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[Dio]

There's lots of things that I like that I "know" are awful, either by popular opinion or critical reception, and I enjoy listening/watching them because they're either a trainwreck or ultra-memetic or cringey or something.

I thought of that from another angle, and it kind of goes like this - I'm listening to this generic overplayed shitty song that's become a meme like All-Star by Smashmouth (association with Shrek, and that's a meme in itself), or In the End by Linkin Park (which brings to mind Naruto AMVs and bad windows movie maker youtube videos). I find humor in listening to the song because it reminds me of the absolutely ridiculous late 90s/early 2000s culture that makes me remember my early teenage years and things I look down on now that I'm older. Do I ACTUALLY like it still, and that's why I listen/watch something like that? Is it because it's catchy/interesting despite its connotations and I just like it and I'm deluding myself into thinking I hate it?

A lot of people these days will tell you about 'so bad it's good' and 'I ironically like this, I don't actually like it,' but the line between that and just enjoying something seems to either be blurry or self-deception, sometimes.

 

[Ivan 3414]

"Ironically" liking something really means "I'm too embarrassed to admit I actually like this"

 

[cdyhybrid]

Perhaps you like it because it reminds you of things you associate with it, rather than on its own merits.

 

[MCN]

People who say they like things "ironically" are in denial about liking it.

 

[Killer Queen]

I'll occasionally throw on Nookie by Limp Bizkit because it's a "so bad it's good" thing and makes me wonder why anyone would make this.
Edit: same with Chop Suey

 

[commedieu]

I'd like to know this too.

I genuinely like finding bigfoot and ghost adventures. But a lot of people lol like it. I like bad tv. Just finished a binge of Terranova. Am I has irony?

 

[Tagyhag]

For me it's something that's so bad, it's good. So you end up having a good time but know that it's still a piece of shit.

Like Plan 9 from Outer Space or The Room.

 

[Platy]

I think it is "liking but knowing that it is shit while thinking rationaly"

 

[Media]

I don't know, because I don't ironically like anything. There are things I used to like, and things I currently like. I too just assumed people say they ironically like a thing because they are embarrassed to actually like it, but again, I have no idea because I have no personal experience with it.

 

[Dio]

For me it's something that's so bad, it's good. So you end up having a good time but know that it's still a piece of shit.

Like Plan 9 from Outer Space.

I guess my question seems to be best suited for music. At least with a bad movie you can riff on it with friends while multiple people watch it and get exclusive enjoyment from that. I get the feeling that the 'so bad it's good' music listening experience is harder to parse since it's a more personal thing.

 

[uncelestial]

It usually means that you like something because it brings to mind other things/times in your life, but it can also mean that while you are entertained by it, you are a bit repulsed by certain things about it (usually, the culture or period in time it represents, its aesthetics, or its message).

People like to be reductive and say you're just embarrassed about liking something, but that's bullshit. I like Nirvana. They were tasteful, intense, and led by someone who had interesting artistic sensibilities. I ironically like Guns N' Roses. They have some fun songs, but everything about their sensibilities is questionable and ridiculous, from the poofy hair of their early days, to their cock-rock snakeskin boot/bandana aesthetic, to their passé style of rock music. I laugh at Axl snakedancing or asking for "reggae," and I absolutely rock out when singing "Welcome to the Jungle" at karaoke.

 

[Tagyhag]

I guess my question seems to be best suited for music. At least with a bad movie you can riff on it with friends while multiple people watch it and get exclusive enjoyment from that. I get the feeling that the 'so bad it's good' music listening experience is harder to parse since it's a more personal thing.

Ah, then I have no idea. I don't think I've ever ironically enjoyed a song before. I either like it or I don't.

 

[Fandangox]

I'd say liking something because of the humor associated with its bad aspects rather than its own merits.

Like I really doubt most people think The Wickerman is a competent horror movie, but I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people find it very entertaining due to how ridiculous it enda up being.

 

[Tom Nook Sawyer]

For me it's something that's so bad, it's good. So you end up having a good time but know that it's still a piece of shit.

Like Plan 9 from Outer Space or The Room.

Exactly. That's how I watched Lost

 

[zoku88]

I think it is "liking but knowing that it is shit while thinking rationaly"

This is how I always understood it.

 

[Fuu]

many people seem to have a hard time separating "I like this" from "I find this to be good", which leads to these types of justifications

 

[Rhaknar]

Its something people say when they are ashamed / dont want to admit they like something.

I completely disagree with those saying its liking something whilst knowing its bad (which is something more people need to learn to do), I like a ton of things that I think are bad but I still like them.

Enjoyment doesnt have to corrolate quality.

 

[Zakalwe]

Liking but hating something at the same time.

 

[Subpar Scrub]

I think it is "liking but knowing that it is shit while thinking rationaly"

This. I love WWE but would never recommend it to anyone or defend it in any scenario.

 

[Dio]

It usually means that you like something because it brings to mind other things/times in your life, but it can also mean that while you are entertained by it, you are a bit repulsed by certain things about it (usually, the culture or period in time it represents, its aesthetics, or its message).

