Dark Humour on the Org

[Rheghead]

Is it acceptable behavior to make dark, humerous posts on the Org in the wake of a disaster or death of a celebrity just to lighten the tone? Or are orgers who object to such comments being overly sensitive?

[binbob]

Is it acceptable behavior to make dark, humerous posts on the Org in the wake of a disaster or death of a celebrity just to lighten the tone? Or are orgers who object to such comments being overly sensitive?

in my opinion..it is very WRONG to make light of someone else s tragedies.put yourself in their shoes.would u like fun made out of any npublic tragedy if one of ur loved ones were involved.u have made me very cross,.
no more to say on subject,THERE GO I ,BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD..........remember that.

[hotrod4]

Personally I may find it funny BUT I wouldnt post about it or mention it on the org or in public.The reason for this is though i may find it humorous others may not,so i respect their feelings.

[Rheghead]

THERE GO I ,BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD..........remember that.

Ironically, that retort has the potential to be even more offensive than what any dark humour can be.

[scorrie]

Dark Humour can be a way of coping for people who work in jobs where tragedy is commonplace. There is a difference between Dark Humour and Sick Humour in my opinion. I have a particular dislike for the notion that humour based on religion should be off limits.

"There but for the grace of God" etc

What about those of us who don't believe in God? There, but for the odds of probability, go I?

[TRUCKER]

It is just peoples way of dealing with something like that, it can be offensive but its the society we live in.

[scorrie]

Personally I may find it funny BUT I wouldnt post about it or mention it on the org or in public.The reason for this is though i may find it humorous others may not,so i respect their feelings.

I find your attitude strange. It is either funny or it isn't. What you are saying is that you might laugh, but only do so in the safety of your own bed, with the covers pulled over your head.

I think there is a world of difference between finding something funny and having a laugh to yourself in public, and actually going up to someone's door and telling them the gag, knowing that they (or theirs) was involved in the relevant incident.

Still you can't beat the good old org. One minute we are all too PC and lily-livered, the next we are an insensitive and heartless bunch.

[buddyrich]

Im not that bothered. I think humour can take the sting out of some terrible things. Ambulance crews and firemen are famed for being able to see humour in things we'd be horrified by, but how else could you do that kind of work continually without cracking up unless you can laugh.

But then if something bad happened to me, i'd be disturbed if people were cracking jokes on here about it! But people arent generally like that.

I would say if you're going to make rude or sick jokes, think who you're telling it to. I could tell my pals sick or outrageous jokes and it'd be fine, but to do it in the company of strangers would mark me as crass and oafish.

[binbob]

Im not that bothered. I think humour can take the sting out of some terrible things. Ambulance crews and firemen are famed for being able to see humour in things we'd be horrified by, but how else could you do that kind of work continually without cracking up unless you can laugh.

But then if something bad happened to me, i'd be disturbed if people were cracking jokes on here about it! But people arent generally like that.

I would say if you're going to make rude or sick jokes, think who you're telling it to. I could tell my pals sick or outrageous jokes and it'd be fine, but to do it in the company of strangers would mark me as crass and oafish.

how true...thank u.

[binbob]

Ironically, that retort has the potential to be even more offensive than what any dark humour can be.

oh dear..............................

[northener]

It depends on how sensitive an individual is on a given subject. What offends one person on a given subject may not register even a reaction with another person.

Black humour is a very subjective thing. You do it or you don't. I do. And I dont give amonkeys about what anyone thinks about my humour...or lack of it.

Mind you there's always been 'delicate blossoms' on this forum who can't wait to be 'offended' by something or other. It makes a change from whingeing about having a poor choice of cushions in Tescos or the crap bus service for them.

Having said that, this is a forum used by all age groups in the community, so I think a certain amount of restraint should be used. But occasionally 'pushing the boundaries' is a good thing IMHO - it wakes people up and encourages lively debate...such as this.

[bekisman]

Scorrie; 'Dark Humour can be a way of coping for people who work in jobs where tragedy is commonplace'

Buddyrich; 'firemen are famed for being able to see humour in things we'd be horrified by, but how else could you do that kind of work continually without cracking up unless you can laugh.'

