This story, published originally in the Sacramento Bee, examines the use of irony in present-day American culture. "Given the way the world has gone, we're in more need of irony," asserts Jerry Herron, former director of the American Studies Program at WSU and director of the Honors Program. "What 9-11 produced was a world where pettiforgery, obfuscation, half-truths and double dealing are more rampant than ever before." He adds, "At a time when people feel they're being lied to and treated as though they're too stupid to get it, it lets you regain the claim on your own intelligence."