Irony in the Oscars

The college students in my small group have been using the word "ironically" when they really mean "coincidentally" or "interestingly" or "sadly". They remind me of Alanis Morisette--the only irony in her most famous song, Ironic, is that the "ironic" events she describes are not ironic at all; they are simply unfortunate. (She should have titled her song, Murphy's Law.) Granted, irony is a difficult concept to define, but the word lover in me will not allow it to be used incorrectly. I've been trying to come up with great examples of irony and with all the Oscar buzz on television, I think I've found one.

For years Julie Andrews played the part the part of Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady on stage. Julie Andrews was originally going to be in the movie but the producers thought she wasn't a big enough name to draw in movie-goers. So, they cast Audrey Hepburn and it seemed like she was the right choice because she was nominated for the Best Actress Academy Award. But on the night of the big awards ceremony, guess who won the Oscar? Julie Andrews, who starred in Mary Poppins in the same year.

Do you have any fantastic examples of irony? I'd love to hear them!