Writers are very often forced to deal with entrenched views and opinions. (Some writers, certainly, consider it the main task of their profession, whether reinforcing the ideas of the past, or combating them.) Whenever ideas become widespread enough, there is a danger that they will become believed true, simply because so many people believe that they are true. Sometimes the unexamined ideas and customs which we take for granted in society take on an aspect of such ridiculousness that only increases the more we fail to notice it. Attempting to ferret out and deal with these supposed 'truisms' can be exceedingly difficult in the face of a dyed-in-the-wool public.
The ironic tone exists for just such a purpose.
Although it is not overly complex, it has been said that it is much easier to understand irony from experience, than to understand it conceptually.
Read Brady's full article, I Want a Wife (1971) here and see it for yourself.