Is it OK to laugh at terrorism?

[Daniel]

Last week I saw an excellent film about terrorism called Four Lions, the only odd thing about it is that it's a comedy. It's caused a significant amount of controversy for its depiction of five British, Islamic Jihadists from Sheffield (my hometown, no less). The project was originally rejected by the BBC and Channel 4 for being too controversial and the comments on the trailer of it on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGk2TojOd-4) are quite divisive.

Obviously jokes about catastrophies like 9/11 and 7/7 are beyond the pail. Or are they? Surely we can't joke about Al-Quaeda and Osama Bin Laden. Or can we? Is joking about terrorism always beyond the limits or are they within the parameters? What are the rules and caveats to humour like this?

I am personally of the opinion that comedy is all about context. Making jokes about all the deaths in 9/11 is wrong, that's obvious. It's offensive. But making fun about the terrorists (i'm only using the concept of Islamic terrorists because the idea for this thread is derived from the film) and their ideas is totally justified. It's better to laugh at them, than live in fear.

p.s. Sorry if this thread is a bit rubbish, it's my first one and i'm still getting used to forums.

 

[Miko]

Yeah it's okay to laugh at terrorism, if you dont laugh what are you gonna do? Cry? Pretend to give a shit?

To be honest there shouldnt be a single subject that's out of bounds completely, out of bounds in certain places, times, around certain people maybe, as there is a difference between offending some stuck up snobby do gooder, and genuinely upsetting someone with a good reason to be upset.

As far as making comedy films about it, all I can say is, it will offend some people, but they dont have to watch the film. Others find it funny, and I go along with the sentiment that it's good to laugh at terrorism, shows that we dont give a shit what they throw at us and all that.

 

[Schizophrenic]

Yes and no. If we don't laugh what else is there to do at certain things? Terrorism is a tough subject though considering what actually happens but I would be hypocritical to say that I don't laugh at real serious things when shown in a humorous light. I'm not going to watch a building explode with terrorist going "Boom Boom" and laugh. However will I laugh at Family Guy when they mock the terrorists and their ideas? Hell yeah.

This also reminds me of a ROH event in NYC when Aries made a comment that "a few years ago in September there were some New Yorkers who weren't so tough." When everyone just went silent he then said, "What? Too soon?" One on hand it was funny but considering it was IN New York I can see why people would be/were offended.

 

[Ferbian]

I guess considering the movie was supposed to be a comedy, that you're put in a position where it's okay to laugh, but I would say you're laughing at the movie, I wouldn't exactly say laughing at the subject that the movie addresses, should be something you're allowed to laugh at.

But that's just me, I don't think it's fair to laugh at a particular event or subject so touchy like Terrorism, death or lethal illnesses, sure a movie could have a funny scene of someone acting up oddly while getting a heart attack (using an example) and the way the person acts up is entertaining, yet you shouldn't laugh at the subject that the scene particularly address, death / heart attacks, which are two things that should be taken seriously.

So I would say, if it's addressed in a movie where the purpose of it is to entertain you, then you should be allowed to laugh, but if the subject is brought up in a conversation, or any other matter that isn't brought up for the purpose of making you laugh, laughing shouldn't be the emotion which you resolve to.

 

[Spidey Revivey]

Last week I saw an excellent film about terrorism called Four Lions, the only odd thing about it is that it's a comedy. It's caused a significant amount of controversy for its depiction of five British, Islamic Jihadists from Sheffield (my hometown, no less). The project was originally rejected by the BBC and Channel 4 for being too controversial and the comments on the trailer of it on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGk2TojOd-4) are quite divisive.

I saw the movie as well online. I found it humorous regardless the subject matter.

Obviously jokes about catastrophies like 9/11 and 7/7 are beyond the pail. Or are they? Surely we can't joke about Al-Quaeda and Osama Bin Laden. Or can we? Is joking about terrorism always beyond the limits or are they within the parameters? What are the rules and caveats to humour like this?

Honestly, in this day and age there are no real limits. People make "dead baby" and "Helen Keller" jokes all the time- I consider them more offensive then anything they could do to a terrorist in a movie for laughs. Plenty of people will find it humorous, recite the jokes, and go on with their lives. And movies should never be taken literally in the first place.

I am personally of the opinion that comedy is all about context. Making jokes about all the deaths in 9/11 is wrong, that's obvious. It's offensive. But making fun about the terrorists (i'm only using the concept of Islamic terrorists because the idea for this thread is derived from the film) and their ideas is totally justified. It's better to laugh at them, than live in fear.

Mel Brooks made fun of Nazis in his movies. Hell even Looney Toons did. Was it offensive? To me, not in the slightest. I see no problem with making fun of those that try to put fear in the lives of others. I find it very justifiable. And what else is there to do then but to laugh?

p.s. Sorry if this thread is a bit rubbish, it's my first one and i'm still getting used to forums.

As your first post, I think you deserve rep. You made me think a bit on things. I like that.

