Why do people find humor in Tragedy?

Question

Have we desensitized our children so much that they find ebtertainment in the death of Steve Irwin?

When people make tastless jokes about his death that is not dealing with it through humor, that is being disrespectful

yes but those children turn into adults and they just get worse with age.

Answer 1

Angela,I wish I knew the answer because I wonder the same thing.Sometimes I think that our children are exposed to so much when they are young,violent movies,video games and even the nightly news that they sometimes have a hard time knowing what is fiction and what is real.In the case of Steve Irwins death,even though we as a society are naturally curious,I think it shows a lack of respect for a fellow human being to want to watch his death on tape.This is reality,not a hollywood movie.I put myself in the family's place and try to imagine how I would feel if it were my loved one that was being viewed in his last moments on earth.That is why I am so vocal about this subject.I didn't know the man and hardly ever seen him on TV,but it is just the idea that we should have a little compassion.I bet those who are so vocal about really wanting to see the tape would be the first ones to cry and complain if it were their father or son that was being viewed in one of most vulnerable moments in our lives.We as parents have the responsibility to instill some morals and compassion in our children.If we don't do it when they are young,they won't learn it on their own when they get older.Little things mean alot,buy a gift for a less fortunate child at Christmas,volunteer some time at the local nursing home with people who never get a visitor.I did these with my son when he was young and I think he turned out to be a very caring person.He is 19 and would never watch the Steve video,he said it would be too sad.Our society has become so "me" focused,thinking we are entitled to have whatever we want,weather or not that causes hurt to another.Just my opinion.Thanks for the great question.

Answer 2

In some cases, it's true, that people do use humor to deal with loss. Then there are those who don't have any better sense than to make sick jokes about a tragedy. I think some people feel justified in cracking sick jokes about the death of Steve Irwin because of the tremendous risks he took. I agree with you. There is nothing humorous about it.

On a personal note, it is not uncommon for people who are actually intimately involved in the death of a loved one to make jokes. Though they are usually not unkind jokes. When we grieve over the death of a loved one we can't cry all of the time. When my dad died in 1973 I was only 20 years old. It was the first time I'd lost someone as an adult. And when I heard people making jokes (not about dad) I was very upset. Later on I realized there was nothing wrong with it.

Mourning a loved one is a roller coaster ride with many highs and lows. Since you won't be able to change the minds of those who are so callous about Steve Irwin's death, it's best to just ignore them.

Answer 3

I think when it's personal sometimes you have to find humor in Tragedy, it's a way of coping. Life can be difficult and at these times
it can become less difficult if you find the humor in tragedy. I think it is kind of sick that children want to watch Steve Irwins death tape, obviously they have never had a family member or best friend pass away. It's very sad that people are so sick that they want to see another human being die.

Answer 4

This is not a "problem" of modern society. Early writers like Shakespeare wrote plays about tragedies (and some comedies). This is what the population craved, a storyline steeped in deceit, love triangles, murder and death.

Sometimes finding humor in a tragic situation alleviates the stress and tensions caused by the serious nature of the event. It's a way for the human psyche to deal with tragedy.

I don't think our children are insensitive, but I think they don't have the coping skills to deal with death in an appropriate way.

Answer 5

I love this question! We laugh, we human monkeys, in the face of adversity, for humor is the thing we laugh at, and we laugh at that which hurts us.

Think of any joke...the punch line is only funny to everbody but the subject. The things we find funny wouldn't be so if they happened to us personally, would they? We become gleeful when a smug celebrity is arrested or stalked, and the entertainment programs serve it all up to us with elated, ever-smiling talking heads to make sure we have all the grisly details.

In "Stranger In A Strange Land", Robt. A. Heinlien talked about this, and said, also, "...that man is animal that laughs."
I am inclined to agree. Happiness is different, of course, from humor. A child smiles and chuckles with delight at a bouncing balloon or giant talking blue dog. The child is all smiles and he is happy, but his true laughter is reserved for that which frightens him initially.

I would agree, to a smaller extenet, that we do, sadly, desensitize our children, but to a great many things, not tragedy alone.

Answer 6

Finding humor in tragedy helps people deal with the loss. It has nothing to do with desensitization. In fact, it shows that those people are better able to deal with tragedy than those who sink into a depression about it.

Answer 7

In truth they are not as in-human as you believe. Its more like a sign of relief that what ever the tragedy that happen they were not involved in it, its hard to explain But it is a form of a psychological release. Another thing depending on the incident That they are not psychologically prepared to handle. So their respond in such a un-kind manner happens so that their minds can deal with the horrors of that tragedy. Please remember this, the human mind can be tough nut to crack but it is also very fragile nut even if that person looks tough. So please be kind and understanding for they may not even have a clue about what they are saying or doing they are really just trying to cope.

Answer 8

Some kids are just too immature to understand. And some people in general find that laughing helps make the pain go away faster. It all depends on an individuals personality.

Answer 9

i don't know that it's humor, it seems more like irony to me--which in the context of Steve Irwin, can be expected. i don't think its a matter of being hard-hearted. He lived and ended his life like a cartoon hero, so I don't know that we can expect children to express their shock or sadness as though he was jimmy stewart. i also would prefer that my children save their sadness for people who are actually close to them. they shouldnt feel the same way about losing someone like a family member or personal friend in the same way that they do about losing a celebrity. a lot of people use humor to avoid pain, and i don't think that's necessarily a bad instinct.

Answer 10

The line between comedy and tragedy is razor thin. Tragedy is all around us, if you can't find humor in it, the anxiety will kill you early.
I suppose you never watched the Road Runner and Coyote?