Us humans just love a bit of irony, which is defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as "incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result." In other words, karma, mother nature, the gods of fate - name your spiritual force here - all share one thing in common.
Whoever is running this place has a wicked sense of humor. Ironic moments never fail to bring a wry smile to our faces, and today we've collected the best sardonic snaps that we can find for your viewing pleasure!
Whoever is running this place has a wicked sense of humor. Ironic moments never fail to bring a wry smile to our faces, and today we've collected the best sardonic snaps that we can find for your viewing pleasure!
Practice What You Preach
Nothing to see here, folks. It's just a snapshot of a Silverado, stopped at a junction as he should be. Look, the guy is a model driver - he's even got a bumper sticker showing his awareness of common safety issues. Oh. Wait. We get it. This bozo is holding his phone up high, showing off his texting skills from his driver's seat.
This is irony at its best. The guy's standing on his brake pedal, the lights are green, and he's flouting his own advice by checking his phone as he drives. Just because he's stationary doesn't mean that this is a good idea. He's already holding the traffic up by not noticing the green light. This all gets even more worrying when you notice that his rear fender has already weathered some unexpected contact...
You're Welcome
What do we love best about the British? Without a doubt, it's how polite they are. Or is it how sarcastic they can be? Whichever, Britain is a country famous for its understated sense of humor, and this is a prime example of that in action. If that's their version of driving carefully on the roads, we think we're going to stick to train travel.
Of course, it can be noted that the car does seem to have been positioned quite tidily on its side. Is there such a thing as a careful accident? What we want to know is, what caused the car to lose control? We shouldn't laugh at others' misfortune, but if they hit something because they were too busy reading the sign... that's just too funny!
MetaTree
Can you believe that this is real? We're not sure that we can, but if it is, it is truly an example of mother nature giving us the finger. In recent months, with the radical changes made in society, we have noticed nature bouncing back once human interference is withdrawn, but that doesn't make it ok to keep ravaging the land the way that we do.
Only nature can make something lovely out of something so ugly, and we love the irony of the loggers' tracks becoming the trunk and branches of a giant tree, formed in the scar that they've left upon the landscape. Deforestation is a massive problem, and if all the trees were cut down, humanity would be wiped out soon after. Here nature is reminding us that if humanity goes first, the trees would barely notice.
The Emperor's New Spray
Well, we like this stuff. Talk about doing exactly what it says on the bottle - except we don't actually know what it says on the bottle, because they've apparently applied the spray inside to the outside. Whatever, that's got to be worth $7.75.
OK, so the mundane explanation for this is probably that the product has sold out. But we don't feel like being mundane today! We love the idea of a full rack of invisible bottles, and we've got some great ideas about what we're going to be using that spray-on... How about the laundry? Make it invisible when dirty, then wash it clean. Genius.
Desperate Measures
If you've owned a dog, especially a puppy, then you know that they like to chew stuff. Footwear, furniture, toys, it's all tooth fodder for our furry friends. Humans don't appreciate the phenomenon, and so we've come up with several effective ways to keep our precious stuff out of their slobbery gobs. Here we have a prime example: Stop Chew.
This stuff is so good that the poor doggo in the background has nothing left to chew on. 'Nothing?' says our pupper; 'Hold my beer!' What this householder forgot to do was spray the bottle with its contents! It's now the only thing in the house that doesn't taste bad. Of course, if the canine chewer actually pierced through the container, then we imagine that he got quite a shock...
A Is for... Cockroach?
Oh, dear. Someone's going to be in trouble, and we're not sure whether it will be the establishment or the county of Los Angeles. It does say 'at the time of inspection' on the sign, but that's not really helping to make anyone look better in this shot. It would seem that the roach is making his own inspection, and having a good laugh as he does so.
Here's hoping that our insect friend is on the outside of that window, and can't find a way in. He's big, and he's got an A grade himself in irony, considering exactly where he's chosen to stop, but at least he's alone. Still, this is going to make us think twice, not only about ordering at this restaurant but also about how trustworthy those signs are in the first place...
Making a Point
This is hilarious, although we're guessing that the boss might not think so. It's obviously designed to be funny, as it goes into far too much detail to be simply an informative notice. A simple 'knock loudly and wait' would have sufficed, and the bell should have been taken down. However, we're totally on board with this method of communication.