People like to be reductive and say you're just embarrassed about liking something, but that's bullshit. I like Nirvana. They were tasteful, intense, and led by someone who had interesting artistic sensibilities. I ironically like Guns N' Roses. They have some fun songs, but everything about their sensibilities is questionable and ridiculous, from the poofy hair of their early days, to their cock-rock snakeskin boot/bandana aesthetic, to their passé style of rock music. I laugh at Axl snakedancing or asking for "reggae," and I absolutely rock out when singing "Welcome to the Jungle" at karaoke.

Yeah, that's a great way of putting it. As a sort of related example, I used to follow a Youtube channel which just did comedic mixes of Limp Bizkit mixed with random other songs and the comedy would stem from the dichotomy of the crass, ultra-try hard Fred Durst screaming obscenities paired with something like Vanessa Carlton or Seinfeld:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AL4cr1pU0nw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjZyT4YfIiY

I find a lot of comedy in mixing stuff like this together, but some people would remark that there must be something inherently attractive and that there's at least SOMETHING I like about Limp Bizkit to bother listening to dozens of Limp Bizkit-related remixes. I know that when I was twelve I bought a Limp Bizkit CD and listened to Break Stuff several hundred times, so I find extra comedy in it now that I'm older.

EDIT: Which reminds me of being with friends and then someone shouts ITS JUST ONE OF THOSE DAYS and I'll join in WHERE YOU DONT WANNA WAKE UP EVERYTHING IS FUCKED EVERYBODY SUCKS and sounding extra Fred Durst-whiny to capitalize on the comedy. I've noticed there's quite a few songs that people know the words to and will happily sing, but they will profess they don't REALLY like the song, they just enjoy singing it and find it funny.

 

[Shaanyboi]

"I am entertained by how bad/dumb this is" versus "I earnestly appreciate what this does."

 

[Mr Waluigi]

Ironically liking something = "it's so bad it's good".
Liking something = "it's good".

 

[Timeless]

I'd say liking something because of the humor associated with its bad aspects rather than its own merits.

Best answer.

Liking something = enjoying it
Liking something ironically = enjoying it for cultural context surrounding the thing while disliking / being neutral on the thing itself

Reading the comments about Smash Mouth - All Star, I opened it up and it's playing right now. I like that song. I like how it sounds and the message it conveys. It's not some deep prank on what it means to be a modern consumer, I just like the song.

Maybe a good metric for "ironic" vs. "genuine" is how easily you enjoyment could be transferred to another medium. All Star is best as a song, but the jokes about All Star work almost as good on a tee shirt or in a Tumblr post.

 

[olympia]

I love Nickelback.

i love nickelback

 

[Dio]

"I am entertained by how bad/dumb this is" versus "I earnestly appreciate what this does."

Fair enough, but if a song is catchy enough to worm itself into your mind and you know all the lyrics and you enjoy singing it, I'm just thinking about the line where you cross into 'just enjoying it' rather than more clinically looking at it as 'I laugh at how stupid this is.'

 

[MassiveNights]

Usually it's about nostalgia right? Liking something you used to like but realise now is terrible.

 

[Gaogaogao]

irony and sarcasm shit up online discourse so much no one knows what anyone means, and if anyone give an earnest answer, no one believes them either.

 

[Linkyn]

Fair enough, but if a song is catchy enough to worm itself into your mind and you know all the lyrics and you enjoy singing it, I'm just thinking about the line where you cross into 'just enjoying it' rather than more clinically looking at it as 'I laugh at how stupid this is.'

With songs, I'd say if you like something ironically, you might sing along when it happens to be playing on the radio, and you'll go all out when drunk at a party, but you normally wouldn't make a conscious effort to play it.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

liking something that you know it's pretty bad because liking something bad is funny. Like watching The Room in a theater, it's just a good experience even if you are more laughing at it than laughing with it.

 

[TimeEffect]

Youre too cool to like it, but u like it because you realize youre too cool to like it. So it's beneath you, but you respect it, so u maintain the fact that youre cool without letting your guard down and looking like an unassuming fan.

 

[Littlefang]

I think there is a distinction to be made between 'liking something in spite of its shortcomings' and 'liking something because of its shortcomings'. Sometimes we enjoy something even when we know it's bad and sometimes we like the experience of making fun of something when we think the content is bad.

But then there is this third category of watching/listening/reading/playing something and hating both the content and the experience and that is the truly baffling thing.

 

[CharminUltra]

"I am entertained by how bad/dumb this is" versus "I earnestly appreciate what this does."

Sounds about right IMO.

The Room is such an incompetent drama that it ends up being absolutely hilarious, so I watch it for the laughs.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

This is why people like dat boi, for instance. Sort of an anti-comedy.

 

[kiguel182]

"Ironically" liking something really means "I'm too embarrassed to admit I actually like this"

Pretty much. It's just an escape to admit you like something that isn't that good.

