I think it was in the movie "Reality Bites" that the main character enters the headquarters of a newspaper and asks for a job. She is told at reception to ask the editor. The editor is getting into an elevator, and rudely brushes her off, but when she (the main character) insists that she's a really good writer, he (the editor) holds open the elevator doors for a moment, and says:

"Define irony."

Said main character stares at editor in horror and says nothing. Elevator doors close on editor. Main character leaves, hangdog.

I always felt for her in that moment. What could she have said? "It's ironic I said I'm a good writer but can't define irony"?