# Do you enjoy dark humor? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 7, 2017, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-dark-humor/803816 "2017-12-07T19:12:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-dark-humor/803816/1 "2017-12-07T19:12:56Z")
Current thread in Café Society about [Animal House](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=843974). Opinions vary on why it is or isn’t a great flick, but what stands out for me is what some see as the political incorrectness of the humor, which I see as simply dark humor well executed. Different strokes. Anyway, dark humor, gallows humor, basically finding the funny in stuff that is just really awful like Helen Keller jokes, dead baby jokes, jokes about murder, rape, traumatic amputation, etc. are easy to take offense at. But I find it fascinating that some people can see the joke for the anti-statement it is (priest/choir boy rape jokes are funny precisely because the subject matter violates multiple sensibilities at the same time), whereas others refuse or are otherwise disinclined to even accept the premise of the “joke.” Now clearly I’ll be voting “yes” in the poll, but I do have limits. Specifically, there is exactly one facet of the human experience I simply can’t laugh at (and this bothers me intellectually) because of a personal experience. If you vote “No” I would be interested to know if you have a qualifier like that, and but for that topic the rest of the genre is either acceptable or benign to you. I wouldn’t ask what your taboo is, because I’m not disclosing mine. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-dark-humor/803816/2 "2017-12-07T19:22:05Z")
And I voted for the wrong Yes in my own poll, and then botched this explanation. I am a retard. ---
**Author:** ![Crazy\_Canuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazy_canuck/32/5282_2.png) [@Crazy\_Canuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazy_Canuck)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-dark-humor/803816/3 "2017-12-07T19:38:10Z")
While I love it, I’ve found that dark humor is like food. Not everyone gets it. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-dark-humor/803816/4 "2017-12-07T19:41:04Z")
Many times, I have thought ‘that is sooo wrong’ while snortling. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-dark-humor/803816/5 "2017-12-07T19:41:41Z")
I love it and I don’t think any subject is off limits. That’s not the same as saying anything at all can be said in any situation on any subject. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-dark-humor/803816/6 "2017-12-07T19:43:47Z")
I like dark humor, but I don’t think _Animal House_ is. It’s more of a goofy, anarchic style of humor. To me, a film such as _Beetlejuice_ or _Throw Momma From the Train_ is dark humor. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-dark-humor/803816/7 "2017-12-07T19:45:23Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > I love it and I don’t think any subject is off limits. That’s not the same as saying anything at all can be said in any situation on any subject. Good observation. Finding humor is not the same as being incapable of displaying decency and reverence. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-dark-humor/803816/8 "2017-12-07T19:53:30Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > I like dark humor, but I don’t think _Animal House_ is. It’s more of a goofy, anarchic style of humor. To me, a film such as _Beetlejuice_ or _Throw Momma From the Train_ is dark humor. Dark humor to me is movies like Natural Born Killers, Pulp Fiction, and Fargo. I’ve never seen Throw Mama From the Train but definitely sounds like that would qualify. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-dark-humor/803816/9 "2017-12-07T20:27:45Z")
> [@B-Rad](#): > > Current thread in Café Society about [Animal House](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=843974). Opinions vary on why it is or isn’t a great flick, but what stands out for me is what some see as the political incorrectness of the humor, which I see as simply dark humor well executed. Different strokes. > > Anyway, dark humor, gallows humor, basically finding the funny in stuff that is just really awful like Helen Keller jokes, dead baby jokes, jokes about murder, rape, traumatic amputation, etc. are easy to take offense at. But I find it fascinating that some people can see the joke for the anti-statement it is (priest/choir boy rape jokes are funny precisely because the subject matter violates multiple sensibilities at the same time), whereas others refuse or are otherwise disinclined to even accept the premise of the “joke.” IMNSHO, if you can laugh at Blazing Saddles or Spaceballs or History of the World, you can laugh at anything. I think Mel Brooks set out to offend everyone on Earth and damn near succeeded. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-dark-humor/803816/10 "2017-12-07T20:36:43Z")
If Animal House was dark humor it would be a completely different film. I myself can’t say any broad thing about my tastes in humor. I like humor that is funny to me. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-dark-humor/803816/11 "2017-12-07T20:56:51Z")
There’s a difference between jokes involving rape and straight forward using rape as a humorous element. There’s also a difference between making a movie and playing Cards against humanity with friends. None of the options fit my view, so I didn’t vote. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-dark-humor/803816/12 "2017-12-07T20:59:17Z")
Animal House isn’t “dark humor, gallows humor”, or humour as we’d say. It’s adolescent toilet humour, fart and poo jokes. It’s funny because it offends somebody else. Gallows humour is “there, but for the grace of god, go I”. It’s funny, sometime uproariously so, because it offends your own sense of offence. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-dark-humor/803816/13 "2017-12-07T21:44:32Z")
[Anthony Jeselnik](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjg4LKt7_jXAhVM32MKHY55CswQtwIILTAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DT9SKkd79AjQ&usg=AOvVaw1vX72kPR-sTk7vA-znhWqd) is dark humor. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-dark-humor/803816/14 "2017-12-07T21:51:57Z")
> [@B-Rad](#): > > And I voted for the wrong Yes in my own poll, and then botched this explanation. I am a retard. Is retardation the facet where you draw the line? ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-dark-humor/803816/15 "2017-12-07T21:52:20Z")
That depends, does it pick cotton? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-dark-humor/803816/16 "2017-12-07T21:53:44Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > [Anthony Jeselnik](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjg4LKt7_jXAhVM32MKHY55CswQtwIILTAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DT9SKkd79AjQ&usg=AOvVaw1vX72kPR-sTk7vA-znhWqd) is dark humor. He’s a guy I always change the channel to avoid. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-dark-humor/803816/17 "2017-12-07T21:54:27Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Is retardation the facet where you draw the line? Ahhh…I see what you did there. Nice one! ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-dark-humor/803816/18 "2017-12-07T21:56:52Z")
For me, the darker the humor, the more brilliant it needs to be. It doesn’t necessarily need to be insightful into human nature or anything, but it does need to have some serious chops. Lazy humor that references stereotypes often misbrands itself as edgy or dark. Shock humor does the same thing: if the humor of your joke is supposed to be that I’m sad about murdering children, it’s just gonna annoy me. I hate that lazy shit. (Note that lazy bland humor is just fine with me; lord knows I tell my share of dumb dad jokes). But if your humor is like the meme that Crazy Canuck referenced (I saw it as a quote from Stalin), I’m gonna enjoy the hell out of it. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2017, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-dark-humor/803816/19 "2017-12-07T22:21:30Z")
_Animal House_ isn’t dark humor, it’s sophomoric. For dark humor you have to look to things like _The Sopranos_. I totally missed The Sopranos during the initial run because I thought it was a crime story. When I finally started watching I realized there were more laughs in a single episode than in a whole season of most sitcoms. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-dark-humor/803816/20 "2017-12-08T01:38:50Z")
OK, gotta chime in with the others about _Animal House_ being dark humor. There’s nothing dark about it at all. Mel Brooks? Seriously? Not dark at all. When I think dark humor, I think stuff like _Delicatessen_, _Man Bites Dog_, _Fargo_, _Heathers_, _Happiness_, that sort of thing. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-enjoy-dark-humor/803816.md?page=2)