WE RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER HOAX
The sentence "WE RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER HOAX" is a play on words from the famous line, "We're gonna need a bigger boat," from the movie Jaws. The humor stems from the unexpected twist in meaning, from a physical boat to an abstract concept, a hoax. Irony also arises when one considers that a hoax is considered a falsehood or deceit while a boat provides physical safety.
The line "We're gonna need a bigger boat" is a line spoken at a moment of realization in the movie, that their current resources are inadequate to deal with the threat they are facing, a giant man-eating shark. When the sentence is modified into "We're gonna need a bigger hoax," it introduces an element of humor by posing a deceit or conspiracy as a solution to a problem, not a boat. Instead of confronting a concrete problem, it suggests that a fabrication or lie is needed, and a bigger one at that.
If the phrase "We're going to need a bigger boat," is said seriously, the alteration of it to "We're going to need a bigger hoax," can be interpreted comically because it mocks the seriousness of the situation. In essence, it suggests that the imaginary problem at hand is so absurdly large that an equally absurdly large lie or misrepresentation is required to tackle it.
There's irony in the context that hoaxes, which are usually considered negative, or harmful tendencies, are represented here as a solution, and not even an ordinary one, but a larger-than-life one. This contradicts the general understanding of ethical norms, which perceives lies and deceit as something to be avoided, not embraced.
The irony is deepened by a subtle disconnect between the reality of the situation and its presented solution in the sentence. A larger hoax implies an increase in the intensity or scale of the lie, which is typically considered harmful or undesirable; however, in this context, it is presented as the necessary solution.
Therefore, the sentence "WE'RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER HOAX" exemplifies a type of humor that is characterized by its surprise twist, ironical juxtaposition, and playful mockery of a well-known film quote. The familiarity of the quote only amplifies the humor, as it subverts the audience's expectations for the sentence's completion. WE RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER HOAX
