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Unidentified Hacker,
The story that Jimmy is referring to is Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal", which caused a scandal in the 1700 or 1800s because people didn't know how to take satire. (He was kidding, okay, kidding). He was an Irishman mocking the English (imagine that!) and saying that the answer to Irish overpopulation was obviously to eat babies. Some people did not know how to take a joke.
posted by
Blanche.
on June 24, 2005 at 12:33 AM
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All right, I had to print this out, so I could read it while I rack my brain. Drat it, Hacker, you always make me think, and I'd rather pontificate than think. That's also why I hope you'll stick around. Okay, here goes, get out the highlighter *takes swig of iced coffee for added inspiration* tragedy up close, comedy from a distance.
Well, since you gave a clue, that comedy is not always tickle your ribs, make you laugh out loud kind of funny, possibly it's more in the sense of "absurd": ( and also your answer to Factorfiction about the Holocaust) here's my take.
As I look over all the scenarios: man dropping heavy thing on foot, person getting mugged for money, woman raped, man/woman murdered for adultery, war, nuclear bomb, Holocaust. The first 4 are all more personal, cause and effect type actions. The last 3 are global, more impersonal, on a grand scale. Your answer re: the Holocaust was that it was caused by ideology, humans murdereing other humans to prove their superiority, yet in the grand scheme of things we are all specks or motes of dust in the universe.
The man drops a bowling ball, let's say on his foot, swears, jumps around, it hurts, possibly he's broken it, yet he dropped it, it's own fault, (cause and effect), unless he wants to blame gravity. It's a grand tragedy to him, but not to anyone else. The foot will heal, hopefully.
The mugging? Tragedy: the muggee is scared, poorer, in fear for his or her life. Comedy: the mugger may be destitute, driven to steal by poverty and lack of options, in the end we're all dead.
Rape? It's hard for me to see the lighter side of rape. It's a personal tragedy, maybe affecting one person, and her circle of family, husband or boyfriend and friends, but it's not something I take lightly.
A murder due to adultery? Cause and effect? The cheating spouse created such feelings of rage in their spouse they "caused" their own death?
War and the nuclear bomb probably fall into the same category as the Holocaust: horrible and terrible to the human race, but seemingly insignificant in the "larger" scheme of things. War, an absurbity fought over absurdities: national pride, boundaries, religions, thousands of years old vendettas that no one seems to be able to solve.
However, I can't really believe in the "grand scheme", in the remote, distant perspective, nor do most people, I think take a distant perspective. It's immediate and personal. Also, personal responsibility and accountability is a concept I link to my belief in God, who is both infinitely microcosmic and macrocosmic, aware of even the minutiae. So, taking the "in the long run we're all dead" approach of John Maynard Keynes, while it may help to be removed, does not take into account personal responsibility. Tell me what you think.
posted by
Blanche.
on June 23, 2005 at 8:18 PM
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Jimmy
I didn't know about that one, but you're right, same sense of humor. Makes me wonder if all life is as silly as us, or if we're just special because we're more "intelligent"?
posted by
Unidentified_Hacker
on June 21, 2005 at 8:00 AM
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Factor
Hmm, maybe you're right eh? Not quite comedy. Maybe Jimmy's got it right with satire
posted by
Unidentified_Hacker
on June 21, 2005 at 7:58 AM
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Satire maybe...
there was that Irish writer who proposed that the Irish should encourage canabalism in the English, so they could sell them their children as delacasies and so support the rest of the family during the potato famine...similar sense of humor...
posted by
jimmy68
on June 20, 2005 at 11:04 PM
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I gotcha
But most people don't think in terms of that big of a picture obviously. I think comedy isn't quite the term you are looking for though. It's on the tip of my tongue but not coming because I am tired....
posted by
FactorFiction
on June 20, 2005 at 5:55 PM
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Mia and Lovely Lady
Haha, I don’t know that it’s “over your head”, it might just be “out there”. Here is my answer to the 2nd part of the last question.
The Holocaust is an example of human comedy, as I see it. Here we have members of one species eradicating other members of the same species due to ideas and beliefs that were created by that very species! How ridiculous is that? What’s more, when you look at the grand scheme of things, human beings are pretty insignificant in the universe, which serves to complete the comedy. We put such emphasis on the Holocaust and consider it one of the most significant events in human history, which when you look at it up close (up close being from the point of view of all humanity) it really is. But when you look at from far away (far away being the point of view of the universe), it’s a hardly noticeable drop in the population, and a testament to how silly and ridiculous human beings really are.
posted by
Unidentified_Hacker
on June 20, 2005 at 1:12 PM
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Oh, I forgot the *
*I have no proof of that
posted by
Unidentified_Hacker
on June 20, 2005 at 1:02 PM
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I agree Lovely
-Or a rape....maybe Hacker should share his own thoughts because I'm sure it's over our heads....lol
posted by
MiaElla
on June 20, 2005 at 12:49 PM
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Very interesting questions, Hacker...
Unfortunately, I can't see the humorous side to any of these situations...Especially the Holocaust...
posted by
lovelyladymonk
on June 20, 2005 at 12:48 PM
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Uni,
If my brain worked like yours, I'd never sleep.
Probably because my head hurts when I have to think....lol.
Was worried about you, glad you finally posted something....lol...
posted by
MiaElla
on June 20, 2005 at 12:45 PM
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