"SarcMark" will just cheapen language
The new sarcasm punctuation mark is going to destroy sarcasm
Andrew Lidwell
Date created: 2/3/10 Section: OPINION
So as I'd feared, the new sarcasm punctuation mark (SarcMark) isn't just some colossal Internet joke--it is in fact a reality.
For those who don't know, the SarcMark is a new punctuation mark intended to denote sarcasm in sentences, much like the question mark indicates that the preceding statement is a question. I can understand the potential use for something like this, especially over the Internet where the meanings of words aren't always clear.
I hate it, though. I hate the idea that someone out there thought the essence of sarcasm could be distilled into a simple punctuation mark. Worse, their invention of this supposedly hip new punctuation actually manages to completely defeat the purpose of sarcasm altogether.
I guess nobody ever got around to telling the SarcMark inventor that sarcasm is supposed to be subtle. It's a reward for the intelligent, allowing multiple meanings and scathing wit, without having to beat the listener over the head with a bat to get the point across. It's not supposed to be a jackhammer but that's what this new SarcMark would reduce it to.
Imagine if after every sarcastic thing you said, right during that little satisfying aftermath as your wit sinks in, you just stood up and screamed, "I WAS BEING SARCASTIC THERE, IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW." It sounds abhorrent, doesn't it? You're not supposed to be obvious about your sarcasm. If the listener is sharp, then hey, they will get it. If not? Zing, you just pulled off some Class-A sarcasm without them catching on. Good job.
More so than that, I consider language to a certain extent to be an art. The English language is incredibly vast, containing in excess of 500,000 words, excluding slang and neologisms. To be able to forge any combination of those words together to evoke any kind of meaning is a feat in and of itself. To be able to use words in a way that is creative and flows, that carries wit and intention--that is more like an art to me and I'm pained to see it cheapened by crutches for those who can't master it.
For those who don't know, the SarcMark is a new punctuation mark intended to denote sarcasm in sentences, much like the question mark indicates that the preceding statement is a question. I can understand the potential use for something like this, especially over the Internet where the meanings of words aren't always clear.
I hate it, though. I hate the idea that someone out there thought the essence of sarcasm could be distilled into a simple punctuation mark. Worse, their invention of this supposedly hip new punctuation actually manages to completely defeat the purpose of sarcasm altogether.
I guess nobody ever got around to telling the SarcMark inventor that sarcasm is supposed to be subtle. It's a reward for the intelligent, allowing multiple meanings and scathing wit, without having to beat the listener over the head with a bat to get the point across. It's not supposed to be a jackhammer but that's what this new SarcMark would reduce it to.
Imagine if after every sarcastic thing you said, right during that little satisfying aftermath as your wit sinks in, you just stood up and screamed, "I WAS BEING SARCASTIC THERE, IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW." It sounds abhorrent, doesn't it? You're not supposed to be obvious about your sarcasm. If the listener is sharp, then hey, they will get it. If not? Zing, you just pulled off some Class-A sarcasm without them catching on. Good job.
More so than that, I consider language to a certain extent to be an art. The English language is incredibly vast, containing in excess of 500,000 words, excluding slang and neologisms. To be able to forge any combination of those words together to evoke any kind of meaning is a feat in and of itself. To be able to use words in a way that is creative and flows, that carries wit and intention--that is more like an art to me and I'm pained to see it cheapened by crutches for those who can't master it.
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