[throwaway_worst]

There's the common adage that sarcasm needs a "tell", otherwise people might take you seriously. A group of previous colleagues taught me you actually have to go one level deeper:

Not only does your sarcasm need a tell, you need to have previously provided enough evidence that you're not actually an asshole. Otherwise, someone can be sarcastic all day, but no-one's really sure whether they're trying to be funny, or actually offering genuine asshole views coated in the plausible deniability of "sarcasm" for those who don't agree.

"I really can't tell if you're joking" is the first warning flag.

[pitched]

Sarcasm comes out when a team is very healthy or very sick. It’s either a trust-fall game that brings everyone together or a way to ask a question without having it said in a low-trust environment. If you can’t tell if someone’s joking, that could mean they’re too scared to tell you the truth straight. Or, they trust you more than they should.