 

[Tubobutts]

Oh I get it.

I like all of you ironically.

 

[Einchy]

One of them makes you a douche.

 

[daviyoung]

Generally it means you understand why something is not good but enjoy it anyway. Like The Room example above, you are aware that it aspires to be something that it just can't possibly be and you are able to find entertainment in the fallout.

However, liking something ironically is most commonly used as a safeguard against insecurity by people who can't define or express their taste when presented with having to defend their opinion in public.

 

[Vulcano's assistant]

I would say that the true definition is that you like something precisely because it is bad. You laugh at its expense, like you see someone fail and it makes you laugh.

While in the other hand some people try to use it to hide the fact that they like something that is not that good, but they like the good parts of that thing, so it is not the same phenomenon.

 

[Unspoken90]

I always took it as liking something for the unintentional reasons. Kind of like a guilty pleasure.

 

[Glazed]

I'll occasionally throw on Nookie by Limp Bizkit because it's a "so bad it's good" thing and makes me wonder why anyone would make this.
Edit: same with Chop Suey

Chop Suey is legitimately great though?

https://twitter.com/TheMetalCore/status/759440858391293954

 

[Ninjimbo]

I find that type of phrasing kind of annoying and pathetically insecure so I just say "I like it" and leave it there. I hate it when people drop stuff like that in conversations acting as if I'm going to judge them for whatever thing they like.

 

[Pizza]

At this point a ton of my favorite things I like "ironically"


I binge watch syfy movies for laughs, they're fucking awful and predictable but I sincerely like them way more than some summer blockbuster that's trying to take itself entirely seriously. Like holy fuck I love Mega Piranha. It's so good.

They may be objectively subpar cinema, but they're my jam. Same with cliche heavy horror movies. I love that shit. But telling someone "oh I love bad movies" is generally answered with "oh so you like them ironically? How do you love something you recognize as bad?" So I just say it's "ironic" I guess. Fuck now I want to watch Ice Spiders again.

I'd rather something be silly/bad and fucking own it then a movie that tries CRAZY hard but falls just a little short. I gotta be in love with the movie at some extreme: it has to be incredible or purely entertaining. Fuck "meh" movies I want fireworks or a dumpster fire.


Same goes for videogames. Shadow the Hedgehog is trash but I'd be lying if i said I haven't binge 100%'d it a couple times. Also I bust out Ribbit King at parties. Always a hit.


Tldr, and more to point of the OP: liking something ironically is the easy way of saying "I like something despite it's glaring shortcomings. I enjoy cheesy shit" but some people don't "get" how you could possibly do it unless you're screaming you love it as a complete joke.

 

[dity]

Ironically liking something just means you like it. There's no difference. At all.

 

[yepyepyep]

I definitely think you can ironically like something. The Room is liked by many because it is an unintentional comedy, nobody in their right mind actually thinks the appeal of the movie is due to it being a successful drama in the vein of of Tennessee Williams, which was Tommy Wiseau's orginal aim.

 

[ClivePwned]

"Ironically" liking something really means "I'm too embarrassed to admit I actually like this"

can't say it any better than that.

You can like something that's bad because its still entertaining. I like old and rather dated-looking SF shows and movies. Not ironically, they may be cheesy but they are entertaining. Haven't seen The Room but I'm seeing people like it for its value as something you can't help but laugh at rather that it's quality.

so yeah, liking something doesn't denote quality or coolness. What you're actually saying when you say "I like X ironically," is "I like X despite how bad it is and how bad I imagine you think X is and I don't want you to think any lesser of me."

 

[Tom Nook Sawyer]

can't say it any better than that.

But...that's not always true

I have legitimately watched things I hate on an authentic basis, only because they entertained me for reasons not intended by their creators

 

[Monocle]

I'd say liking something because of the humor associated with its bad aspects rather than its own merits.

Like I really doubt most people think The Wickerman is a competent horror movie, but I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people find it very entertaining due to how ridiculous it enda up being.

Yeah, this. You're not authentically appreciating the thing on its own terms.

 

[supernormal]

I think it is "liking but knowing that it is shit while thinking rationaly"

I think this refers more to a guilty pleasure, which ultimately might be the same thing as ironically liking something. I think ironically liking something has a bit to do with the collective opinion towards that thing and the context. Everyone on the internet sort of ironically likes the Rick Roll (replace with whatever classic meme you want) guy since it's part of internet culture or something, but his music is not something most people individually listen to outside of that context.

 

[NightShift]

I wouldn't say because 'it's so bad it's good'. For example, I don't ironically like Samurai Cop, I just like it. I would say ironically liking something is just hating it but watching it anyway out of some sick perversion. Pretty much hate watching.

 

[Rektash]

many people seem to have a hard time separating "I like this" from "I find this to be good", which leads to these types of justifications

Yep, basically this. Lots of people believe that everything they like must also be good because why else would they like it? The thing is, liking something, has very little to do with the thing actually beeing any good.

People like bad things, and it's ok to admit that you do.