Earning the right to laugh at misfortune.

Post by **weemadando** » 2006-01-23 12:55am

Its been a bit of a debate between my friends as to what lets you laugh at other peoples misfortunes (funniest home video type misfortunes through to snuff video type misfortunes)... Some think that you have to be evil/an arsehole. Others say that its natural. I believe that you must earn the right to laugh.

Myself, I've hurt myself a HELLUVA lot over the years (from minor bumps and scrapes to massive gashes that have let me see the bones in my arms and legs) doing stupid shit. I've nearly killed myself on a few occassions through my stupidity (freeclimbing sandstone seacliffs, attemptign to navigate through a major floodzone on foot - well, wading, in an area where its already dangerous to swim due to the REALLY deep basin, strong currents, and cold water, not to mention various other misfortunes/misadventures). All of this, has left me with a strong appreciation for what the human body will tolerate. An addiction of sorts to being in shock (disturbing). And, an ability to laugh at misfortune. Its my belief that my stupidity and survival through it have earnt me the right to laugh at those who are doing it for themselves. In a similar fashion, those who have NEVER done something stupid may also laugh at the stupidity of others due to their amazing ability to avoid doing it themselves.

I think that those who cannot appreciate the misfortune of others are stuck in the middle ground of not having done it themselves enough times or having done it just one too many times to remember what it was like not to make mistakes.

Thoughts on this theory?

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » 2006-01-23 03:08am

Since a young age I thought it wasn't right to laugh at people had gotten hurt, unless they did something really stupid and knew what was coming. I've never once broken a bone (not becauwse I haven't done anything which could break them, but rather because they won't break), and the most serious injury I ever sustained was either a dog bite or when I got stabbed with a chisel.

However, I don't think I could ever earn the right to laugh at someone getting hurt. I just don't think it's funny.

And did you say freeclimbing seacliffs? Where at?

drachefly · Post by **drachefly** » 2006-01-23 03:30pm

Not having been severely injured myself, I'd say that avoiding injury doesn't give you the right to laugh at others' injury. It may give you a right to laugh at their putting themselves at RISK, I suppose. But the injury itself?

Also, if it's not the injury which is funny, but a reaction to the injury (by the injured party or a witness), that's fair game.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2006-01-23 03:31pm

I've never been seriously injured. But in general, I only laugh at other peoples' injuries when I feel that they deserve them in some way. For example, I actually pointed and laughed at a reckless driver who flew out of control and plowed into a telephone pole once.

Pezzoni · Post by **Pezzoni** » 2006-01-23 04:14pm

I tend not to laugh at people who have just been unfortunate... Somthing feels a little off colour about mocking someone who was unfortunate enough to be in a car accident.
If however, they were doing somthing cretinous (trying to climb out of the window, over the roof, and back over, on a public road with a brick on the accelerator anyone?) whilst said accident occoured, I feel they deserve every ounce of mockery and derision which is poured upon them.

Guardsman Bass · Post by **Guardsman Bass** » 2006-01-23 04:34pm

If it wasn't just an accident in which the person had little to no control over, I don't laugh. If they ARE the reason the misfortune happened, especially when they knew it was something very dangerous, I usually laugh, even if I feel slightly sick over it.

drachefly · Post by **drachefly** » 2006-01-23 04:36pm

Hence the 'risk' idea.

You shouldn't laugh at someone who is nailed by a golf ball which was badly sliced by someone, flew through the woods and bounced off a rock before groining them.

You can laugh at someone who has been hit by lightning three times while golfing in thunderstorms (e.g. my high-school physics teacher).

Pezzoni · Post by **Pezzoni** » 2006-01-23 04:38pm

drachefly wrote:You shouldn't laugh at someone who is nailed by a golf ball which was badly sliced by someone, flew through the woods and bounced off a rock before groining them.

To be honest, I probably would laugh at that for two reasons: Someone else being hit in the crotch is often entertaining, and the sheer absurdity of the situation.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2006-01-23 04:41pm

Pezzoni wrote:I tend not to laugh at people who have just been unfortunate... Somthing feels a little off colour about mocking someone who was unfortunate enough to be in a car accident.
If however, they were doing somthing cretinous (trying to climb out of the window, over the roof, and back over, on a public road with a brick on the accelerator anyone?) whilst said accident occoured, I feel they deserve every ounce of mockery and derision which is poured upon them.

