Why do people laugh at painful accidents on America's Funniest Videos?

Question

When someone falls off a ladder, gets kicked in the nuts, or experiences some other possibly life threatening accident, why do people find it amusing? Is it amusing to watch someone who is suffering from some kind of traumatic accident?

Answer 1

I have often wondered this myself, but then again I am laughing sometimes as well. I had a friend once that would do that in real life. Like if you fell down or something she would crack up. I asked her about it and she said it was just because she was nervous and didn't know what else to do.

I think people have just become so desensitized to violence and suffering that the pain and danger doesn't register any longer.

Answer 2

You hear people on the television laughing because the producers tell the audience to laugh to make it sound good. My cousins once went to disney world and while they were there america's funniest home videos was going on live right there. Durring comericals, the producers would tell the audience to make sure they laughed at all the clips. At home when you hear the audience laughing it makes you want to laugh also. Another reason is because when you watch it you have this feeling that it already happenned and that the people in the video are fine right now. If someone died from an accident, or coarse I wouldn't find it funny but since we know that the characters in the video are safe right now, we feel that it is okay to laugh.

Answer 3

I have to admit I'm one of those people that laughs. Honestly I laugh Real Hard. I think it's just nature. When someone else falls or has something fall on them it makes me laugh so hard it's embarrassing. Of course when I'm watching Americas Funniest Videos I don't see anything that is life threatening. Now if I saw someone stab a person in the back I wouldn't laugh so I don't think laughing at Americas Home Videos is sick in any way. You seem kind of sensitive about this. Have you fallen and had people laugh at you?

Answer 4

Part of it is social and cultural conditioning. We expect to find these things "funny" and laugh when they're on "funniest videos" programmes. We also assume that since they are on family tv time, that the end result was not life-threatening. However, I don't know if all cultures, in different parts of the world, would respond the same way.

Answer 5

I think people mostly laugh because a). it's not them and b). it's kind of funny to see something so unexpected. We do feel their pain, but I think mostly it's a relief that it wasn't us. And most of the videos that are submitted to Funniest Home Videos hopefully did not result in some horrible injury. If so then that is the fault of the people who sent the video in. No, I do not think it is funny to watch people in traumatic accidents, that's why when you see those that do result in injuries most people cringe.

Answer 6

I laugh at things like that on TV because I'm immature with a weird sense of humor. If I saw something like that in real life, I probably wouldn't laugh.

Answer 7

I totally agree and hate that people laugh at the painful accidents.I think the ones that should win are the animal ones or a cute baby video.The one where people get hurt should not even be on there.

Answer 8

Yes! it's meant to be funny that's what's in the script fellow,so laugh that's why it's called America's funniest videos.

Answer 9

well there are lots of different reasons. but I particularly think its funny when someone is doing something that he knows could be dangerous and doesnt use precautions or think twice about it when they get hurt its seems like they had it coming and i find that amusing.

Answer 10

As a matter of fact it is amusing to see something painful happening to someone else.