# I Pit Myself For Thinking This Is Funny **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 24, 2008, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-myself-for-thinking-this-is-funny/464926 "2008-09-24T01:59:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-myself-for-thinking-this-is-funny/464926/81 "2008-09-24T19:41:33Z")
> [@InvisibleWombat](#): > > I confess - I see the irony in the statement about sullying India’s image. > > HOWEVER: > > You know, I read the entire article, and didn’t see any evidence whatsoever that the CEO was a fat-cat. > > We have an ugly stereotype that all CEOs run Fortune-500 companies and have the ethics of the AIG morons and crooks. The VAST majority of CEOs run small or medium companies, and I’ve seen no evidence that their average ethics are any worse than the people who work for them. Many of the CEOs that I know (including myself at various times in my life) have invested everything they own in getting the company running. At one point, I was the lowest-paid employee in my own company, and I know quite a few CEOs that have forfeited or delayed their own pay to try to avoid having to fire people. > > So I see no humor in a man that’s trying to do his job well, take care of his family, _and help 100 former employees by finding a way to reinstate their jobs_ getting beaten to death by the people he’s trying to help. Agreed. I don’t really see why this is funny, and I’ve got a more perverse mind than most. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-myself-for-thinking-this-is-funny/464926/82 "2008-09-24T20:51:42Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Jesus. You people take things way to fucking literally. Look at it from 10,000 feet down. > > CEO. > Workers. > Fate. > Irony. > > I’m not digging into the guys friggin’ tax returns. I’m making a general statement about irony. If a member of Greenpeace was swallowed whole by a beluga whale, I wouldn’t be checking to see if he had dreadlocks or not before pointing out the irony. You really don’t see the difference? Presumably, all members of Greenpeace agree with the stated goals of the organization, one of which is preserving species like beluga whales. There is irony in your example because someone who is trying to save the whales is eaten by a whale. It would be even funnier if it was a baby beluga whale and they were watching the “Baby Beluga” music video on a hand-cranked environmentally-friendly TV set on the boat as the Greenpeace member leaned too far over the railing while attempting to remove a splinter from the daddy beluga’s fin and fell in and got eaten by the baby. Now THAT’s irony. In the OPs example, on the other hand, there’s no irony. A dude calls 100 workers to come in so he can help them to get their jobs back. They beat him to death. Where does “Fate” or “Irony” figure in? ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-myself-for-thinking-this-is-funny/464926/83 "2008-09-24T21:03:24Z")
It’s funny because they’re brown. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-myself-for-thinking-this-is-funny/464926/84 "2008-09-24T21:06:55Z")
> [@InvisibleWombat](#): > > You really don’t see the difference? > > Presumably, all members of Greenpeace agree with the stated goals of the organization, one of which is preserving species like beluga whales. There is irony in your example because someone who is trying to save the whales is eaten by a whale. It would be even funnier if it was a baby beluga whale and they were watching the “Baby Beluga” music video on a hand-cranked environmentally-friendly TV set on the boat as the Greenpeace member leaned too far over the railing while attempting to remove a splinter from the daddy beluga’s fin and fell in and got eaten by the baby. Now THAT’s irony. > > In the OPs example, on the other hand, there’s no irony. A dude calls 100 workers to come in so he can help them to get their jobs back. They beat him to death. Where does “Fate” or “Irony” figure in? I am going to try to explain my position one more time. After that, you’re on your own. **Half Man Half Wit** said: “… I just don’t see the joke here… Anybody care to explain?” In an attempt to explain the gist of the OP I said that it didn’t seem he thought it was humorous, but that it seemed ironic. End of story … … until you fucking rode in on your shiny white horse to grill me on the details of whether or not I can officially refer to him as a 'fat-cat" considering something which by that time I wasn’t even paying attention to anymore because you seemed to talking just to hear yourself talk (type to see yourself type?). For fuck’s sake. The OP was pointing out something ironic. I pointed out that OP was pointing out something ironic. All of a sudden I’m like the Thugee ringleader out for CEO blood and a wish for elevated beluga whale feeding or some shit. Fine, you don’t see the irony in the OP. And you know what, it’s a pretty thin thread of irony as it is, but I see it just fine. I’m not arguing about any merits of workers beating CEO’s. I’m not arguing that what happened was a good thing. I’m not even arguing that what happened is a bad thing. I’m only saying, once more for the cheap seats … The OP was pointing out a piece or irony. Not funny, haha … funny, hmmmm. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-myself-for-thinking-this-is-funny/464926/85 "2008-09-24T21:21:14Z")