What, simply driving like a reckless asshole isn't stupid enough?

Guardsman Bass · Post by **Guardsman Bass** » 2006-01-23 04:42pm

Pezzoni wrote:
drachefly wrote:You shouldn't laugh at someone who is nailed by a golf ball which was badly sliced by someone, flew through the woods and bounced off a rock before groining them.
To be honest, I probably would laugh at that for two reasons: Someone else being hit in the crotch is often entertaining, and the sheer absurdity of the situation.

You can only hope that the guy who was groined, after the initial pain and rapid use of profanity, could laugh too.

Pezzoni · Post by **Pezzoni** » 2006-01-23 04:44pm

Darth Wong wrote:What, simply driving like a reckless asshole isn't stupid enough?

Reckless drivers would also be worthy of derision, but an accident could still happen whilst driving carefullly... Tyre blowout, somthing falling into the road etc.

You can only hope that the guy who was groined, after the initial pain and rapid use of profanity, could laugh too.

True.

drachefly · Post by **drachefly** » 2006-01-23 04:59pm

Pezzoni wrote:
drachefly wrote:You shouldn't laugh at someone who is nailed by a golf ball which was badly sliced by someone, flew through the woods and bounced off a rock before groining them.
To be honest, I probably would laugh at that for two reasons: Someone else being hit in the crotch is often entertaining, and the sheer absurdity of the situation.

Ah, but then you're laughing at the situation, not the person. See the distinction?

AK_Jedi · Post by **AK_Jedi** » 2006-01-23 05:05pm

the germans have a word for it. "Schadenfraude" roughly meaning "taking joy in another's misery. Its what makes slapstick funny, as well as cruel pranks on people who have passed out drunk.

Personally, I will laugh at most fake injuries like you see in movies, or harmless things that have very little lasting consequences, but when things start getting more serious, humour falls straight out the window.

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2006-01-23 05:23pm

As a general rule, it's OK to laugh as long as the injury was caused by the person's own stupidity or assholishness no matter how seriously they get hurt. For instance I laughed my ass off at the punk kid who got his head taken off by a car while leaning out his car door to whack cyclists. I also laughed at the idiot who thought he could ride his bike across a teeter-totter because he saw me do it, I made it across with ease, he fell off and required an ambulance. One of the funnier things I've seen in real life. Hypothetically speaking, if I saw some dumbass playing chicken with a cement truck and he was flattened & killed, I'd laugh my ass of at his stupidity, and if I was really on the ball I'd point and go "Insta-Darwin!"

Now in terms of people getting hurt who really didn't deserve it, I only laugh if it happened in a funny way and the injury wasn't serious.

wolveraptor · Post by **wolveraptor** » 2006-01-23 06:52pm

So people deserve to die due to stupidity? Come on, it's not that serious an offense. I sure as hell wouldn't laugh if some guy got killed doing something stupid. For me, the seriousness of the injury matters. If a guy is going to be paralyzed for life, for fuck's sake, don't laugh, not unless he's some sociopath like Hitler or something (to use an extreme example). If a guy nails himself in the groin while doing something, barring complete castration, it's usually pretty funny.

aerius · Post by **aerius** » 2006-01-23 08:26pm

wolveraptor wrote:So people deserve to die due to stupidity? Come on, it's not that serious an offense. I sure as hell wouldn't laugh if some guy got killed doing something stupid.

I don't know about others, but I always have a good laugh every time I visit the Darwin Awards website.

Zadius · Post by **Zadius** » 2006-01-23 09:01pm

Just because it's funny doesn't mean they deserved it. Surely that man who ran into the tiger cave to hide from police didn't deserve to get mauled to death. But that won't stop me from laughing.

Captain tycho · Post by **Captain tycho** » 2006-01-23 09:06pm

I don't laugh at misfortune. I laugh at misfortune brought on by being an asshole or idiot.

wolveraptor · Post by **wolveraptor** » 2006-01-23 09:44pm

I laugh at the Darwin Awards because, being in text form, it tends to depersonalize the death. It also helps that many of these events took place a long while ago. If I saw that guy run into the tiger pit, I might be less inclined to laugh.