 

[The Big Gunnzbowski]

I think the sad thing about it is, in reality, no... I mean, laugh if you will, but the world has finally reached a point of conflict that will NEVER end. Each of the WW's ended. Vietnam ended. The Gulf War, for all intents and purposes, ended. But 9/11 started a conflict that will NEVER end. The extremists will never give up and will always have fodder on the front lines to continue fighting. We won't stop until they're gone and they won't stop until they've got us living in fear every day of our lives... There's nothing funny about the state of conflict our countries are in. The Terrorists are idiots, which is obvious. Should we take them seriously? Sure... but knowing what they've done to numerous people and what they intend to do in the future is not a joke and shouldn't be taken as such. Context matters a great deal in this particular situation, but I don't personally think it's one to be the subject of any laughing matter... Unless of course it's "Team America: World Police"

 

[The Mark of Zur-En-Arrh]

Is it right to mock terrorism? No way it isn't, but most people don't care about what's 'right' these days and just churn out any old crap to turn a profit. The more controvertial a film is, the more people spout their opinions, and the more people check it out as a result to see what all the fuss is.

Is it right to mock terrorists? It's not wise, but why the hell not? Why should they bullet proof from satirical criticism?

Is it right to mock terrorist acts? No it isn't. Terrorism usually involves countless innocents being severely injured/killed just so a minority group can send a message that no one pays any attention to. It is one of the biggest wastes of life in the modern day, and that's all it achieves.

I mean do Al Quaeda and all the rest seriously think that we'll sit down and re-evaluate our lives, and put serious consideration into listening to their perspective after they kill a few hundred of us? Or are we more likely to light some torches, form a posse and string them up by their scrotums?

'Errrrm, i think i'll take option B please.'

Terrorists don't get there way, governments ignore them and do something to try and appease the fears of the public, and then 200 more people are blown up. And the cycle continues.

I've heard of this movie, most people are pissed off that what it depicts has too many parallels with what happened in the London bombings in 2007. I'm not going to watch it because based on some of the stuff i've read and clips i've seen, it simply doesn't look funny. Forget the fact that i'm English and it's mocking terrorism in England, i'm not fussed with that. But a lot of people will be, and a lot won't care at all.

But do i think it's right to do so? No i don't, but i accept that it's a social norm these days, and i just stay clear of it, which is what all the other naysayers should do. Unless someone asks you whether you agree with the movie or not, shut up. Don't go around getting films banned just because you don't want to see it.

 

[Daniel]

There are some good points. I think the distinguishing difference when it comes to it is whether it mocks the victims of terrorism or the perpatrators. The people who pick and choose bits of the Qur'an to justify their beliefs. The film definitely does the latter. That's why I (and a Muslim friend of mine whom I saw it with) love the movie.

This also reminds me of a ROH event in NYC when Aries made a comment that "a few years ago in September there were some New Yorkers who weren't so tough." When everyone just went silent he then said, "What? Too soon?" One on hand it was funny but considering it was IN New York I can see why people would be/were offended.

That's an interesting point. If I was affected by 9/11 in some way I would find that deeply offensive. But i'm not, so it doesn't offend me. I guess it's subjective.

 

[Razor]

There were people making fun of 9/11 the week after. I mean, come on.

What else are we going to do about Terrorism, as Miko said? Let it run our lives? The minute we curtail our freedoms or activities in response to a terrorist attack the terrorists have won. It's that simple. As Benjamin Franklin said,

He who sacrifices freedom for security deserves neither.

And as such, jokes about terrorism fall under freedom.

As far as I'm concerned, people should be able to joke about a terrorist attack the minute after it's happened. Nothing bad should befall them, and society should not seek to curtail their freedom of speech. It'll be of bad taste, and people will have their feelings hurt, but so what? It's his freedom of speech. If someone can claim that all Jews are greedy bankers who orchestrated WW2 to give them a reason to steal land from the Ottoman Muslims and the Palestinians, then someone else can claim that the terrorists who committed 9/11 simply wanted to see what the big deal was about the WTCs, and flying straight up to the 50th floors was the fastest way they could think of to get in.

Make the jokes all you want. The minute you can't joke is the minute terrorism has won. Just ask South Park, or that Danish cartoonist that was stabbed multiple times for drawing a picture of Muhammad.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

The basis for Four Lions was an incident in 2007 when four muslim extremists attempted to car bomb Glasgow airport,their cherokee jeep went on fire and they got beaten up by a baggage man... This gave the writer of Four Lions the idea of four idiots trying to plot a terrorist attack. Here is the YouTube URLs of news footage of the baggage handler, John Smighton, and two comedy skits about him- one a fake movie trailer, the other Billy Connelly talking about him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ngh-Cxrd_U&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=El0YUXr90Cg&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdNPanb3puo&feature=related

Ok folks, DO NOT WATCH the first clip listed below if you are in anyway sensitive... it is the South Park sketch out of the film The Aristocrats and IS intended to offend. The other two clips are Irish based, the first one titled What have the IRA done for us? and the second one being a Northern Irish comedian (Patrick Kielty)... while not as flat out in your face disgusting as the South Park sketch, some of the humour is still very close to the knuckle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyKGHVA6rb0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82XekR_5ymo&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uW0x...9378C17A1&playnext_from=PL&index=0&playnext=1

My feelings on this are that people are, for the most part, free to say what they want and I support that right. I personally, do not find the South Park sketch funny. However, the whole purpose of the joke in this sketch is to be as corse and un-pc as possible. I do find much of the Irish humour to my liking because we have been laughing at ourselves for decades- throughout the Troubles comedians like Jimmy Young poked fun at both sides and we all loved him for it. Everybody has different tolerations for humour, some people will get offended by passing wind in a movie or tv show, others might find the South Park sketch hilarious or even think it could have went further. I don't believe it's my responsibility to police this nor would I wish to be policed.