Just recently, I heard some people talking about something that made me angry. They were making jokes about a story that has been in the news recently- the one about those girls who were abducted by a bus driver and kept hidden away from the rest of the world for years so that he could abuse them. Excuse me, but what part of that story is funny? It strikes me more as sick and harrowing rather than entertaining. I fail to see the humour in that story. I mean, let’s take a look at it, shall we? A couple of innocent young women were kidnapped for years, nobody knew where they were, and all the while they were being abused, both physically and sexually. Yeah, that really seems like sitcom potential, doesn’t it?
I’m sorry for sounding so angry right now, but it’s just that hearing this made me genuinely furious. I mean, yes, at some point we’ve all said something inappropriate that we probably shouldn’t have, and most of us will realise this and try not to do so again. But this was just so extreme, I don’t get why or how anybody could joke about it. And I didn’t just hear somebody making a casual, offhand remark about it. This seemed to have become the latest current event to make fun of, as if it was something funny a dumb politician had said. But this isn’t something you can make light of. This is a very real, very disturbing thing, and to turn it into a joke is downright insulting. I don’t think a lot of people realise that there’s a difference between dark humour and sick, twisted little “jokes” that aren’t even funny in the first place. I mean, I love dark comedy, as long as it’s clever and tasteful. But there are limits to what people can joke about. Joking about stuff like this is just not allowed. The abuse of women isn’t funny, and it certainly isn’t acceptable. The abuse of anyone isn’t acceptable. Now grow up.
That is sick. In the state I live in they recently found man who had three women locked in his house. he hid them for something like 10 years. I havent read a full account of what happened yet but from the little I heard he tortured those girls.
I know, it’s horrible. I hate stories like that. Those poor girls.
I just read more about what happened in my area and the guy was a bus driver. I think we were talking about the same incident.
I think so, yeah.
😦
My cousin made a joke out of this story today, along with spouting off a myriad of racist and sexist comments. And he wondered why no one in the room was laughing. It’s no wonder he’s been twice divorced.
He sounds like a bit of a manchild…
Oh he is.
Here here!
Whenever I shut down people joking about violence and abuse like that, I get remarks like, “Wow, you have no sense of humor.” To which I respond: “Um, hi, you clearly don’t know me, because I actually have one of the crudest, most ridiculous senses of humor imaginable… in fact I’m fucking hilarious. If you’re joking about real-life violence against women, YOU clearly have a lame sense of humor, and can’t think of anything ACTUALLY funny to talk about.”
BOOM.
I agree with you totally. And I adore your sense of humour. 😀
I’m getting seriously pissed of with people who think they have the right to say whatever they want at the moment…
I really should do a post on black comedy or something soon.
You guys are making me feel lucky. I don’t think I know anyone who would joke about something serious and horrifying. Then again maybe they just dont joke like that around me.
You’re very lucky indeed.