Why do people tell sick jokes about tragedies?

philbailey


Joined: 17/01/2011
Posts: 3533

Message Posted:
18/03/2011 19:04

Interesting article by BBC



any views on this ?



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12775389



Famous comedians who have had complaints inc



* Billy Connolly: Joked about the death of British hostage Ken Bigley in Iraq

* Jimmy Carr: Came under fire over a routine about amputees in the British military

* Rodney Marsh: Sacked for gag about Asian tsunami

* Frankie Boyle: Condemned for making light of the Cumbria shootings the day after the tragedy

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
18/03/2011 19:23

Sadly they always will x

martinD41


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 3001

Message Posted:
18/03/2011 20:35

It's called" Laughing in the face of adversity",and is to my mind, pretty sick....:(

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
18/03/2011 20:44

It's the way of the world unfortunately.

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
18/03/2011 21:37

Laughing in the face of adversity when you are the one under adverse circumstances is fine.. That is you implementing a coping mechanism. Making jokes at someone else's expense particularly when they can least cope with all that life throws at them is just mean spirited and unkind, to do it to get cheap laughs the discomfort of others makes the joker less - not them.

Those who bring shame on themselves are, and always have been, targets for humour but nobody in the Japanese disaster for example should be fair game for cheap laughs.

deputydawg


Joined: 30/03/2010
Posts: 1727

Message Posted:
18/03/2011 21:51

Strangely, many in the Army who have suffered traumatic injury themselves make flippant comment and even welcome it from others tinged with pathos, as it seems to be a way for them to ilustrate that whatever comes their way they will deal with it and even keep a sense of humour. I appreciate that many will not share that view and even find it totally abhorrent but we all percieve many situations in different ways.

martinD41


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 3001

Message Posted:
18/03/2011 22:00

Careful Groucho,Your unwillingness to Empathise or even participate (sympathetically) in the tales of woe for the unfortunate people who have been "Stuffed" by the system here, leaves you in danger of being "Hoist by your own Patard".

Zoots


Joined: 05/02/2011
Posts: 669

Message Posted:
18/03/2011 23:11

Have to say some of the stuff I've been getting by text is hilarious. It's a question of perception.

philbailey


Joined: 17/01/2011
Posts: 3533

Message Posted:
18/03/2011 23:14

msg 8 I completely agree

Crumpy



Joined: 05/06/2010
Posts: 419

Message Posted:
18/03/2011 23:33

Re ; msg 7



Martin,



"Laughing in the face of adversity" is quite a commendable virtue to possess - such a person tries to be optimistic, even when their chips are down.



However, laughing at other peoples' misfortunate is something that most of us find distasteful.



Crumpy

phylray



Joined: 21/09/2007
Posts: 1727

Message Posted:
19/03/2011 01:02

I entirely agree Crumpy

MsGarnet


Joined: 04/01/2009
Posts: 989

Message Posted:
19/03/2011 02:10

Depends on whether one has a moral compass or not.....

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
19/03/2011 06:53

MartinD41

"Careful Groucho,Your unwillingness to Empathise or even participate (sympathetically) in the tales of woe for the unfortunate people who have been "Stuffed" by the system here, leaves you in danger of being "Hoist by your own Patard"."

Where do you get that from? I have every sympathy with those who have problems with a system which appears totally slanted in favour of crooks and crooked deals.

BTW I think it's 'petard' if you are going to quote Shakespeare.

Are you Rosencrantz or Guildenstern?

denizen



Joined: 21/08/2009
Posts: 388

Message Posted:
19/03/2011 07:01

However, laughing at other peoples' misfortunate is something that most of us find distasteful.



Crumpy, posted on the web is a cameo performance by £30m player, Mario Balotelli, trying to put a training bib on, and his strop when he can't, having to be dressed in front of 40,000 fans. He is undoubtably "misfortunate" but watch the clip. And try not to laugh.

Making fun of tragedy is a different matter altogether but misfortune is the theme of most comedy.

martinD41


Joined: 06/09/2010
Posts: 3001

Message Posted:
19/03/2011 09:41

Msg 13 Groucho, Sorry for the" Typo"..I meant Petard ( which is originally a French word)or if you prefer the Spanish /Italian. Petardo .....A small Bomb....And you have on many occasions moaned about posts " Constantly harping on about the woes of the unfortunate Victims".Even, if I remember correctly, suggesting a dedicated Board.................

Tango1


Joined: 19/02/2011
Posts: 1151

Message Posted:
19/03/2011 10:23

Laughing and trying to make light of your own adversity is one thing, cretins who make a living out of others peoples pain and heartache is quite another. Those who laugh at the so called comedians are even worse. They disgust me.



Tango1

Corbo



Joined: 13/09/2009
Posts: 627

Message Posted:
19/03/2011 11:22

Nearly all humor is tragedy with time. If you you make a joke about the Japanese situation right now it is bad taste...2 months from now it is normal humour. Even silly slap stick is people being hurt.

denizen



Joined: 21/08/2009
Posts: 388

Message Posted:
19/03/2011 13:08

Course it is Corby, must be a barrel of fun in some homes, remember the pop ad where butt of the prank turned orange, they'd been Tango'd. Someone made a lorra money thinking that one up, the disgusting cretin.

cyprusjoker


Joined: 29/08/2009
Posts: 1107

Message Posted:
19/03/2011 13:50

Did you hear the one about Jet Harris ? Just kidding folks, sadly another great gone in the eyes of all you shadows fans

Groucho



Joined: 26/04/2008
Posts: 7993

Message Posted:
20/03/2011 11:39

MartinD41



'And you have on many occasions moaned about posts " Constantly harping on about the woes of the unfortunate Victims"'



No I haven't, what I do point out is that mixing up their message with lots of extraneous negativity about things that have no bearing on their plight and are things that happen in all countries might damage their credibility, serving only to turn-off their readership and not help their cause... It's not quite the same thing is it?



I have every sympathy with those who have been shafted by the crooks and the system they manipulate. If you knew me you would know this. I would never stoop to make a joke of their plight either.