Postirony

Postirony is a mode of cultural production and reception in which irony and sincerity are deliberately combined, producing meanings that can be read as both earnest and performative. In postironic practice, statements may appear to express genuine feeling while being framed as a joke, or they may present a joke with apparent sincerity that invites a more serious reading. The term is used in media theory and cultural analysis to describe a shift from purely ironic distance toward a layered communicative stance that tolerates ambiguity.

The concept gained prominence in discussions of late 2000s and early 2010s internet culture, stand-up, and television, where audiences encountered works that did not resolve irony into a single intent but instead favored a hybrid tone.

Characteristics include a deliberate oscillation between earnestness and detachment, multiple interpretive possibilities, and a self-aware stance that acknowledges performativity without fully surrendering to cynicism. Postirony thus enables readings that can be both sincere and critical, often relying on context and audience literacy to convey nuance.

Postirony differs from irony in that the goal is not to conceal meaning but to invite multiple readings; it differs from meta-irony in that it does not always rely on explicit self-reference, instead using sincerity as one possible effect. The approach appears in various contexts, including memes, film and television, stand-up comedy, music, and advertising, where authors create content that can be read as both sincere and satirical.

Reception is mixed: some critics view postirony as a nuanced evolution of humor and artistic expression, while others regard it as a vague or overused label that risks obfuscating intention. See also: irony, sincerity, meta-irony.