Everyone that has found their way down to this shop probably needs a good laugh before they negotiate to enter to get their problem fixed. You may think that it would undermine confidence in the shop, but retailers in the mall will know these guys by their reputation and previous work. A little light-hearted laughter can only ease the repair process!
Good Boy?
Hey, it's a funny animal pic! Look, that fluffy puppy has only gone and eaten his obedience certificate. That's about as ironic as it gets. He does look a little ashamed of himself, though, right? Those courses are usually pretty intense, but we wonder - has anyone ever actually included 'don't chew the certificate up' in the curriculum?
We would like to know the story behind this photo. Is the dog expressing his opinion of the boot camp that his owners have put him through? Or were they waving the paper at him, telling him what a good boy he was? In that case, he probably thought it was a toy or a treat, and those things get eaten, guys, you should know that!
Uniformly Diverse
Um... there's something fundamentally wrong with a set of identical t-shirts advocating individuality. How can these no doubt passionate, independent young people not see the problem with wearing a uniform to declare their non-conformity? At least everyone has their choice of pants on, although even those are distressingly similar to each other.
We suppose that we should give them credit for the thought. It is important to stress that everyone is different, and there's no one-size-fits-all solution to any of society's issues. Except for these one size t-shirts, of course. Yes, they should definitely keep everyone happy. Kudos to this group for solving everything! We're being ironic, by the way - can't you tell?
Hungry Pup
We're not sure that this really qualifies as irony, but it is pretty funny! This is an x-ray of a dog. No, that's not his heart we can see, it's the dog counter from a Monopoly game. What possessed this canine to eat a small lump of silver metal, we can't fathom, but it makes for a great photo!
The Scottie dog playing piece is an icon for a generation of board game players. Any of those people can tell you that trying to complete a game of Monopoly with any pets in the house - particularly cats - is troublesome. We would've loved to see the vet's face when he opened up the x-ray file to see this.
An Unstoppable Force
Hey guys, the Gravity poster fell down! That's so funny, especially when you realize that there's no gravity at work in the picture itself. On all the walls in all the cinemas in the world, this poster tumbles to the floor. Now it looks like the astronaut has just landed on her butt!
We're surprised that this could have happened. Don't all cinemas have clear cases that the posters go in? We smell a setup - someone thought that this scenario was too funny not to engineer. They were right, though, and we appreciate their attention to detail. Do you think that if the movie was called Outer Space, it would have floated??
Sage Advice
There are so many things wrong with this sticker that we bearly nowhere to begin! Let's leave the makeup of the world's most ethnically diverse country aside for a minute, and ignore the fact that America technically refers to an entire continent in which Spanish is by far the most spoken mother tongue. We'll even gloss over the fact that the U.S. has no official language at the federal level, and that some states recognize more than one official tongue.
No, what catches our attention in this photo is the risible combination of arrogance and ignorance. You'd think that someone would have at least run the phrase through a spell and grammar check. We guess that the kind of person that produces or buys this sticker is the kind of person convinced that they have an infallible grasp of the English language. Well, they're wrong.
An American Celebration
It's a good thing that Canada and the U.S. are on good terms. Otherwise, this cake might end up covering the walls. It's got to be a bit of a shock to sit down to a patriotic celebration and discover a different country's flag lurking under the icing like a colorful cuckoo!
There's a reason for the concept, of course. Canada Day is July 1, and the U.S. Independence Day is July 4. If there aren't too many of you at the party, it makes sense to amalgamate the two into one cake. However, we wonder if the design could have been thought out a little more to achieve a less clandestine impression. What is this cake trying to hint at?
Gravity Defying
We can't get over this picture, and neither can the little guy with the red t-shirt! How funny that it should be the Clif bar that has gotten itself caught somehow in its fall to the drawer below. It now looks exactly like the climber is trying to navigate the overhang of the shelf in the machine. He's got a tether, though, he'll be fine.
We're interested to see how this unfolds - will he conquer the curb and hack his way into the M&M packet? He must have a little pickaxe type thing somewhere - will he use it to break up an M&M and feast like never before? Or will someone shake the machine before he can get that far? And as a side note, where is this machine? It's selling this stuff for a quarter!
Tried and Tested
Train rides are a great time to catch up on your reading. They are not, however, particularly suited to sleeping. You have to have a lot of trust in your phone alarm if you're going to sleep during your commute and risk missing your stop. Therefore we deduce that studying how to sleep well while traveling could turn out to be disastrous...