Yes you are both right, but we keep it 'in house' - kind of respect.

Rheghead; 'Is it acceptable behavior to make dark, humerous posts on the Org in the wake of a disaster or death of a celebrity just to lighten the tone?' well I must admit as a Squaddie for 15 years and a Fire-fighter for 11 years, maybe I'm more placed than Rheghead to have an opinion on that one. Bottom line: 'humorous posts on the Org in the wake of a disaster?' is that acceptable?
Nope, in my own opinion it's not. Seeing dogs rip dead babies to bits in Aden; yep, great fun?. Using bin bags to pick up the bits of 'cork' which were the remains of a Harrier pilot, was hilarious?. Getting issued new fire-fighting gear when the human fat of two roasted ladies dripped through the floor onto our uniforms was uproarious?. Using a spade to lever out the burnt remains of a young lad who was trapped in a transit van and burnt alive; that was amusing?. Using a dustpan and brush to sweep a kids brains up after an RTA on the M42; that was side-splitting? could go on..

One of my last shouts in the Fire Service was attending an RTA where a young chap had been flung out of his van and onto the road, his skull had split and his brain was visible. He was conscious, but I knew straight away he was dying. I knelt down and asked his name, he gave it and he asked me if he would be alright.. 'no problem mate, just a bit of a cut, a few stitches and you'll be home to your wife in no time'. He smiled and I watched as his eyes faded away and he was gone. We had a right good laugh over that one I can tell you.

Recently 293 humans died, the youngest quake victim was a five-month-old boy, killed with his mother; still funny?

Ok the mention of using holy oil - is to me - utterly pointless, I am an atheist, BUT to those who need, at this particular time, some crumb of comfort, so be it, who am I to scoff at their beliefs?


Each to his own.

[brandy]

i find it heart renching just to see it in the media, the loss the death the utter devistation, to belittle it with crude jokes as you sit safley behind your screen in comfort and safty is in my personal belief beyond horrible.
to crack fun at someones faiths and beliefs or lack of them on a public foum where anyone can see, is just juvinile and sad. to attack a person because they find comfort in doing something as simple as annoiting holy oil, to ease the passing of loved ones or to give comfort to those left behind is mean spirited and just plain nasty.
its not funny, its not witty, its not clever.
maybe some people should simply try growing up and look outside their own little world.

[scorrie]

Scorrie; 'Dark Humour can be a way of coping for people who work in jobs where tragedy is commonplace'

Buddyrich; 'firemen are famed for being able to see humour in things we'd be horrified by, but how else could you do that kind of work continually without cracking up unless you can laugh.'

Yes you are both right, but we keep it 'in house' - kind of respect.

Rheghead; 'Is it acceptable behavior to make dark, humerous posts on the Org in the wake of a disaster or death of a celebrity just to lighten the tone?' well I must admit as a Squaddie for 15 years and a Fire-fighter for 11 years, maybe I'm more placed than Rheghead to have an opinion on that one. Bottom line: 'humorous posts on the Org in the wake of a disaster?' is that acceptable?
Nope, in my own opinion it's not. Seeing dogs rip dead babies to bits in Aden; yep, great fun?. Using bin bags to pick up the bits of 'cork' which were the remains of a Harrier pilot, was hilarious?. Getting issued new fire-fighting gear when the human fat of two roasted ladies dripped through the floor onto our uniforms was uproarious?. Using a spade to lever out the burnt remains of a young lad who was trapped in a transit van and burnt alive; that was amusing?. Using a dustpan and brush to sweep a kids brains up after an RTA on the M42; that was side-splitting? could go on..

One of my last shouts in the Fire Service was attending an RTA where a young chap had been flung out of his van and onto the road, his skull had split and his brain was visible. He was conscious, but I knew straight away he was dying. I knelt down and asked his name, he gave it and he asked me if he would be alright.. 'no problem mate, just a bit of a cut, a few stitches and you'll be home to your wife in no time'. He smiled and I watched as his eyes faded away and he was gone. We had a right good laugh over that one I can tell you.

