Weaponized Irony Definition: 

• Irony is a rhetorical device that people use to convey humour, dismay, or other emotions at a situation being the opposite of what you might expect to happen
• ‘Weaponized’ refers to adapting something as a weapon, literally, or (in this context) figuratively, such as for nefarious purposes
• As such, weaponized irony may be referring to irony that individuals (for example: extremists politicians) may adapt and “weaponize” to sway people’s opinions, attack certain groups or individuals under the pretence of a joke, or deflect criticism towards a situation or person

What happens when satire is not recognised?

• Can cause misunderstandings + misinterpretations of the actual meaning of the satirical cartoon, causing more chaos and difference in opinions.
• The truth is, understanding online political satire isn’t easy. Many satirical websites mimic the tone and appearance of news sites. You have to be familiar with the political issue being satirised. You have to understand what normal political rhetoric looks like, and you have to recognize exaggeration. Otherwise, it’s pretty easy to mistake a satirical message for a literal one.

Is Satire dead? 

• The world gets even more complicated everyday, things that were once found funny, seem offensive now (sensitive topics)

• A lot of political cartoons have raised awareness but they don’t have the same effect on individuals because they might show the wrong in certain situations but people don’t take action as they don’t care as much/or want to put in the effort to fix it 

What makes something funny, funny?

Humour in general is made at the expense of something or somebody else. It often makes fun of silly laws and customs. – people look for humour during the hardest times, to lift their spirits up.

• It depends on the perspective, personal tastes, and sense of humour of the individual; different people can find different things funny 
• Context – for example, an unexpected event/twist at the end of an anecdote
• Tone/facial expressions, body language