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Sarcasm is a double-edged sword: On one hand, the subtler you are in delivering sarcasm, the funnier it gets. On the other hand, the subtler the joke is, the more likely someone is to miss the sarcasm entirely and think you’re being serious…which actually makes it even funnier. So maybe sarcasm isn’t so much a double-edged sword as it is really, really funny.
In issue 203's Timeline section in Connect, Andrew Reiner and Joe Juba made a joke about the upcoming remake of 1981’s Clash of the Titans. In our Timeline, the diabolical duo proclaimed that the movie – and pretty much the entirety of Greek mythology – is a rip-off of Sony’s God of War.
We didn’t think the joke was exactly subtle – on the same page, we stated John Cusack has “a keen eye for compelling roles that win him Oscar nominations every year” in the description for Hot Tub Time Machine, for crying out loud. But that didn’t stop some readers from taking our claim seriously, and reporting to us how very, very wrong we were.
We’ve all been the victim of not being able to identify sarcasm before, so my goal in compiling these responses (which have all been made anonymous to protect the sarcasm detector-less) isn’t to make fun of anyone, but rather to celebrate that patently human experience of putting your foot in your mouth. Here is Joe and Reiner’s description in its entirety, followed by a small sampling of the 100+ responses we received (with their original spelling and grammar left intact).
The Courteous Responders:
The…Less Courteous:
Slander!
Libel!
Is That You, HAL?
A shot from this spring's Clash of the Titans remake
Count To Ten:
Time For A History Lesson:
Time For A Greek Mythology Lesson:
Time For A Classic Cinema Lesson:
A Surprising Compromise:
Correction Gift?
That Swinging Cat, Perseus:
The Ironically Sarcastic:
Another Apt Comparison:
A scene from 1981's Clash of the Titans, which may or may not have been inspired by God of War
For Zeus’ Sake!
Almost Got It:
You Thought We Were Serious About Nicolas Cage?!
The Shoe Is On The Other Foot:
This scene from Gears of War 3 is actually straight from Greek mythology
Mixed Feelings:
Do They Still Make VCRs?
The Good Old Fanboy Argument:
We Are Pretty Cute:
Nicolas Cage's performance in Con Air (pictured above) was also heavily influenced by Greek mythology
Congratulations, You Identified The Joke:
Research, Research, Research:
Oh, I See What You Did There:
Email the author Jeff Marchiafava, or follow on Google+, Twitter, and Game Informer.
So wait... God of War DIDN'T come first? I'm confused.
Its like an archive of stupidity...
Horray for Sarcasm!
Hahaha, these are simply terrific. It's why I love this magazine.
"…I'm surprised your editors didn't catch this. Smooth guys real freaking smooth....idiots"
^ Hahaha. Dear God...
Oh, and --
"Up until this point i thought you guys where somewhat smart but you proved me wrong with this one."
-- was something special. I should have this framed.
You guys are absolutely shameless X-D
Also, Clash Of The Titans SUCKED. I had to watch it for an English assignment once... Blech.
Wow, whoever wrote those picture captions should take a hike he obviously has no clue what he's talking about.... bahaha
Hahaha when i saw this last month and kept reading. I didn't think it would cause such an uproar, but it just makes it even funnier. Good job GI for causing a hilarious commotion!
Snap! Ya'll got straight told. Get your facts straight next time, dummies. Your readers will always know more than you. Always.
Thats one long article
ahh, sarcasm and stupid people.
This joke was funny at first. I believe I told Reiner it was the gift that kept on giving, but my in-box is filled with angry letters every hour, upon the hour and now it's not so funny anymore.
It's taken on a life of its own.
I'm sorry you had to read all this. This is just sad. More sad then the tip line blog.
Hah. Hahah. Hahahahahah. People are morons for my entertainment to enjoy. Thanks for sharing the notes guys. I got quite a few good laughs.
Guys seriously... Grow up and stop printing slander.
At least you got the picture from Con Air right... The scene where he fights the scorpion queen right before he turns into Ghost Rider is probably my favorite of any movie.
Wait...so, Con Air came before Greek mythology? Or was it part of it?
haha, wonder how many comments u will get on the pictures!