The problem Jack is not even Alannis would call this irony (and she’s got low standards). It’s only irony if you think that firing an employee is somehow inherently a violent or at least bad and shameful act, which is a hippy douchebag position. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-myself-for-thinking-this-is-funny/464926/86 "2008-09-24T21:22:55Z")
Marley23, did you just call me an asshole and then agree with me? What’s up with that? ---
**Author:** ![wisernow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@wisernow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wisernow)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-myself-for-thinking-this-is-funny/464926/87 "2008-09-24T21:31:01Z")
> [@aankh](#): > > I love my India but I will not go back to stay. Then you don’t love it! If you love someone or something. you want it, you get it and stay with it forever or at least until the love wears off. > [@Anaamika](#): > > I’m an NRI (non-resident Indian) and I have to admit that I chuckled, too. A sort of gallows humor is necessary for survival. What is this ‘gallows humor’ you talk about? A decent man working a decent job gets lynched and dies, and you see ‘gallows humor’ in it?? I really fail to see what is funny here. Do you have a similar incident elsewhere that I can compare it to which might help me see the funny side of it? While I do not condone the act of the workers who did this, IMO the CEO is partly responsible for what happened. In the first place, a CEO should not be going out to talk or discuss anything in the midst of a mob of restive workers. That in itself is a bad judgement call and a terribly bad choice. Second, even if he did have to go out for whatever reason, he should have arranged adequate security cover. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-myself-for-thinking-this-is-funny/464926/88 "2008-09-24T21:34:57Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > Marley23, did you just call me an asshole and then agree with me? What’s up with that? When I first read through the thread, my reading was that most of the posters were laughing at the “sully the image” statement. I found that funny and I don’t feel bad about it. Eventually I saw one or two posters actually saying what you were accusing everybody of saying (although they didn’t post until after you did). Making it into something about filthy hippies or liberals is stupid when the issue is individual density, but we did eventually get some liberal-sounding stupidity in the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-myself-for-thinking-this-is-funny/464926/89 "2008-09-24T21:48:00Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Well, I guess you could call that a union. Nah, just a team-builder. They should spin it as “our employees work as a team even when they’re not on the clock”. ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-myself-for-thinking-this-is-funny/464926/90 "2008-09-24T22:07:49Z")
[QUOTE=Ayn Rand] The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me. [/QUOTE] Guess it wasn’t the CEO. Picker (hippy, liberal, able to appreciate irony, still not a douchebag like Rand Rover) ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-myself-for-thinking-this-is-funny/464926/91 "2008-09-24T22:18:12Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > The problem Jack is not even Alannis would call this irony (and she’s got low standards). It’s only irony if you think that firing an employee is somehow inherently a violent or at least bad and shameful act, which is a hippy douchebag position. I would consider your position carefully, however, you are a dick-hole, so I shan’t. Just because you are so morally sterling that you are unble to see the irony of workers oppressing a CEO (beating to death is pretty oppressive), doesn’t mean it’s not ironic. And, (I swear this is the last time I say this), the particulars of the story don’t even enter into what I’ve been trying to point out, quite simply, that the OP wasn’t laughing at the death of this guy but at the mother-effing irony of it. No it’s not going to show up in any Irony Hall of Fame, but you’re making all of this out as some anti-hippy screed. By the way, 1968 called – they want their epithets back. So keep your typical bullshit outrage to yourself, thank you very much. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2008, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-myself-for-thinking-this-is-funny/464926/92 "2008-09-24T22:47:47Z")
I must be crazy. I just told my husband about this story and he started laughing. I said, “How is that funny?” Instead of answering, he looked at this poor old woman from Galveston who was crying because everything had been lost (I was even tearing up) and Hubby told her to quit crying. I had to leave the room. I feel lost right now. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-myself-for-thinking-this-is-funny/464926/93 "2008-09-25T01:03:31Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > I must be crazy. I just told my husband about this story and he started laughing. I said, “How is that funny?” Instead of answering, he looked at this poor old woman from Galveston who was crying because everything had been lost (I was even tearing up) and Hubby told her to quit crying. I had to leave the room. I feel lost right now. Lose the zero and get with the hero bebby. (Just kidding I’m married) ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2008, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-myself-for-thinking-this-is-funny/464926/94 "2008-09-25T01:24:33Z")
