how the joke should be understood by the target group. Either the meta-ironic person themselves is not sure what was originally serious and sincere, or they use meta-irony to conceal their own opinion.
In recent years, humour and meta-irony have had a big influence on fashion and trending aesthetics; we've seen Ketamine Chic, a comeback of McBling and Mowalola with prints like "insert disc here" and accounts like @afffirmations on instagram, all examples that can't be categorised as ironic or serious. Meta-ironic identities, such as Yung Hurn or @babydoublecup are driving forces and are pushing meta-irony further towards the mainstream. These accounts also illustrate how different meta-irony can look: from outfit choices to tattoo choices, or runway looks to ugly cakes and meme accounts to silly editing styles.
My essay "Meta-Ironic Identities" deals with this meta-ironic wave in memes, fashion and design and describes its influence on aesthetics and society.
PROCESS
During the first part of my research I used a netnographic approach, collecting lots of examples of meta-ironic identities, accounts or aesthetics online, mostly on Instagram and Tiktok, with the goal of highlighting the popularity and diversity of meta-irony.
To get an understanding for this need for meta-irony, I decided to follow up with a socio-historical approach. During this second part of my research I kept reading that Gen Z humour looks for the zany and random because this generation is so immersed in media that they have seen it all and are desperate for a break from reality. Our media consumption, that allows (and often forces) us to follow current political happenings 24/7, can lead us to follow ongoing wars and crises similar to how we'd follow football games: in a never ending live ticker. No wonder many amongst Gen Z have lost faith in the world and its future and search for an escape from the so dull seeming reality by looking for the absurd that has no reason, purpose or consequence.
What sounds like modern day dadaism, could actually make sense. Dadaism, a satirical and absurd movement rejecting any reason, was a reaction to the senseless slaughter of the trenches of WWI. It essentially declared a war on war, questioning and rejecting the politics that led to unnecessary suffering by creating and pushing pure nonsense.
So could it be that now, 100 later, this meta-ironic humour that is manifesting itself in memes, fashion and our everyday-lives is a reaction to all the ongoing wars, the pandemic and the general doomsday feeling that seems to be lurking around?
During the first part of my research I used a netnographic approach, collecting lots of examples of meta-ironic identities, accounts or aesthetics online, mostly on Instagram and Tiktok, with the goal of highlighting the popularity and diversity of meta-irony.
To get an understanding for this need for meta-irony, I decided to follow up with a socio-historical approach. During this second part of my research I kept reading that Gen Z humour looks for the zany and random because this generation is so immersed in media that they have seen it all and are desperate for a break from reality. Our media consumption, that allows (and often forces) us to follow current political happenings 24/7, can lead us to follow ongoing wars and crises similar to how we'd follow football games: in a never ending live ticker. No wonder many amongst Gen Z have lost faith in the world and its future and search for an escape from the so dull seeming reality by looking for the absurd that has no reason, purpose or consequence.
What sounds like modern day dadaism, could actually make sense. Dadaism, a satirical and absurd movement rejecting any reason, was a reaction to the senseless slaughter of the trenches of WWI. It essentially declared a war on war, questioning and rejecting the politics that led to unnecessary suffering by creating and pushing pure nonsense.
So could it be that now, 100 later, this meta-ironic humour that is manifesting itself in memes, fashion and our everyday-lives is a reaction to all the ongoing wars, the pandemic and the general doomsday feeling that seems to be lurking around?
RESULT
As part of the Introduction of my essay, I defined irony, post-irony and meta-irony and defined the following questions as the starting point for my research:
1. How does meta-irony manifest itself in social media, in the fashion world and in emerging aesthetics?
2. Why is meta-irony so popular right now, at this point in time?
3. How is meta-irony shaping the game of identity and self-expression?
The main part of my essay is dedicated to the reasons for the use of meta-irony, which I broke down to the following chapters: multi-crisis, "cancel culture", cringe is the new cool, bubbles and tired of perfectionism on social media. In addition to this, I examined meta-irony as a tool for self-expression, either with the help of certain objects, a specific aesthetic or social media accounts.
As part of the Introduction of my essay, I defined irony, post-irony and meta-irony and defined the following questions as the starting point for my research:
1. How does meta-irony manifest itself in social media, in the fashion world and in emerging aesthetics?
2. Why is meta-irony so popular right now, at this point in time?
3. How is meta-irony shaping the game of identity and self-expression?
The main part of my essay is dedicated to the reasons for the use of meta-irony, which I broke down to the following chapters: multi-crisis, "cancel culture", cringe is the new cool, bubbles and tired of perfectionism on social media. In addition to this, I examined meta-irony as a tool for self-expression, either with the help of certain objects, a specific aesthetic or social media accounts.