Name: ________________________________________________Per.________ Date:__________________
Three types of irony:
Fun with Irony
1. Verbal Irony – when there is a contrast between what is said and what is actually
meant (e.g. student to teacher wearing purple and pink polka dot tie: “Gee, nice tie
you’re wearing, Mr. Arbuthnot!”)
2. Irony of Situation – when something happens that is the opposite of what is
expected or intended (e.g. an O. Henry character tries to get arrested for the food
and shelter of a prison but the cops keep letting him off; then when he visits a
church and vows to reform his life, he is arrested for loitering).
3. Dramatic Irony – when the audience or reader knows more than the characters do
(e.g. in a horror film, the character reaches for the doorknob of a closed door while
the viewer thinks, “No! The mad killer is on the other side of that door!”)
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Today’s activity: Identify examples of verbal and situational irony. Predict how the
screenwriter of a comedy TV show uses situational irony for humorous purposes.
Show: The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Writers: James L. Brooks, Alan Burns
Episode: “Chuckles Bites the Dust” excerpt
Broadcast date: October 25, 1975
Characters:
Mr. Grant (Ed Asner) News Director
Mary Richards (Mary Tyler Moore) Producer
Murray (Gavin MacLeod) News Writer
Ted (Ted Knight) News Anchorman
Sue-Ann (Betty White) Cook Show Host
Georgette (Georgia Engel) Ted’s girlfriend
Reverend Burns (John Harkins)
Synopsis from www.imbd.com: Mary is appalled with everyone's reaction to the death of
their station co-worker, Chuckles the Clown. He was the Grand Marshall at a circus parade but,
having appeared as one of his TV characters in the form of a peanut, is trampled to death by a
rogue elephant. Murray in particular simply can't stop making jokes about it all and Mary
thinks it's all inappropriate, despite Lou's claim that it's just a way of dealing with death.
Paraphrase examples of verbal irony
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
Stop after Murray’s gorilla joke (approx.
4:25 into tape). Predict how writers will use
situational irony for humor in a funeral
scene honoring the life of Chuckles.