We are, however, super excited for this person. It looks like the book that they are studying was well worth the price tag. Insomnia is a big problem for those that suffer from it, and it can affect all aspects of a person's life. It's great to see that this book is so effective - or maybe, so boring - that its reader has been sent straight off to dreamland. We're just a bit worried about where they may wake up!
You Wanted Wind...
Wow. The WindSeeker is closed due to high winds. That's ironic, that is. Although there's a school of thought that says that, well, it's found what it was looking for! We appreciate that you have to close these things in intense weather conditions, and we realize that you would want people to know that the ride isn't closed due to a fault. But still, we're not sure they thought this through all the way...
The WindSeeker is a ride that takes you up very high on a pole and then spins you around - rather like a carousel on steroids. It looks like it's certainly pretty good at finding its riders a bit of a breeze to brush against them as they spin. But you can have too much of a good thing, and it's good to see that safety outweighs embarrassment for these guys.
I Regret Nothing
This doggo knows exactly what he thinks of this book, and he's not afraid to show his owner. The look that he has on his face here is not what we'd call repentant. He looks defiant, with a hint of 'what are you going to do about it?' in the set of his shoulders. We wonder if this mutt's owner had started putting any of the advice on the book into practice yet...
This does not look good for the book. Mind you, it doesn't look great for the owner, either. Is the book that bad, or has he just done a terrible job of using its techniques? If he hadn't started it yet, then that dog might just have learned to read. However you look at it, it does seem like that there is a pupper in need of much more training!
Brain Training
This is an example of a model scholar. He's taking any scrap of spare time that he has to study hard. That's laudable, right? Well, yes, in theory... But we do have to ask whether the thirty seconds or so that you're waiting at a red light is really worth the effort. We've said it before; just because you're stationary doesn't make this kind of thing any less dangerous - or illegal.
We guess that his intentions are good - after all, focus is an important part of driving. You need to be focused all the time: On the road around you; on how your car feels; on where you're going. Not, we have to say, on what you're reading. In fact, the very act of reading while in control of a vehicle? That's a prime example of not focusing. Friend, we don't think that book is working!
Filing System
This is fabulous. We've been on the receiving end of onslaughts of CVs, and we can confirm that the best place for at least half of them is in the bin. But we've never thought of streamlining the process in quite this way! We love this company's honesty in its approach, and we're happy to deliver our resumés in the manner indicated. Good luck, us!
Oh, you think that it's a mistake? Someone has just not thought through where they've placed the sign, or a cleaner has carelessly moved a bin? Goshdarn it, you're probably right. She's extending her hand for a handshake, right? No matter, we're betting that there's more than one resumé in that bin by the end of the day!
Pose for the Camera
We're not sure exactly what the correct procedure for putting up this banner should be, but we're pretty sure that this isn't it. Any customers walking in and seeing this awkward balancing act could be forgiven for turning right around and walking back out again. If this shop is selling safety equipment, we think we'd rather be shopping elsewhere.
Of course, it's extremely likely that the right way of affixing that poster would involve scaffolding of some sort, and who has the time for that? We love to climb and we can't resist a challenge or a thrill. In our experience, getting the fixings to do their job properly is likely to be more difficult than getting the equilibrium right to climb those fixtures!
Good Advice, Badly Taken
This is a slightly surreal scenario. This looks more like an office than a staff room, yet this guy is munching away. It looks like there should be a dress code, but he's in a t-shirt. And there's plenty of seats around him, and even a chessboard on the table, suggesting that convivial gatherings are the norm. Yet our avid reader is, dare we say it, eating alone.
We're sure that the book that he's reading is full of quality advice, and maybe once he's read it, he'll have the secret to success in relationships. But, we wonder how well he'll do if he can't remember to follow the basic instructions printed on the front! They say never judge a book by its cover, but we don't think that this is what they meant...
Grave Warning
Someone has a very warped sense of humor. This lovely little inspiring phrase is a great pick-me-up when things are looking bad, but carving it into stone? That's more likely to make you cry with despair than smile through your pain. This, in fact, is a Dad Joke. It's so bad that it's not really funny. Just ironic.
This is so not funny that we're having trouble thinking of something to say about it. You know that awkward pause when dad tells his joke and everyone is trying to work out the punchline? We've got that going here. The best that we can do is wonder what this message is actually carved on? It looks like a driveway to us. Curiouser and curiouser...
