Ha Ha Only Serious

The practice of wrapping uncomfortable or unpleasant truths in humor, most commonly parodies, absurdities and ironies. The humor employed is usually an in-joke or self-referenctial structure familiar to the group or subculture at hand.

The trope namer is the Hacker's Jargon File.

Compare "Just Joking" Justification.

Fan Works

 * Kyon Big Damn Hero: Kyon jokes about his new PDA (made with alien technology) conquering the world, comparing it to SkyNet -- which is what he then ends up calling it.

Literature

 * The Principia Discordia is a prime example... Or Is It?

Needs More Examples