In these crazy times . . .

Why? Things are the way they are because a lot of people believe it unironically.

Welcome to the Internet. Signal the joke clearly so that you are not confused with stupid extremists. Joke's still there, and it's clear and unambiguous.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poe's_law

Poe's law is an adage of internet culture which says that, without a clear indicator of the author's intent, any parodic or sarcastic expression of extreme views can be mistaken by some readers for a sincere expression of those views.[1][2][3] The law is frequently exploited by individuals who share genuine extremist views and, when faced with overwhelming criticism, deflect by insisting they were merely being satirical.