Dark humour - how far is too far

dark crystal · 13-04-2012 02:29AM #1

As we all know, AH is probably the most irreverant forum on Boards and where it comes to humour, almost anything goes, but how far is too far when it comes to humour...

Personally, I don't find jokes about rape or paedophilia funny - ever. I've seen jokes in very bad taste get multiple thanks and been taken aback by what others find funny.

However, sometimes humour can be a great way of making a heavy news story into something a little less heavy.

So, is there a line you draw where it comes to humour, or does anything go.

mackg · 13-04-2012 02:34AM

There isn't anything that bad in after hours, believe me there is way way worse out there and I get a great laugh out of it tbh.

I still have not heard the joke that I thought "wow, too far". Saying that, there is a time and a place for everything and I wouldn't inflict that kind of humour on people who would not appreciate it.

Cookie_Monster · 13-04-2012 02:35AM

dark crystal wrote: »

So, is there a line you draw where it comes to humour, or does anything go.

personnal stuff, other than that everything can be funny.

cocoshovel · 13-04-2012 02:37AM

I dont think there is a "too far" when it comes to joking around and commenting. If you cant handle it then gtfo!

brummytom · 13-04-2012 02:38AM

Depends how funny it is.

dark crystal · 13-04-2012 02:39AM

brummytom wrote: »

Depends how funny it is.

The difference between Bill Hicks and Frankie Boyle perhaps...

Agent Smith · 13-04-2012 02:39AM

I usually draw the line at murdering their parents

Usually

The Mollusc · 13-04-2012 02:40AM

<snip>

Mod: No dodgy jokes

IM0 · 13-04-2012 02:41AM

there are no lines, if something is funny I laugh to myself if it would upset others feelings. theres a time and a place to be funny. the trick is knowing your crowd

in AH some of the flowers go out of their way to be offended. these people generally dont get the concept of humour and when they try to be funny will probably end up sounding like my dad

cruais · 13-04-2012 02:42AM

<snip>

Jimoslimos · 13-04-2012 02:44AM

Context I suppose.

Stuff like Brass Eye was actually quite good IMO, probably because they weren't making a joke out of paedophilia but more the media hysteria surrounding it.

On the other hand, I don't find say the creepy old man (Herbert?) on Family Guy funny at all. Disturbing.

And all that liquidised dead baby sh1t - just wrong and totally unfunny.

Rabies · 13-04-2012 02:45AM

There are darker places on Boards.
AH is generally old man pub humour.

My line in the sand is set far in the distance.

there is a difference to setting out directly offend a person, group, race or minority with malice and using humour as a tool compared to a having a joke for fun.

More importantly people that give out the dark humour should be able to take it back. Be that on their own gender, race, origins or what ever.

Humour on all levels is different with everyone.

Can be a tough line to judge

The way the world is going, there will be very little humour left in the work place or home. Only the internet before it gets culled back over time.

We live in an over protective world.

--LOS-- · 13-04-2012 02:53AM

I would say that suicide might be the one thing where I would draw the line

4zn76tysfajdxp · 13-04-2012 03:10AM

dark crystal wrote: »

Personally, I don't find jokes about rape or paedophilia funny - ever.

What about jokes about raping paedophiles?

TwoBirds · 13-04-2012 03:21AM

I'm not a huge fan of the tidal wave of jokes that inevitably come after the death of someone in the public eye. It goes for everyone - jokes about anyone recently deceased, or jokes about serious illness, not sound.

mackg · 13-04-2012 03:27AM

Anaya Tight Fighter wrote: »

What about jokes about raping paedophiles?

Doesn't everyone love them? Some of the most thanked posts in AH from what I've seen.

EDIT: Maybe they're not jokes at all

Rabies · 13-04-2012 03:27AM

TwoBirds wrote: »

I'm not a huge fan of the tidal wave of jokes that inevitably come after the death of someone in the public eye. It goes for everyone - jokes about anyone recently deceased, or jokes about serious illness, not sound.

What will happen when Gary Glitter dies?

AgileMyth · 13-04-2012 03:36AM

Rabies wrote: »

What will happen when Gary Glitter dies?

Sales of his records will go through the roof. Two, maybe even three copies.

ToddyDoody · 13-04-2012 05:17AM

All that glitters is not gold

Pdfile · 13-04-2012 07:51AM

dark crystal wrote: »

As we all know, AH is probably the most irreverant forum on Boards and where it comes to humour, almost anything goes, but how far is too far when it comes to humour...

Personally, I don't find jokes about rape or paedophilia funny - ever. I've seen jokes in very bad taste get multiple thanks and been taken aback by what others find funny.

However, sometimes humour can be a great way of making a heavy news story into something a little less heavy.

So, is there a line you draw where it comes to humour, or does anything go.

how far should dark humor go ??

until you can't see the light.

theg81der · 13-04-2012 08:02AM

Hate all dark or crude humour and I think its just cheap. Jokes about Madeline McCann or war torn countries etc are just no where near funny, like funny left the room lifetimes ago.

thebostoncrab · 13-04-2012 08:16AM

Humour is a brilliant way to come to terms with a difficult or painfull part of life. I have had loved ones pass away, horrible situations happening to me personally etc and have always found taking the piss out of the situation has been a huge healing process. I have made it clear that when I did I want people to rip the absolute piss out of me and have a laugh at my expense. Like the line from Oldboy says, "Cry and you cry alone, laugh and the world laughs with you."

So basically I don't think there is a line to cross with humour. There is a time and a place, but if you started saying "Rape jokes are not funny but people dying that's funny ****!" then you are left with nothing, because every dark or blue joke is guaranteed to offend someone somewhere in the world. So either everything is ok or none of it is.

forfuxsake · 13-04-2012 08:29AM

Cancer isn't funny.
Aids ain't funny.
Death isn't funny.
Paedophile is definitely not funny.
Rape isn't funny.
Dead babies ain't funny.

Jokes about these things can be hilarious.

thebostoncrab · 13-04-2012 08:41AM

forfuxsake wrote: »

Cancer isn't funny.
Aids ain't funny.
Death isn't funny.
Paedophile is definitely not funny.
Rape isn't funny.
Dead babies ain't funny.

Jokes about these things can be hilarious.

The situations themselves are horrible, there is no doubting that. The jokes, however, can be side splitting. I can see why someone would be offended by them, but as I said there is a time and a place. I may tell a Maddaline McCain joke to the lads in the pub but not say it to the face of someone who has lost a child. Similarly at very low points in my families history I have made jokes with certain family members but not others, time and place.

HalloweenJack · 13-04-2012 08:42AM

Jokes aren't serious and people who take them seriously need to lighten up.

For me, what makes a joke is the structure or the wordplay, the topic is irrelevant. If somebody could come up with a good joke about something as boring as cricket, I'd laugh at it.

Deus Ex Machina · 13-04-2012 08:48AM

The only reason I wouldn't laugh at a joke would be because it's shït, never because of the subject matter. People who get "offended" by so called dark humour are the worst kind of ****.

baltimore sun · 13-04-2012 08:48AM

tis like what yer boy oscar wilde said, "There is no such thing as a moral or immoral book. Books are either well written or badly written. That is all".

same goes for jokes, jokes are either told well and are funny. Of course certain jokes can only be told in a certain context/situation. But, it's not a good thing to put a limit on what can be joked about, that's limiting freedom of expression and the world would be a cold dark place if limits were put in that.