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How to Live Without Irony
In the New York Times editorial How to Live Without Irony written by Christy Wampole, the primary reason the author feels modern young people adopt an “ironic” persona is that this generation, commonly known as Millennials, “has very little to offer in terms of culture, that everything has already been done, or that serious commitment to any belief will eventually be subsumed by an opposing belief” (Wampole).
This claim by Wampole is a Claim of value. “Unlike claims of fact, which states something is true and can be validated”, and unlike claims of policy which “argues that certain conditions should exist, and advocate the adoption of policies or courses of action”, claims of value make a judgement. “They attempt to prove that some action, belief, or condition is wright or wrong, good or bad” (Rottenberg, Winchell).
In my opinion, the author makes a convincing case by providing examples, such as when she references the hipster who seemingly imitates a nostalgia for a period of time that preceded him, or when she make note of our evident inability to deal with things at hand due in part to an increasing reliance on, and use of, digital technology. She goes to note that “nostalgia cycles have become so short that we even try to inject the present moment with sentimentality by using certain filters to “pre-wash” photos with an aura of historicity” (Wampole).
The author is attempting to appeal to logic, more so than emotion. This is evident by the author’s the author’s generalization of several specific examples. She also gives an example of her own personal ironic tendencies, like finding it difficult to give sincere gifts for fear of the recipient not liking a gift that she had chosen with sincerity.
In most part, I tend to agree with Christy Wampole’s claim. We currently live in a society that is constantly telling us that we should be like everyone else, and frowns upon those that...