If It Fitz...
This truck driver is obviously a cat. There's nothing like a cat for squeezing into the most unlikely places, giving rise to the saying, 'if it fitz, I sitz.' The trouble is that this vehicle is indeed nothing like a cat. Someone needs to tell the driver that just because it says it on the back doesn't mean that it magically fits everywhere.
Still, we applaud him for his enthusiastic and optimistic approach. The owner of the white car doesn't, though. How on earth is this truck getting out of this predicament without major drama? What's even more hilarious is that Halfords is a vehicle repair shop and supplier. It doesn't exactly inspire confidence, does it?
Who Could Have Seen It Coming?
Erm... We're just going to come right out and say it. How does a psychic not foresee the circumstances leading to his show being canceled? It's not exactly a great advertisement for his skills, now, is it? We hope that this guy got enough of a hint that something would go awry that he hasn't spent all of the ticket sale proceeds already!
To be fair, the term psychic encompasses a variety of skills, not just seeing into the future. Joe is 'no ordinary medium,' according to the poster, so maybe his talents lie in telepathy or clairvoyance. We are having fun wondering what the unforeseen circumstances might be, however, and what possessed someone to actually put that wording on the cancellation notice!
Caged Freedom
We don't want to step on any toes here, but this is a statue that should be behind bars. Preferably bigger, thicker bars that we can't see through. It's carved in the likeness of Mel Gibson and was inspired by the movie rather than the historical figure of William Wallace. It spent ten years standing at the foot of the Wallace Monument in Stirling, Scotland.
It was hated so much that it was constantly vandalized over those years. That's why it's in a cage. Yes, it's ironic that a statue representing freedom is locked up, and it's also ironic that it's behind bars to stop people from expressing their freedom of opinion all over it! You may be pleased to know that it's now gone from its spot and is crated up in a yard somewhere.
Gone With the Wind
Oh my, this is a problematic situation. What happened? We're trying not to judge too harshly here, but Watkins Roofing, you know that you have no roof, right? We guess that this is probably the work of a local windstorm, a hurricane, maybe, and there's not much you can do about a hurricane. But, you have to admit that it makes for a great photo.
The really ironic part is that although it's a roofing company, it probably wasn't their work covering the warehouse. They would have rented or bought the building ready-made. Therefore, they should look upon this as an opportunity - they can reroof the place themselves, and hopefully fare better in the next set of high winds!
Mis-Fortune
We don't know what job they're talking about, do you? It certainly can't be the job of putting the fortune inside the cookie, because someone messed that up good and proper! Come on guys, put some effort into it. The only reason any of us eat those dry crackly cookies is for the thrill of finding out what improbable, unimaginative, generic fortune we're going to get this time.
Somehow, knowing the verdict before even unwrapping the cookie ruins it totally. Having said that, we bet that this party had the best cookie-related laugh ever when they saw this. How marvelous that the one that didn't make it in was such an apt fortune for the situation!
It's Not Irony, It's Plastic
Well, this is a good concept, especially if you do a lot of opening of deliveries. The trouble is, this opener needs to come with an opener to get to it! Who's clever idea was it to wrap this up in military-grade thick plastic? Maybe it's supposed to make you extra thankful for the thing by making you go find some damn scissors one last time.
Whoever tries to open those packages with their teeth? The more flexible ones, maybe, but not the solid ones designed to keep glass bulbs safe. No wonder that woman needs one of these things - scissors, a kitchen knife, or even a set of keys in a pinch must be foreign concepts to her.
Breaktime
Everybody deserves a break, and it looks like being menacing and ferocious all morning has taken its toll on this doggo. So, if y'all could just stand there taking pictures instead of trying to rob the place for just 15 minutes while he gets some relaxing, back-scratching squirms in the grass done, he'd be very grateful.
Actually, we question this sign's existence. It doesn't look like there's a fence around this property, for a start. How dangerous can this mutt be? Maybe the irony lies in the pupper's preferred mode of attack. Get ready for grass-stained clothing and a wet, slobbery face, as he gives it all he's got in doggy hugs and kisses...
You Took The Words Right Out of My Mouth
Well, this was rather asking for trouble, don't you think? Who on earth puts Whoop C on their license plate? It could be said that they deserve everything that they get, tempting fate like that. Do you think that someone was so busy reading the plate that they forgot to stop before they hit the car?
