Saturday, March 12, 2005

Comedy is a Dying Art Form

*Disclaimer: I’m not sick or weird. I feel that I must state clearly, before the rest of this article is typed, that I am neither insane nor does insanity run in my family…unless you count my brother…which I don’t. That said I now want to share with you a darker side of my personality.

I heard on the radio recently that a family of eleven was tragically killed. I found the story more than a little humorous but let me defend myself before you jump to any conclusions about me, or worse stop commenting on my site. The cause, as I see it, utter stupidity.

This family of eleven had just moved into a new townhouse the day before their tragic demise. It seems they were using candles for light that evening. At some point a king size mattress was lit on fire. In their panic or daftness, the family attempted to shove the flaming mattress out the only exit to their home. The burning mattress became lodged in the door and started the rest of the house on fire. Subsequently, all of the family died.

When I heard this, I was sad at first. However I soon realized that these people’s deaths were inevitable. If the flaming mattress hadn’t killed them something else would have; such as starring up at the rain with their mouth’s open for example (if you don't know, this is an old turkey myth). I know that I should be more sympathetic. Yes, it is tragic. But it is also what I like to call “tragically humorous”.

How many of you have laughed at other people’s suffering? I’ll bet many of you have. Be it from watching the show Jackass, or The Three Stooges. Maybe you have read or heard of some “Darwin Award” winners and chuckled under your breath. (The story I just related reminds me of one by the way). All I’m saying is that maybe it’s a little wrong for me to laugh at something like this, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t somewhat funny.

There have been many times in my life when I have thought to myself, “Hmmm, I could die doing this and if I did would it be a dignified death?” Certainly, I would have thought twice before wedging a flaming mattress in the only exit of a room I was in.

2 comments:

Singularity said...

I think that nature weeded out the couple that wedged the matress in the door, it's just to bad that they caused the rest of the family there lives. There will always be stupid people that kill themselves. I just hope that I don't die in a way that people can make fun of me. Thats why when I'm seventy I'm going out in a blaze of glory, Samurai sword fighting against 15 ninjas blindfolded.

Brillig said...

All this talk of eating babies is making me hungry.