Seriously thoughtful When is HUMOR in "Bad" taste?

[astra]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

There's a lot of pain in the Holocaust and 9/11 and deaths in Iraq. As George Carlin pointed out, you can make anything funny if you do it right.

Funny for yourself - Yes, but definitely Not for people for whome the subject is painful. Especially when it comes to human life, life and death of people you loved and after they died you just exist, you don't really live, you don't have life anymore...

[pshrynk]

I'm not saying that they are good jokes, in good taste, or even all that funny. however, if you exclude pain from humor, you have no humor. If you exclude humor from pain, all you have left is pain.

[nohmi2]

Quote:
Originally Posted by yvanleterrible
The word "bad" has a strong karma. Once you use it, you have to face consequences, however benign most are.

Over the few years spent here and considering the diversity of our 'writership', a certain fragility of relations can spell trouble quite rapidly when strong subjects come to scrutiny.


Exactly. And I like that.

I concede that someone would find argument over the type of toilet paper one uses, arguing passionately for his or her design, strength, number of squares in a roll, total amount, color, and fragrance or lack thereof.

Don



How interesting.

Okay, maybe I prefer my humour to be directed at the perpetrators and not the victims.

Mel Brooks was correct when he said that he defeats his enemies by making fun of them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K08akOt2kuo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5McSEU48Y8

By the way, I think that George Carlin was brilliant.

[Dr. Drib]

Yes, I also agree about Geroge Carlin.

He broke the boundaries of taste, causing the nation to reexamine a lot of Holy Crap.

And Don Rickles, a man who understood (and understands, as he's still alive) who his friends are and what it means to make fun of ethnicity, events, people, etc. - and most loved him for it because his humor contained, at its center, a core of truth.

I really do believe that if, at some point in time, that if we cannot laugh at what we fear and at what we hold dear - whether it be race, pesonality, dogs, cats, parakeets, death, lawyers, bathroom humor, zombies, [fill in the blank] - then we are a nation that is lost and involved in its own egocentricity and ignorance.

Don't forget Lenny Bruce, Director John Waters (thank you, Divine , for your crazy performances.). And thank you, all you great comedians who push the boundaries of taste as you explore what it means to be human.


Don

(Ok, so this horse comes into a bar and the bartender says, "Why the long face?")

Bodda-bing, arf-arf, and meow. It is to laugh!

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

...if you exclude pain from humor, you have no humor.

I don't see that .

A lot of silly humour doesn't seem to involve pain.

E.g.
What do you get if you cross a sheep with a kangaroo?
A woolly jumper!


Apart from the agony of splitting one's sides, where's the pain?

[pshrynk]

Originally Posted by Sparrow

I don't see that .

A lot of silly humour doesn't seem to involve pain.

E.g.
What do you get if you cross a sheep with a kangaroo?
A woolly jumper!


Apart from the agony of splitting one's sides, where's the pain?

Forced sodomization of an unwilling animal.

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

Forced sodomization of an unwilling animal.

Actually, they were very much in love (with each other even).

[pshrynk]

My point is, that underlying every bit of mirth or humor, there is an anger and inherent violence. Even knock knock jokes.

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

My point is, that underlying every bit of mirth or humor, there is an anger and inherent violence. Even knock knock jokes.

Yep, I gathered that, but I'm just not sure that's true .

[pshrynk]

Try me.

--warning-- psychoanalysts can really warp your perception of reality...

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

Try me.

--warning-- psychoanalysts can really warp your perception of reality...

How about the 'woolly jumper' joke?

Sure we can make connections to anger and violence, but I don't think they underlie the joke - we don't need them to make it work.

[pshrynk]

It is in the unconcious that the violence is found. The whole theory is that if you examine a joke with an eye to unconscious impulses, there is always a root of anger and fear. It is what makes humor humor. It's not something that everyone thinks about, obviously, and is not necessary for enjoyment of the joke. In fact, most of the time, analyzing the humor spoils the joke.

[Daithi]

What's black and white and red all over?

A newspaper.

OK, not that funny, but no violence or sex. Some humor is just based on a play on words. However, I prefer jokes with an undertone of a little violence and/or sex.

[pshrynk]

Black = the unconcious color for death.

White = the unconcious color for virginity

Red = The unconcious color for violence and/or sex.

So your newspaper is associated with violent sexual death of an otherwise virginal self.

And i didn't even take my final exams for certification as an analyst...

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

Black = the unconcious color for death.

White = the unconcious color for virginity

Red = The unconcious color for violence and/or sex.

So your newspaper is associated with violent sexual death of an otherwise virginal self.

Black - the colour of ink
White - the colour of paper
Red - sounds like 'read' (past tense of 'read')

No weird unconscious associations needed for the joke to work.
Mr. Occam