The irony in this story is weak enough as to be practically non-existent. To remedy this, I present you with [this](http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=50662) story of mob violence which we can all feel good about: > [@](#): > > The earthquake also exposed serious problems with the building industry in Turkey. Many of the region’s newer buildings collapsed in an instant when the quake struck. It was revealed that, in many building projects, cheap iron rods had been used and there was too much sand mixed in the concrete, resulting in structural instability. It became clear that building regulations had not been enforced. In response, contractors, engineers and building owners were arrested throughout the area. Veli Grocer, a contractor in Yalova, had his house burned down by angry victims and was eventually forced to flee from the country ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-myself-for-thinking-this-is-funny/464926/95 "2008-09-26T04:35:28Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Just because you are so morally sterling that you are unble to see the irony of workers oppressing a CEO (beating to death is pretty oppressive), doesn’t mean it’s not ironic. You know how I know you are a hippy douchebag? You think the simple fact of one being a CEO means he “oppresses” workers. ---
**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-myself-for-thinking-this-is-funny/464926/96 "2008-09-26T04:57:12Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > I thought the “funny” part was the sullying India’s image…gee, ya think? It just seems a little giggleworthy in its understatementness. > > But it was the merest of ironic giggles, I swear. And **aankh** ’s post quickly moved it to a saddened sigh. That’s what I thought was the funny part too. The whole thing was a little humorous in a “wow, that’s really and unexpectedly horrible” sort of way, but it was that quote that made me laugh. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-myself-for-thinking-this-is-funny/464926/97 "2008-09-26T05:32:36Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > You know how I know you are a hippy douchebag? You think the simple fact of one being a CEO means he “oppresses” workers. You know how I know you have an incredibly small penis? You keep saying “hippy douchebag”. What? Is that like some weird internet fetish you’ve discovered or somthing? I mean, you really are an incredible moron aren’t you? Generally, historically, stereotypically, if there was ever any sort of oppression between workers and owners (or CEO’s if you will), it was Owner oppressing Worker. Hence the (admittedly thin) irony. Leave the minutia of this story out of it. I know it’s difficult for you to wrap your sparse cloud of brain cells around something abstract, but throw me a fucking bone here. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-myself-for-thinking-this-is-funny/464926/98 "2008-09-26T06:14:37Z")
> [@wisernow](#): > > Then you don’t love it! > > If you love someone or something. you want it, you get it and stay with it forever or at least until the love wears off. It’s called an Allusion. He’s referencing a popular Indian song there, Whooshee. Though, ironically, you’re \*\*wisernow \*\*for it. 🙂 (You had a wonderful post there, **aankh** , and it got too me too. Though I was never born there, and I never want to live there, I still love my India too. I hope someday, you’ll be happy to visit back home and find peace with it all. Take Care.). ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2008, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-myself-for-thinking-this-is-funny/464926/99 "2008-09-26T12:38:25Z")
I honestly don’t see what’s funny here. It’s not that I see what’s supposed to be funny, and think it shouldn’t be laughed at. Rather, it’s that I don’t even see what’s supposed to be funny. Is there something I’m missing? I just see that some workers were mad at their boss and ended up killing him. -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2008, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-myself-for-thinking-this-is-funny/464926/100 "2008-09-27T02:54:10Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > You know how I know you have an incredibly small penis? You keep saying “hippy douchebag”. What? Is that like some weird internet fetish you’ve discovered or somthing? > > I mean, you really are an incredible moron aren’t you? > > Generally, historically, stereotypically, if there was ever any sort of oppression between workers and owners (or CEO’s if you will), it was Owner oppressing Worker. Hence the (admittedly thin) irony. > > Leave the minutia of this story out of it. I know it’s difficult for you to wrap your sparse cloud of brain cells around something abstract, but throw me a fucking bone here. So, I’m a dick-hole with a small penis and you want me to throw you a bone. You’ve got issues, brother (not that there’s anything wrong with that). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-myself-for-thinking-this-is-funny/464926.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-myself-for-thinking-this-is-funny/464926.md?page=6)