English 101: The Importance of Being Earnest

-If English majors manage to get one thing out of their education, it's the ability to add the word 'post' to the beginning of pretty much anything. We've been hearing the term 'post-ironic' quite a bit lately, so we thought we'd take a minute to examine its definition and stylistic connotations.
-UrbanDictionary.com defines 'post-ironic' as "being sincere or earnest as opposed to being flippant and sarcastic." Back in junior high, ironic clothing was all the rage. However, post-puberty, there is really nothing more obnoxious.
-For example, in 8th grade I never hesitated to rock my 'Michael Bolton: Time, Love, and Tenderness Tour 1992' shirt, because it was hilarious, especially post-Office Space (sorry, I'll stop). I hate Michael Bolton, as everyone should, so it was truly ironic (and pretty fucking annoying). However, let's say I wore a John Denver shirt to school instead. While some would wear it to be ironic, I genuinely think John Denver is a badass songwriter. Thus, wearing the unintentionally tasteless concert tee pictured above would instead be considered 'post-ironic'.
-This new trend is incredibly refreshing, as people are owning up to the things they actually like rather than just hating on the obviously shitty (i.e. Michael Bolton). Here are some more examples from our boy The Cobrasnake:


















-The above photos show prime examples of cliched ironic clothing. The Copperfield tee is still pretty legit, regardless of intent, but Hello Kitty and post-Napoleon Dynamite (had to) wolf tees are ridiculously overt attempts at irony.
-On the other hand, assuming this guy legitimately likes Popeye's as much as we do, his shirt is a perfect example of post-ironic style. The dude is Canadian, so some might assume that he is being ironic in promoting a southern, Cajun-style chicken joint. A few years ago, that may well have been the case. However, we live in a new world full of sincere stylistic possibilities, where people are free to express their appreciation for Popeyes and John Denver.