Inactive Account Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 Well, as we've seen, regardless of whether they're meant or not, such jokes tend to hurt people who are more closely connected to the incident. If you've got relatives affected by the disaster and someone's making jokes about it, I don't know how much a disclaimer at the end of the joke about "I don't really think that it's funny about your relatives, just kidding around" is going to help much. The other thing is that really, when such jokes are being told, it's impossible to tell whether they're meant (i.e. the teller thinks it is funny that this has happened to people) or not, especially over the internet. Some people don't mean them (we'd like to think all of them, but sadly that isn't the case), some do, and when we laugh at the joke or ignore it as harmless, it's a validation, a signal that that sort of thinking is acceptable. If the person who made the joke really was just aiming for a "harmless" laugh, maybe there's no negative impact, but if their reasoning was more malicious, or there's someone in the audience of the joke thinking yes, it is funny that this happened to people, this acceptance reinforces the idea that that reasoning is okay, that other people think it's funny too. Not as harmless. Basically, acceptance of jokes that rely on the suffering of others for "humor" value allows the idea that suffering is funny to perpetuate, whether the jokes are meant or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel M Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 ? The one where people link the Tsunami and Earthquake to Pearl Harbor's karma? Here you go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wist Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 Also related to the quakes, I'm finding it frustratingly hard to find information on the situation with the Fukushima power plant that isn't just completely made of panic. Getting sick and tired of the news media. Yes! The irresponsible journalism filling the void left by the unfortunate dearth of information is sickening. I've been trying to consider seriously only official American, British, and Japanese travel advisories and reports from somewhat reputable organizations (the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum has decent reports) in an attempt to avoid the confused misinformation being distributed by people who have no understanding of the matters they're attempting to report on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inactive Account Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 I've found the page that the MIT Department has wrangled the actual information into a fairly accessible format, and contains no panic. MEANWHILE due to the atrocious media coverage, a bunch of Americans have started stocking up on iodine pills for fear of Teh Radioactiveness. Seriously, guys?! STOP PANICKING! That money would be so much better spent on the Red Cross or UNICEF... sigh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eclipse Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 ZOMG, too many big words! Really, thank you. It's a very interesting read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadowofchaos Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 (edited) Some people in California are fearing radiation exposure because the wind is blowing it towards California. SERIOUSLY guys? I mean, they weren't fearing Nevada Test site fallout back in the day? Same with the ocean NUCLEAR WEAPONS testing, as in actual explosions? In addition THEY WERE MUCH CLOSER THAN JAPAN. This is nuclear reactor radiation, same thing, but it wasn't a full-blow nuclear weapon explosion. Like Kiryn said, that's money better off spent on relief organizations than iodine whatever the hell pills that probably wouldn't even work. Edited March 18, 2011 by shadowofchaos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HongLei Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 Honestly I think the only jokes that should be made about this are about those in California who are worried about radiation ... last I checked the Pacific was more than a short swim to Japan. That would have to be one heck of a wind storm or radioactive typhoon to get to Cali Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celice Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 I live in California, and I think it's stupid to be scared of the radiation, considering the U.S. has had large nuclear tests closer to me than Japan is. Besides, we need to concentrate on what's really important Saving Nuclear Boy. All he wants to do is poo and no one's being nice to him :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrhesia Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 MEANWHILE due to the atrocious media coverage, a bunch of Americans have started stocking up on iodine pills for fear of Teh Radioactiveness. Seriously, guys?! STOP PANICKING! Really? I heard it was kelp, myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esau of Isaac Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 Well, as we've seen, regardless of whether they're meant or not, such jokes tend to hurt people who are more closely connected to the incident. If you've got relatives affected by the disaster and someone's making jokes about it, I don't know how much a disclaimer at the end of the joke about "I don't really think that it's funny about your relatives, just kidding around" is going to help much. How many people are actually hurt by jokes such as these? Can you even quantify or display that? At what point does it stop being alright to make a joke at someone's expense? If you're telling me it's necessarily wrong to make a joke at someone's expense, that's practically all comedy. The other thing is that really, when such jokes are being told, it's impossible to tell whether they're