This is a car that wants to be noticed. It's bright yellow, and if the owner has gone to the trouble of getting a personalized plate, then they must be proud of it. We wonder what they're thinking now. Is this their photo? Have they seen the wry side of the incident? And why Whoop C in the first place??
Unsanitary Sanitizer
This is not a pretty picture. In fact, we'd like to dispute the claims that this dispenser is making. We can't imagine how healthy hands could be starting anywhere near there. It looks more like the place where healthy hands go to fall off the wagon. In theory, it doesn't matter how dirty the dispenser is, as you clean your hands with sanitizer after touching it, but we don't think we want to be putting that to the test.
We could be forgiven for expecting someone to be cleaning this piece of equipment on a regular basis. You know, the same as we expect bathrooms to be cleaned. It's great that the workers here are concerned enough to be using this, but it seems like they might be fighting a losing battle.
In Training
This is a lecture, ladies and gentlemen, and the class is supposed to be listening up to its professor. It looks like he might be a bit on the boring side today, however, and this young lady has turned to gaming to get her through her lesson. What's ironic is that she's chosen to play at being a waitress, which is what she'll end up working as if she fails college.
If you're finding it hard to concentrate in a class, then finding something to occupy your eyes, ears, or hands is a great way of helping your mind to focus. However, it's no good trying to do something that requires thought. All that does is distract you from the work at hand. No matter, at this rate, this girl will be a pro at serving dishes and will rake in the tips once she starts on her career!
Define Plastic Bag...
Well, here's a newspaper that knows what makes a good headline. It seems like this town is a good place to live if council policies are the most exciting thing that reporters have to write about. But that's by the by, because evidently either the city hasn't banned ALL the plastic bags, or this paper is staging a quiet rebellion.
Maybe this is simply plastic wrap and doesn't class as a bag. Maybe the editors are trying to make a statement about how much further environmental laws need to go. Maybe they've just not thought it through at all. Whatever, enforcing this law among the public will be hard if the most public businesses in the area don't give a hoot!
Literal Dominos
Domino's pizza is one of the most recognized brands in the country. Everyone knows that these bikes are for delivering pizza and that the moniker stenciled on the side is not actually to be taken literally. Everyone except one person, by the looks of it. This might have happened by accident, but our skeptical minds can't compute that kind of coincidence.
On top of that, our traitorous mouths want to howl with laughter. You've got to admit, this is hysterical. The pizza delivery guys may not agree with us, but it doesn't look like much harm has been done. It must have been a pretty slow shift to have that many bikes parked together. It was an opportunity that someone couldn't resist...
Teacher's Pet
We love this. It's always so nice when teachers get the appreciation that they deserve. However, depending on what this person teaches, they're either howling with laughter or banging their head on the desk right now. The sentiment is lovely, but spell check would have been helpful. Having said that, maybe it's the engraver's fault.
We're getting into a whole different list of funny photos when we discuss what the engraver/printer/cake decorator etc. has put on their client's order, but you would think that if they spy an obvious error, that they would double-check it with their customers. And you would hope that this would be an obvious error for anyone in the wordsmithing business...
Sugar Rush
We have several questions about this, starting with why these girls are parked in the makeup aisle and shooting right up to whether they've thought the stand through at all. Why are they selling cakes and sweets to raise money for diabetes?? That's like selling ivory figurines to raise awareness for elephant poaching!
OK, we're calming down. Those goodies are probably sugar-free. And let's face it, if you want to raise money, you're going to have to sell the good stuff. No-one is buying from the carrot stick stand. We love an opportunity for an ironic photo, but we suggest that they maybe label their wares a little more thoroughly before someone takes offense and starts throwing them at the lipsticks...
Fire in the House
You know that Fate is having a laugh at you when you look up and see this. The smoke detector caught fire and exploded. Do you think it had time to detect its own smoke and sound the alarm before it short-circuited? This is a bit embarrassing for the detector - it's the electrical version of a brown stain on your pants. It's a wonder that the red light isn't blushing faintly!
Smoke alarms are usually notorious for working a bit too hard. Who hasn't spent at least one breakfast waving a tea towel around trying to disperse the smoke from the toaster or an overenthusiastic grill before the alarm goes off? Seeing one in the throes of death is uncomfortable. We hope this one was salvageable!
