In our postmodern Internet age, most of us have become self-aware sarcastic assholes. And as a result, most of us are guilty of liking things ironically.

If you’re not sure what that means, perhaps you haven’t spent enough time on the Interwebs, where genuinely liking things is sometimes unacceptable. In this time of judgment, many of us have started to use irony as a cover for our guilty pleasures.

Basically, you can like almost anything ironically, from reality shows, to pop music, to using #yoloswag — but what’s beneath the irony?

When you like something ironically, you’re simultaneously making fun of people who genuinely like said thing, and giving yourself the freedom to like it without being judged.
Example: “Yeah, I watched every season of Jersey Shore … but ironically, obviously.”

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Liking things ironically is fun, but it will eventually lead you to ask yourself: “Am I being ironic, or am I just lying to myself?”

Irony is a slippery slope; there’s a fine line between looking up Rebecca Black’s music videos a few times to laugh at them, and listening to “Friday” on repeat “ironically.” There comes a point when you’re forced to admit that you like something lame. For me, this point came when I realized that every Tuesday at 8 p.m. I tune in to watch Pretty Little Liars. It’s not ironic once you’ve been doing it for years. It’s not ironic once you’ve become invested. I can laugh at the awful writing and obvious plot holes in Pretty Little Liars all I want, but that doesn’t change the fact that I spend time watching this show when I couldn’t be watching something “better.”

If you’re not sure whether you like something ironically or genuinely, here’s a short questionnaire:

1. If it’s a show, do you watch it as it airs every week?
2. If it’s a song, do you listen to it “ironically” more than twice a day?
3. Have you researched the show/song/movie/artist online (on Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook, Wikipedia, etc.)?
4. Do you find an excuse to insert the topic into conversations (maybe under the pretense of bashing it)?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, perhaps it’s time to reevaluate. The truth is, if you’re spending time watching or listening to something, you must have some interest in it. While using sarcastic hashtags such as #firstworldproblems and #yolo is harmless, dedicating your time and effort to something you don’t enjoy doesn’t make sense. Stop wasting your time, and focus your energy on liking things instead.

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After all, you don’t have to justify the things you like to anyone! The Internet has a special place for you, no matter how weird your tastes are. So, watch Gossip Girl reruns, dance to Ke$ha, read Twilight; do whatever your heart desires — and don’t hate yourself for liking something.

I have hope that one day we can all drop the act of irony, and admit that we sing along to T-Swift songs because we actually enjoy them, no matter how lame they are. That might be asking for too much, but hey… a girl can dream.

So, NoWhiteNoise readers, I ask you: What do you like “ironically”?

Images source: Tumblr