meant (i.e. the teller thinks it is funny that this has happened to people) or not, especially over the internet. Some people don't mean them (we'd like to think all of them, but sadly that isn't the case), some do, and when we laugh at the joke or ignore it as harmless, it's a validation, a signal that that sort of thinking is acceptable. In the same sense that not burning down every McDonald's is validating a lifestyle of total obesity. I suck at analogies. Run with it. If the person who made the joke really was just aiming for a "harmless" laugh, maybe there's no negative impact, but if their reasoning was more malicious, or there's someone in the audience of the joke thinking yes, it is funny that this happened to people, this acceptance reinforces the idea that that reasoning is okay, that other people think it's funny too. Not as harmless. Basically, acceptance of jokes that rely on the suffering of others for "humor" value allows the idea that suffering is funny to perpetuate, whether the jokes are meant or not. Unless you can show any sort of real quantitative effect that jokes have on a population of people through violence or insensitivity, I can't really say I'm going to go along with your logic. You say that this provides an avenue for people who are truly racist (or what have you) to find some form of validation in their eyes, but then if they're already of opinions that you don't agree with, erroneously believing that someone that doesn't hold their beliefs does isn't going to change anything at all. They'll still be just one guy with a set of morals or opinions that you don't agree with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freohr Datia Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 Well if you believe the bible with all the chaos spoken of in the Book of Revalation I'd say we are getting pretty close to the end of the world not that I am trying to tie this into religion and change the subject Used to. The rest of my family still does though. Maybe that's why my dad and older brother are a bit more accepting of 2012 than I am =o They haven't fully accepted it yet but they're beginning to. =/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colonel M Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Some people in California are fearing radiation exposure because the wind is blowing it towards California. Another reason to kick California from the "United States". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zanarkin Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Knows they'll be kicked soon anyway. *Massive earthquake that will most likely tear california apart says hello* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ein Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Knows they'll be kicked soon anyway. *Massive earthquake that will most likely tear california apart says hello* : < Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freohr Datia Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 I saw on tv that they think that Seattle will be getting the next huge earthquake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aleph Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 I saw on tv had to quit expecting something noteworthy about right there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadowofchaos Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 had to quit expecting something noteworthy about right there Wrong. You should have stopped when you saw this: Far from the Forest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aleph Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Wrong. Death used to post here. His influence lives on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Esau of Isaac Posted March 19, 2011 Share Posted March 19, 2011 Wrong. Death used to post here. His influence lives on. X/X/XX Whenever he was banned. NEVER FORGET. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freohr Datia Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 had to quit expecting something noteworthy about right there What if it was the news? Cause anything anywhere else that I can find out is no more trustworthy than that. Well anyway it was on the Science Channel XD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zanarkin Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 : < Don't worry though, it'll take millions of years probably for you guys to move away. The most likely powerful earthquake is still there though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kriemhild Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 had to quit expecting something noteworthy about right there And I suppose the internet is more reliable, eh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aleph Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 (edited) You're missing the point Anyone who starts with "I saw it on TV!" probably wasn't soaking up a lot of noteworthy information. Or at least wasn't about to report any. Edited March 21, 2011 by Iehoua Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inactive Account Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 Interesting, tangentially relevant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freohr Datia Posted March 21, 2011 Share Posted March 21, 2011 (edited) You're missing the point Anyone who starts with "I saw it on TV!" probably wasn't soaking up a lot of noteworthy information. Or at least wasn't about to report any. Yeah I can see where you're coming from XD P.S. Oh, just looked and I'm certain I said the name wrong =D EDIT: I don't fly in planes yay the highest I got was an x-ray to the - *goes to check if she saw the ankle x-ray or not* Well I got an ankle x-ray. *goes to check if she got higher 'cause she thinks she has if they put down yearly dosage* Edited March 21, 2011 by Freohr Datia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.