/Users/andrea/_magisterarbeit/korpus/clean/testkorpus/18/file10.html NN ----------------------------------------- : Robert NP Fulford's NP column NN about IN irony NN Globe NP and CC Mail NP , , September NP 18 CD , , 1999 CD The DT first JJ dispatch NN from IN the DT war NN against IN irony NN reached VVD me PP five CD months NNS ago RB in IN the DT form NN of IN an DT article NN in IN Slate NP , , Microsoft's NP on IN line NN magazine NN . SENT It PP was VBD a DT poignant JJ little JJ story NN by IN Michael NP Hirschorn NP about IN his PP$ struggle NN to TO achieve VV freedom NN from IN irony NN . SENT He PP had VHD come VVN to TO the DT mournful JJ conclusion NN that WDT , , in IN this DT period NN of IN history NN , , irony NN promotes VVZ emotional JJ dishonesty NN . SENT He PP was VBD giving VVG it PP up RP , , the DT way NN others NNS give VVP up RP cigarettes NNS or CC alcohol NN . SENT He PP wrote VVD about IN trying VVG to TO achieve VV sincerity NN by IN responding VVG honestly RB to TO all DT questions NNS and CC by IN actually RB enjoying VVG rather RB than IN sneering VVG at IN culture NN and CC humanity NN . SENT This DT is VBZ often RB called VVN an DT age NN of IN irony NN , , and CC certainly RB public JJ life NN is VBZ coloured VVN by IN what WP Samuel NP Johnson NP defined VVD as RB . SENT A DT mode NN of IN speech NN in IN which WDT the DT meaning NN is VBZ contrary JJ to TO the DT words NNS . SENT Recent JJ careers NNS have VHP been VBN built VVN on IN irony NN , , such JJ as IN David NP Letterman's NP and CC Jerry NP Seinfeld's NP . SENT But CC , , of IN course NN , , irony NN has VHZ been VBN with IN us PP since IN antiquity NN . SENT Anatole NP France NP , , who WP won VVD the DT 1921 CD Nobel NP Prize NP for IN literature NN , , claimed VVN that IN a DT world NN without IN irony NN would MD be VB like IN a DT forest NN without IN birds NNS . 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SENT Mockery NN has VHZ become VVN a DT way NN of IN life NN in IN the DT Elizabethan JJ era NN , , irony NN was VBD sometimes RB called VVN drye NP mocke NP . SENT It's NP elitist NN , , too RB . SENT It PP depends VVZ on IN double JJ meaning NN and CC a DT double JJ audience NN , , divided VVN into IN those DT who WP understand VVP and CC those DT who WP don't NN . SENT It PP corrodes VVZ honest JJ speech NN and CC honest JJ feeling NN while IN encouraging JJ greed NN and CC cruelty NN . SENT Irony NN , , its PP$ enemies NNS say VVP , , is VBZ private JJ , , selfish JJ and CC indifferent JJ , , while IN earnestness NN is VBZ public JJ , , generous JJ and CC concerned JJ . SENT For IN those DT who WP dislike VVP the DT tone NN of IN life NN as IN we PP live VVP it PP now RB , , irony NN has VHZ become VVN a DT villain NN . SENT Not RB long RB ago RB , , a DT piece NN in IN the DT Minneapolis NP Star NP Tribune NP said VVD irony NN is VBZ crippling VVG the DT youth NN of IN America NP . SENT Novelist NN David NP Foster NP Wallace NP has VHZ argued VVN , , in IN the DT Review NP of IN Contemporary NP Fiction NN , , that DT irony NN is VBZ an DT agent NN of IN great JJ despair NN and CC stasis NN in IN U NP . SENT S NP . SENT culture NN . SENT He PP blames VVZ television NN . SENT People NNS love VVP or CC need VVP television NN , , and CC yet RB hate VVP it PP at IN the DT same JJ time NN , , so RB they PP try VVP to TO disinfect VV themselves PP . SENT . SENT . SENT by IN watching VVG TV NN with IN weary JJ irony NN . SENT The DT enemies NNS of IN irony NN now RB have VHP acquired VVN a DT hero NN and CC prophet NN , , a DT 24 CD year NN old JJ Yale NP law NN student NN , , Jedediah NP Purdy NP , , the DT author NN of IN For IN Common JJ Things NNS . 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SENT In IN the DT individual NN given VVN to TO irony NN , , wariness NN becomes VVZ a DT mistrust NN of IN language NN itself PP . SENT He PP disowns VVZ his PP$ own JJ words NNS . SENT Not RB bad JJ , , but CC it's NNS hard JJ to TO see VV Purdy's NP book NN with IN its PP$ stark JJ , , don't JJ think VVP we PP want VVP to TO please VV you PP jacket NN attracting VVG legions NNS of IN followers NNS . SENT He's NNS chosen VVN a DT tricky JJ subject NN , , and CC he's NNS not RB always RB on IN target NN . SENT Linda NP Hutcheon NP refers VVZ in IN her PP$ fine JJ book NN , , Irony's NP Edge NP , , to TO the DT unbearable JJ slipperiness NN of IN irony NN , , and CC almost RB everyone NN who WP writes VVZ about IN it PP says VVZ it's NNS all RB but RB impossible JJ to TO describe VV adequately RB . SENT For IN his PP$ part NN , , Purdy NP seems VVZ unable JJ to TO see VV the DT difference NN between IN irony NN and CC cheap JJ cynicism NN . SENT Purdy's NP intentions NNS are VBP honourable JJ , , and CC his PP$ perspective NN promising JJ , , but CC he PP writes VVZ with IN enough JJ self NN importance NN to TO give VV sincerity NN a DT bad JJ name NN . SENT Reading VVG his PP$ book NN , , and CC other JJ anti JJ irony NN statements NNS , , has VHZ made VVN Anatole NP France's NP view NN look VVP even RB wiser JJR than IN before RB . SENT Maybe RB we PP need VVP more JJR irony NN . SENT Great JJ whacks NNS of IN it PP would MD have VH been VBN a DT big JJ help NN in IN 1997 CD , , when WRB much RB of IN the DT world NN collapsed VVD in IN a DT bathetic JJ orgy NN of IN sentimentality NN over IN the DT death NN of IN the DT Princess NP of IN Wales NP . SENT And CC how WRB , , except IN ironically RB , , could MD we PP ever RB deal VVP with IN Monica NP Lewinsky's NP blue JJ dress NN . SENT Ironic JJ . SENT Earnest NN . SENT Pierre NP Trudeau NP Jean NP Chr NP tien NP Bob NP Dole NP Bill NP Clinton NP George NP W NP . SENT Bush NP Al NP Gore NP Ralph NP Klein NP Mike NP Harris NP David NP Macfarlane NP Rick NP Salutin NP National NP Post NP The NP Toronto NP Star NP Margaret NP Thatcher NP Tony NP Blair NP Margaret NP Atwood NP Margaret NP Laurence NP Mike NP Bullard NP Lloyd NP Robertson NP George NP Will NP David NP Frum NP David NP Letterman NP Jay NP Leno NP Rex NP Murphy NP Peter NP Mansbridge NP Adrienne NP Clarkson NP John NP Ralston NP Saul NP Return NN to TO the DT List NP of IN Robert NP Fulford's NP Columns NNS Return NN to TO Robert NP Fulford's NP Home NP Page NP