Recently 293 humans died, the youngest quake victim was a five-month-old boy, killed with his mother; still funny?

Ok the mention of using holy oil - is to me - utterly pointless, I am an atheist, BUT to those who need, at this particular time, some crumb of comfort, so be it, who am I to scoff at their beliefs?


Each to his own.

I think you have stretched an original light-hearted comment way beyond the realms of credible argument, with comments about dead babies being ripped to shreds etc

I don't think anyone was trying to suggest that Dark Humour was a way for Firemen etc to cope long-term with a tragic event. Mental scars will always remain. I thought the purpose of "Gallows Humour" was to help people deal with terrible events at the time they occurred. If that is not the case, it seems a fairly pointless exercise.

There was a famous/infamous joke about Lord Mountbatten and dandruff some years ago. I must admit that I laughed when I heard it, despite it being off-colour. It followed an horrific event but no harm was done and we cannot reverse events.

As you say, each to their own.

[catran]

i find it heart renching just to see it in the media, the loss the death the utter devistation, to belittle it with crude jokes as you sit safley behind your screen in comfort and safty is in my personal belief beyond horrible.
to crack fun at someones faiths and beliefs or lack of them on a public foum where anyone can see, is just juvinile and sad. to attack a person because they find comfort in doing something as simple as annoiting holy oil, to ease the passing of loved ones or to give comfort to those left behind is mean spirited and just plain nasty.
its not funny, its not witty, its not clever.
maybe some people should simply try growing up and look outside their own little world.

Well said Brandy I thoroughly agree, just yesterday there was a strange post started by Rheghead about a strange happening regarding a someone on the Org. and a sideboard, goodness know but I do not believe in this line of humour . Leave religion alone each to their own except when it becomes fanatical then there is a problem.

[Gene Hunt]

Dark Humour is personal taste, I post on another site where the humour would probably induce the birth of kittens amongst some of the sensitive souls here. The way I see it is that whatever I consider to be funny or acceptable dark humour is irrelevant when posting here, the MODS make the rules so I live by them.

Having been in the TA for some years I have seen "Squaddie Humour" up close, in that enviroment it is a way of life. I know a Paramedic who has a VERY dark sense of humour but it helps him deal with what he sees everyday, in fact the darkest humour I have seen has been from members of the Emergency services. Because otherwise they would go mad I suspect.

In my line of work we joke all the time, Air Traffic is a stressful environment and it lessens the tension. Having seen a lad I knew go down the intake of a jet engine at full power the humour after that was darn right black but he would have been saying the same things if it had been one of us.

I think that people who like dark humour have to consider where and when it is used, you have to accept that others dont share it. And people who dont like it have no right to tell others not to use it because who made them the judge of what others should think, say or joke about ??

[catran]

foWell Gene Hunt I hope the local fire brigade, coastguards, lifeboat crew and the local boabies sees your posting.Nearl forgot about the ambulance boys who are all so lprofessional I do not think there will be any dark humour lurking there.

[northener]

Blimey, opened a right one up this time haven't I?


Did I criticise the Catholic Faith? No.

Did I mock any of the victims? No.

Did I attempt to ridicule any of the rescue efforts? No.

Have I spent all my life 'sheltered behind a computer screen'? No.

Have I been involved in any stressful situations involving loss of life and extreme danger as part of my job? You betcha...

Do I actually care what my critics say about this and will I retract it? Absolutely not.

So get stuffed.

[northener]

foWell Gene Hunt I hope the local fire brigade, coastguards, lifeboat crew and the local boabies sees your posting.Nearl forgot about the ambulance boys who are all so lprofessional I do not think there will be any dark humour lurking there.

Good God...........

[scorrie]

foWell Gene Hunt I hope the local fire brigade, coastguards, lifeboat crew and the local boabies sees your posting.Nearl forgot about the ambulance boys who are all so lprofessional I do not think there will be any dark humour lurking there.

They'll all be too busy laughing to read the org

Dream on if you think there will be no dark humour in those jobs!!