December 12, 2008 : Really? Seriously? Are You Kidding?
A few years ago, these quick witted phrases began to appear in normal conversation. I’m sure they existed beforehand, but it wasn’t until then that I noticed the addition of the sarcastic inflection.
It was somebody’s way of saying, “You, my kind sir/madam, have just stated something with questionable factual accuracy; and I whole heartedly disagree with such balderdash” – except without the effort of putting together a cohesive sentence.
Frankly, such retorts were funny – when used in moderation. It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia used these lines periodically during their first few seasons, and it worked…very well. It was the characters’ way of accentuating a preceding line or action already comical; and I wouldn’t be surprised if much of it was improvised.
Fast forward to the present. These phrases have become grossly overused.
- It seems like everybody and their best friend throws them into their conversation lexicon.
- They are on way too many commercials.
- They appear on so many blogs. You would think that the sarcastic tone would be lost in written form – but apparently not.
- And sadly, even some good TV shows have abused their usage (I’m looking at you, fourth season of It’s Always Sunny).
It would be unrealistic to expect people to completely refrain from using these phrases; but for the love of Jebus*, show some restraint. These lines shouldn’t save you from actually forumulating a legitimate and logical comeback.
    *It’s supposed to be Jesus, right?Â
posted by Pi Visuals at 10:51 am
Tags: It's Always Sunny , Soapbox