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Irony ruined everything Even the best exploitation movies were never meant to be `so bad they were good`. They were not made for the intelligentsia. They were made to be violent for real, or to be sexy for real. But now everybody has irony. Even horror films now are ironic. Everybody's in on the joke now. Everybody's hip. Nobody takes anything at face value anymore.
John Waters
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Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote reflects on how irony has changed our perception of art and entertainment, particularly in film.

John Waters expresses concern over the pervasiveness of irony in modern culture, suggesting that it has tainted our ability to appreciate art, especially exploitation and horror films, for their intended emotional impact. He laments that instead of engaging with films authentically, audiences now view them through a lens of detachment, ironically laughing at their flaws instead of embracing their original intentions of violence or sensuality.

Themes

IronyArtFilmCultureEntertainment

In practice

Example use cases

During a film criticism seminar discussing the evolution of horror films, this quote could illuminate the shift in audience perception.

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