... Because Death is such a Casual Thing., ... Options

[expoised]

Death jokes have really never bothered me before. I mean, people say them all the time. Someone goes "Hey, where's Bob?" and somebody else goes "Oh, he died" and you laugh it off because you know he didn't really die. Just little light stuff like that seems to come out so casually, that when something serious happens... you either belittle it or treat it like a joke.

Apparently, one of my teachers died over the summer while he was on his honeymoon. In class, I noticed I haven't seen him around, so I was like "Hey, where is he?" And my friend was like "Oh, he died." And I didn't say anything because I thought he was kidding.

It turned out that he wasn't, but the way he said it was like the death jokes people make every single day.

I guess I'm being overly emotional right now because my teacher's death was shocking and incredibly sad.

But, sometimes,... I think people should really learn to think before they speak and stop making serious issues into something to laugh about. Because it's not funny. At all.






Okay... had to get that out

[*mona lisa*]

Sorry about your teacher.

Same here. I once made that joke when I was younger and my parents scolded me for it. I felt horrible and wished I could go back in time and change my words. I will never ever tolerate a death joke now. I think I may have become more sensitive towards them since my great-grandfather's death a few weeks ago. Sure, it may be a joke, but it's cruel.

[Serendipity]

I totally agree.
Death is not something to be taken lightly.
...Whoever laughs at something like that is probably immature.
Please accept my condolences on your loss.

[Lycidas]

I agree.

I was eating lunch at school once and I heard this conversation from people I didn't really know...and it disturbed me a lot. It wasn't really a death joke...but still. Anyway, it went something along the lines of this:

Girl #1: "Did you hear? [insertnamehere] died."
Girl #2: "Really? Hahah. Wow."
Girl #1: "Yeah. Nobody really cares."
Girl #2: "Haha. Yeah."

Death jokes are horrid.

[starlette]

I don't know. I mean sure its not appropiate to laugh, but I think people make death too serious. Its going to happen to us all. Just like waking up and going to sleep. And no one takes those things that seriously. I think the only reason its bad to joke about death is because thats someone elses loss. And thats their pain. but the person dying..well theyre just doing what they are supposed to like. just like we all will

[bobby james]

Truth.com.

This happened to me 3 times this year. Someone told me cousin died and my initial reaction was "are you serious?!", but of course! But the fact that people play like that is something I am used to. Well 2 of my associates died this year also and 2 of my friends told me, I said "omfg don't play like that" I took it as a joke at first.

I text messaged it to my friend and she said "omg that is so cool." I asked her if she was serious and if so that was very immature. She said she thought I was just bullshittin.

Nope. So, I don't play like that anymore. Death is joked around with a lot. Great post, great observation.

[*Libertie*]

Death is certainly not something to be taken lightly, I mean I obsess over it all the time.. It's like a paranoia. When is my time? Argh. I lost my father just over a year ago, and I never once thought he would leave us all so young.. My younger brother is just in elementary school still. I've been to so many funerals in the past year, and constantly thinking about death makes it hard to be happy sometimes. I can't stand to hear people joke around about stuff like that, though, because it tears me apart to see so many people just.. gone.

[Jeng]

mellllll what uppp :]
hm sorry about your teacher,i hate when people do that, they sound seriuous but their not/ or are. i always take that serious too

[*yrrnotelekktric*]

I don't get why people make death jokes anyway.

Like the subject of death is not funny, so how does it turn into a joke?

I'm sorry about your loss.

agree.
sorry!

[uLoVeMikeRoch]

Ever heard of a thing called Black Humor?

[cassjamminx]

yeah it's upsetting. because when it becomes the truth, i wonder how hard they'll be laughing. blah. it's not funny. period.

[EddieV]

I do not fear death, death should fear me...

[Hiphop d[-_-]b]

Some people can't handle the finalty and seriousness of death so their natural reaction is laughter and playing it off. Thats how my friend Brittany is.

[magicfann]

mmkay so he died

(so then i was like kekekekek...)

[smoke]

^ Please, try and be kind for once.

I'm sorry about your teacher. I don't get why people take death so lightly. Every single person has a story and everyone has people who care about them. When someone dies, it effects a lot of people. It's a story ended.

We might think of death as a light subject because it's the ultimate fear. The ultimate unknown. It's society's way of coping with it in a passive manner.

[*digital.fragrance*]

Wow, I'm sorry about that. I'll be praying for you. And his new wife...

[uLoVeMikeRoch]

mmkay so he died

(so then i was like kekekekek...)

You're an idiot, you know that?

It's funny, because some people can accept death as easily as that.
Again, Black Humor.

[expoised]

Okay, I get Black Humor. And I actually understand society's need for it, because it bluntly shoves in our face the actuality of what direction the world is going.

But it's different when it's personal. Like, people joke about war all the time and there are lots of parodies of death, murder, suicide, whatnot... and it's all fine and good, mainly because it never really hits close to home. Sometimes, it even helps us put things into perspective.

But nobody ever thinks about the people who are closely affected by things like this. It's not as funny when these things happen to you, personally.

[*suddenly she*]

same thing with alcohol and getting stoned and sex and hurting yourself.
i really hate how people are just so casual about it.

[angelrevelation]

something similar sort of happened in health class. we were talking about smoking and watching a video where supermodel was talking about how her dad died from smoking, and this one kid made some sarcastic remark (i guess since she was model) and this other guy was really offended because his mom smokes and he's worried about her.

[Smoogrish]

Jeffrey, shut up.

Another point this brings up- when people joke about being gay and calling other people gay as an insult- that seriuosly ticks me off. I've heard people say stuff like "shut up, you gay homo" and junk like that, and I can't help but wonder- what would they say to that if they were gay?

[smoke]

^ I think when people say "That's gay" or something like that they don't mean the literal term gay, which would mean happy, or the homosexual term. They mean it as "stupid" or something. It's the same as saying "That's retarded" when whatever they're referring to isn't really retarded. I still don't agree with either one.

[SarahxJoy]

But, sometimes,... I think people should really learn to think before they speak and stop making serious issues into something to laugh about. Because it's not funny. At all.

I completely agree. It's how I feel about jokes that have to do with races. You're right, it's not funny at all. I'm sorry to hear about your teacher as well.

[*chaneun*]

I laughed at that. Does that make me a heartless person? I don't know.
I mean, people would make a big deal of it after he died, but before his death it would obviously be overlooked and be laughed at.

[Mistress Bags]

I make jokes like that simply because I don't enjoy taking serious things seriously. It helps lighten the subject and not make it as horrible. Of course, you have to know where to draw the line, and that's the problem with most people.

[expoised]

I laughed at that. Does that make me a heartless person? I don't know.
I mean, people would make a big deal of it after he died, but before his death it would obviously be overlooked and be laughed at.

So you laughed at that...

I don't really find it funny, but think about this:

If you were his son, would you laugh at it? Even before his death?

[*chaneun*]

poised' date='Sep 10 2006, 12:55 AM' post='2276548']
So you laughed at that...

I don't really find it funny, but think about this:

If you were his son, would you laugh at it? Even before his death?

I didn't even know him personally.
If someone you didn't know (personally or not) died, would you care? People die every day, you know.
Sure, death isn't supposed to be something that you laugh at, but you can't just spend every second of your life putting yourself in the position of someone that knew another person personally.