I am very sorry that you were offended by the pizza conversation you overheard. Sarcasm is not the most PC form of humor and can’t be utilized in mixed company unless you like being perceived as a jackass. Still, I think in America people are given a bit more slack in terms of what they can say, and still be considered a nice person. Mostly, to be successful at utilizing sarcasm and not coming across as rude one needs to know their audience. You can’t be sarcastic to your boss, or your grandmother, well, not my grandmother at least.

Sarcasm is definitely my favorite form of comedy to employ. The thing I like to do is not so much passive aggressively complain about stuff, but instead say random, crazy, or morally inappropriate things with a straight face. It amuses me greatly when people try to figure out when I’m serious about something or joking (it’s usually 50, 50). Sarcasm would not be ruined for me if I visited Japan because I like to be purposefully misunderstood. That’s the joke, and I like being the only one who gets it.

I find this refreshing, because honestly, I sometimes have trouble picking up on sarcasm. Additionally, to me, most sarcasm is not particularly funny. The formula is usually just: find something you dislike/disapprove of + make a positive comment about it. Cleverly employed sarcasm or irony is a different story, but it is rare. The sarcasm I encounter mostly seems to be akin to dishonesty, a form of passive-aggressiveness, “hiding” negative feelings from others and maybe even oneself by using “humor”.

Still, I know it bothers some people who use sarcasm a lot and try to use it in Japanese only to be met with earnestness or confusion. To each his own, I suppose.

However, I understand. The first day I was back from Italy I almost throttled a 90 year old woman complaining in the supermarket…. She couldn’t find the ripe olives, and she kept reminding the sales clerk that they were on sale. She said it about 20 times before the clerk walked down an aisle grabbed them and gave them to her. Laziness is the one thing that I can’t stand about Americans. Sarcasm can be witty, or at least get a point across. However, the inability to do things for oneself is an American’s real vice. They give a half attempt and if it doesn’t work they come marching to the person in charge complaining about how they couldn’t find the “ripe” olives. I’ve never wanted to beat someone more for saying “ripe” instead of “black.”

Your comment on sarcasm also struck a chord in an important respect. Isn’t an American sarcasm just another form of aggression?

Interestingly you seem to suggest that the Japanese may not have an equivalent? That was surprising in that I hadn’t thought about the possibility that an equivalent may not exist for some cultures.

The aggression sarcasm encapsulates is one of the uglier habits of American communication and seems endemic in many exchanges. Well done. Truly enjoyable.