The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word UNIRONIC
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
U
N
I
R
O
N
I
C
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "intended to be taken seriously" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case intended to be taken seriously = unironic.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does UNIRONIC mean?
UNIRONIC adjective- Not ironic; free of irony.