rdfs:comment
| - Bob makes a comment in the presence of Alice and Bob. Much later on, Alice makes the same comment in a different situation, often giving it an unexpected meaning in the new context.
* If Bob's original line was meant maliciously, Alice's Ironic Echo will be twice as cruel, as she throws the attack back in his face.
* If Bob was trying to convince Alice of a way of thinking, Alice will quote it to signify that she now agrees with the idea. This sometimes happens after Bob himself has abandoned the idea (or has shown he never believed in it in the first place).
* Bob's line was meant to be something positive or inspirational, but when Alice parrots it back the Subtext makes it seem much darker and/or cynical than Bob meant it to be. The inverse is also common.
* A once-cheery l
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abstract
| - Bob makes a comment in the presence of Alice and Bob. Much later on, Alice makes the same comment in a different situation, often giving it an unexpected meaning in the new context.
* If Bob's original line was meant maliciously, Alice's Ironic Echo will be twice as cruel, as she throws the attack back in his face.
* If Bob was trying to convince Alice of a way of thinking, Alice will quote it to signify that she now agrees with the idea. This sometimes happens after Bob himself has abandoned the idea (or has shown he never believed in it in the first place).
* Bob's line was meant to be something positive or inspirational, but when Alice parrots it back the Subtext makes it seem much darker and/or cynical than Bob meant it to be. The inverse is also common.
* A once-cheery line gets repeated after all the good and hope that it once represented has disappeared. For example, Bob might say that he and Alice will always be friends. After Bob's Start of Darkness has turned him against her, Alice may reminisce on the past, using Bob's initial words. This one is particularly common in musicals, where an entire song can be ironically repeated. (See Dark Reprise.) However, this will also crop up with lines that were first made idly, innocently, and perhaps not even directed at Alice; in those cases the echo will simply be unexpected, and can be used for humor, shock value, or anything in between. Compare Flashback to Catchphrase, Exact Words, Book Ends, and Dialogue Reversal. Subtrope of Meaningful Echo. Ironic Echo Cut is when the echo comes immediately and the second speaker has not heard the first. Can be a form of Hypocritical Humor or a Brick Joke. Doing this as a SONG is often a Dark Reprise. May often result from a Perspective Reversal. If the original use was innocent and amusing but the echo is bitter or shocking, this may result in a Funny Aneurysm Moment. Examples of Ironic Echo include:
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