The Grilled Cheese

No, unfortunately that's not a football reference. It's a reference to the economic study of signalling theory.

A signal is a behavior a person undertakes to demonstrate some aspect or quality of himself. A good, credible signal is an action that only a person with that specific quality can perform. For example, since only a smart and capable worker can make their way through college, a college degree acts as a signal that the degree holder is a smart and capable worker.

Sometimes a signal can become a reverse signal. The classic example is the super rich dude who dresses casual to show that he doesn't need to dress nicely to be admired or respected. (A suit is another classic example of a signal, since somebody who wears a suit must be committed enough to his cause to lay down the money for fancy clothes.)

But sometimes, you get some really weird combinations of signals. Take the picture above, for example. Everybody knows that some people drive Hummers to "compensate" for something. What that really means is that the Hummer is a signal that, despite certain physical inadequacies, the driver has done well enough for himself, and is man enough, to drive a hulking, gas-guzzling beast. However, since you don't actually have to be a real manly man to drive a Hummer, it's not a credible signal. That's what the sign is referring to.

But here's the fun part. Guess where I found that sign? That's right, on a Hummer!

Let's get this straight. We have a person who....

1. Drives a hummer (to signal that he (or she?) is a man), but
2. Recognizes that others see through this, and
3. Owns that stigma by sticking the sign to his Hummer (a reverse signal that he is in fact self confident)

Now that we've untangled this mess, there is only one remaining question:

How does this relate to double sarcasm?

If there's a way, there's a will.