I've seen a lot of supposedly funny skits and such involving amputation of limbs. Amputation is a horrifying prospect. Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are coming back missing one, two, or even three limbs. In places like Sierra Leone, "freedom fighters" amputate the limbs of men, women, and children as a means of terrorism. They just chop of arms and hands with a dull machete.
I saw part of a Monty Python movie, and I think it was "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." There's a famous/notorious scene in which an armored knight has both his arms and one leg amputated. Blood is gushing from his stumps. He insists that it's "only a flesh wound" and bounces around on his remaining leg. IIRC, his last leg is struck off, and he asks his attacker to come closer so he could chew him to death. How funny!
I'm not sure if people laugh at this because they like seeing someone grievously wounded, or they laugh because they don't know what else to do in the face of horror. I think some people got a kick out of seeing Gary Sinise without legs as Lt. Dan in "Forrest Gump." Vietnam veterans are always fair game, characterized as drug addicted and crazy. I imagine in twenty years after the "support the troops" boosterism ends, kids will be cracking jokes about gimpy Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
So, what's so damn funny about watching someone lose a limb?
I saw part of a Monty Python movie, and I think it was "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." There's a famous/notorious scene in which an armored knight has both his arms and one leg amputated. Blood is gushing from his stumps. He insists that it's "only a flesh wound" and bounces around on his remaining leg. IIRC, his last leg is struck off, and he asks his attacker to come closer so he could chew him to death. How funny!
I'm not sure if people laugh at this because they like seeing someone grievously wounded, or they laugh because they don't know what else to do in the face of horror. I think some people got a kick out of seeing Gary Sinise without legs as Lt. Dan in "Forrest Gump." Vietnam veterans are always fair game, characterized as drug addicted and crazy. I imagine in twenty years after the "support the troops" boosterism ends, kids will be cracking jokes about gimpy Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
So, what's so damn funny about watching someone lose a limb?