Blissful Ignorance
We actually kind of hope that the lady on the right of this shot doesn't happen to glance to her right. She'll feel a complete idiot if she sees that, and even more so if she realizes that someone else has noticed the irony here. We knew that nail-biting is a bad habit that doesn't do you any good, but this is the first we've heard about it killing people off!
Now we've gone and Googled it and gosh, there are lots of ways to die as a result of nail-biting! We're thinking that someone needs to make this lady aware of the headline beside her, and give her some motivation to kick the habit. Maybe someone she knows will see this picture and tell her that she's famous!
Holding Fast
Oh no. We don't believe this. Those things never fall down, and this is too much of a coincidence to be true. If you ask us, some wit has given that placard a tug to rip the cardboard and create a funny pic. Mind you, it worked! Never mind, guys, you just need a new fastener to get that sign back up and looking as good as new.
Of course, if you look closely, then you'll realize that it depends on what this shop is classing as fasteners as to whether this aisle can help. We think that tape would be more useful. Still, tape fastens, it might be down here. They must have a pretty broad spectrum of fasteners there to warrant an entire aisle
The Princess Maid
We like the idea of glamorizing cleaning up. At the end of the day, everyone is going to have to do some cleaning at some time, and making it more enjoyable as a kid will hopefully result in a cleaner house later on in life. What's ironic about this is that Cinderella herself was an unpaid maid - read, slave - in a hostile environment. Who wants to play at that?
Snow White swept her house with joy and a song. And several woodland animals, but that's not the point. A brush and pan set with her face on sends the right message out. This is just telling small girls to get their heads down and take whatever is given to them until they meet their prince. We think that we'll pass, thanks.
Wait... What?
This is a laudable mantra to live by, but surely, anyone that actually follows it wouldn't be buying the useless thing that it's written on? This statement could just about work on a picture frame or a suitcase, but this... thing... is about as thingy as it gets. What even is it?
Well, we're upset because just talking about it seems to have collected a lot of things in our sentences! It's even funnier because we will probably remember the moment that we saw this for quite some time. In fact, we're going to have to go book an experience somewhere to take our minds off it...
Step Exercises
This is an unfortunate place to set up your fitness business, we think. Having two escalators right outside your gym sends a bit of a conflicting message! We're guessing that this is part of a complex and that the gym can't lose the moving stairs, or at least get them turned off, but really, they couldn't find anywhere else to set up shop?
At least the person heading for the doors looks like they've taken the stairs. Maybe the gym even uses how their clients enter to gauge how energetic they're feeling on that day. In fact, you could even use those escalators as an extra fitness machine - walk up the down one, and down the up one, and you've had a mini step workout!
Two Green Crocs
You've all seen Crocs at some point in your life. You may not have been up close, but you know they're out there, in the wild, waiting for an unwary foot to make its last mistake... And, of course, everyone knows what a crocodile looks like, too. What we especially love in this pic is the way that Big Croc closes his eyes in bliss as he bites down on Little Croc.
Crocs are hideous. Those smooth, shiny forms, the gaping maws... They're a danger to small kids everywhere. And you should mind that big lizard as well. The Crocs logo is a crocodile, but this shot makes us wonder if they bothered to ask for permission to use this guy's image. We're guessing no, and he's only happy lending his name to quality merchandise.
A Lesson Learned
Right, what we're taking from this picture is that if you're going to go around with a Tide To Go stain remover pen in your pocket, you'd better remember to remove it before you put your clothes in the wash. We have to assume that it took some hot water to redistribute the red color on the pen's packaging all over the white towel.
Nevermind, all you have to do is use the pen on the stains, and they'll come right out! It's an inbuilt solution! Do you think that they used that on their advertising? Surely the sensible thing to have done is to have made a simple, colorless wrap for this item? Still, it makes for a great addition to our list!
Tape Versus Cardboard
Hehe... The box full of sealing tape has come apart! Those delivery drivers, they just don't take enough care, do they? However, this is a fabulous example of how good the tape is - note that all the edges that have been taped down have survived the journey intact.
It's the cardboard that has given way, and not on an edge. Something has scraped the top corner, which was one piece of cardboard, hard enough to rip it open. That's even more ironic when you consider how hard delivery boxes usually are to open by us mere mortals. The tape manufacturer couldn't have known that this would happen, but we bet they tape all the edges from now on!