Why We Are So Jaded "Quality is possible without irony;emotion is possible without gushiness. The best are, high and pop, finds a middle way." Gordon's statement carries an immense weight of truth with it. In our society, we aree surrounded and ambushed by ironic images, that in fact border on sarcastic cynicism and contempt. Although all this irony contains an element of truth, and most does try to deliver a message to try an change a social injustice, the best art, as Gordon states, what can be identified with the most, does find middle ground, as does true life - a plateau between the overwhelming mushiness of pop culture emotion, and the tongue in cheek irony of what we are exp