Tragedy vs. Comedy

[geodave]

Okay, this is an odd topic, but I have to see if anyone else relates.

I was a teenager when Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys died. When I heard the news, I laughed because he drowned. I guess it seemed ironic at the time.

Years later, when I listened to Lindsey Buckingham's D.W. Suite, which was dedicated to his friend Dennis Wilson, I felt his pain and realized that this was actually tragic and not so funny. (BTW, this is an excellent piece. I recommend getting ahold of the Go Insane CD if you can. There's a place where he breaks into the line "pray for guidance from above / shine out all your hopes with love / never never learn to doubt". One of the greatest lyrics ever from an impact perspective.)

So, have you ever had a "is this funny or tragic?" moment?

[James]

So, have you ever had a "is this funny or tragic?" moment?

Why the false dichotomy? Moments can easily be both, and in fact emotions are almost always blended and present in various degrees. I have had many moments of simultaneous narcissism/altruism, satisfaction/sorrow, love/hate, etc.

[Lessinath]

Generally, GLaDOS is right - Comedy = tragedy + time. However, as we all know, life is not always simple and straightforward like that.. so there are lots of exceptions. Sometimes, as you mentioned, it's even completely inverted.

[BitBuster]

The first half of Full Metal Jacket is the sort of thing you shouldn't laugh at, but most people do anyway.

I remember some kids laughing when we heard about 9/11. Just a coping mechanism (or 7th grade immaturity), I suppose.

Elvis dying while taking a crap is both sickeningly funny and amazingly depressing, depending on how you look at it. Absurdity...but which direction do you take it in?

[geodave]

"I love to hate you" -- Erasure

[BitBuster]

"How could you leave me when I needed to possess you? I hated you...I loved you too."

- Kate Bush

[jblewis]

On a related note, I'm always impressed when an actor playing an emotionally conflicted or purely insane character manages to sound like he's crying and laughing at the same time.

[BitBuster]

...examples?

[geodave]

I don't like the way we left Erasure behind.....

"Oooooo, why is life so precious and so cruel?"

[AdrenalinDragon]

On a related note, I'm always impressed when an actor playing an emotionally conflicted or purely insane character manages to sound like he's crying and laughing at the same time.

Forcing to cry is hard enough, but laughing too? I guess you have to really be born a psycho to really be able to pull that off convincingly.

For me, nothing beats some good ol' dark humour!