# Serious Question: Why No 9/11 Jokes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 26, 2002, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serious-question-why-no-9-11-jokes/116097 "2002-06-26T20:26:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serious-question-why-no-9-11-jokes/116097/1 "2002-06-26T20:26:36Z")
I’m not looking for any 9/11 jokes, believe me, but I’m curious about something. Seeing as how Americans typically deal with tragedy with humor (as in the Challenger Shuttle jokes or the JFK assassination stuff), I was sort of wondering where all the World Trade Center jokes are? Anyone have any theories? ---
**Author:** ![Hippy144](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/90db22/32.png) [@Hippy144](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy144)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serious-question-why-no-9-11-jokes/116097/2 "2002-06-26T20:42:34Z")
It’s way too soon, and it started a war. ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serious-question-why-no-9-11-jokes/116097/3 "2002-06-26T20:43:56Z")
Hmmm…if you want theories (and I don’t see how you can have a factual answer to this), the question might be better served in IMHO. It is a very good question - I haven’t heard a single sick joke about 9/11, and normally, however tragic the event, there are a handful of jokes about it. Maybe the magnitude of this one is too awful, that jokes are considered taboo - it’s still too hot to touch. Perhaps the country is still in a state of collective shock (if that makes any sense). It could also be that in a sense, 9/11 is “not over” since we are still waging a war on terrorism. Perhaps people thought it was acceptable to make sick jokes about events that happened and then were over - e.g. the Challenger explosion. We are still living under the cloud of something like 9/11 happening again. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serious-question-why-no-9-11-jokes/116097/4 "2002-06-26T20:46:34Z")
Interesting question. I heard Challenger and Herald Of Free Enterprise jokes at school the day after those disasters; I’ve even heard holocaust jokes. I suspect the lack of 11 September jokes reflects the fact that the tragedy isn’t a closed, historical event. People in the US may be worried because they feel terrorism remains a threat to their lives, one that never bothered them prior to last year. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serious-question-why-no-9-11-jokes/116097/5 "2002-06-26T20:47:34Z")
visit [www.theonion.com](http://www.theonion.com) Comedy and 9-11 : they came through. That edition is still posted under “US Attacked: Holy Fucking Shit!” …or something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serious-question-why-no-9-11-jokes/116097/6 "2002-06-26T20:51:40Z")
Here’s one: [http://www.snopes2.com/rumors/adultery.htm](http://www.snopes2.com/rumors/adultery.htm) ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serious-question-why-no-9-11-jokes/116097/7 "2002-06-26T21:00:09Z")
I heard a 9/11 joke way back in October. I can’t remember it though but it had something to do with direct flights to the office, I think. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serious-question-why-no-9-11-jokes/116097/8 "2002-06-26T21:00:09Z")
I was working at a brokerage firm when the challenger exploded, and it wasn’t 15 minutes later that I heard the first joke. It’s a little known fact that floor traders and brokers are awesome joke tellers. The jobs are high stress, and they all have to be quick with their brains. A joke told on one side of the floor at the NYSE will be in L.A. before lunch. I am not making this up. Ask your broker if he’s heard any good jokes lately, it’s a good way to gauge how close they are to the pit. This tragedy obviously hit much closer to home for them, and I have to agree with Hippy144. It’s way too soon. ---
**Author:** ![Exor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/58f4c7/32.png) [@Exor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exor)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serious-question-why-no-9-11-jokes/116097/9 "2002-06-26T21:20:36Z")
alot of bin laden jokes though… and i’m pretty sure i’ve heard at least 1 9/11 joke. i’ve seen tv shows refer to quite 9/11 quite a few times, on a side note ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serious-question-why-no-9-11-jokes/116097/10 "2002-06-26T21:29:13Z")
[Sept. 11 Humor](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=87707) from Sept 16. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serious-question-why-no-9-11-jokes/116097/11 "2002-06-26T21:33:23Z")
Joan Rivers has started using some 9/11 jokes in her routine, much to everyone’s dismay. ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serious-question-why-no-9-11-jokes/116097/12 "2002-06-26T21:33:47Z")
There were a ton of jokes out just 3 days after - it’s just that there isn’t much of an audience - not cuz people don’t want to hear them but because people are afraid to tell them. BTW, it’s definately not that it’s too soon - you still don’t hear jokes about Pearl Harbor (unless your talking about the movie) ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serious-question-why-no-9-11-jokes/116097/13 "2002-06-26T21:44:09Z")
The first joke I heard was maybe a week after. It went something like, “Why did the hijackers practice with **Microsoft** Flight Sim? Because they wanted to learn how to crash!” Thank you, enjoy the shrimp… ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serious-question-why-no-9-11-jokes/116097/14 "2002-06-26T22:12:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Philster \* > \*\*visit [www.theonion.com](http://www.theonion.com) > > Comedy and 9-11 : they came through. > > That edition is still posted under “US Attacked: Holy Fucking Shit!” > > …or something like that. \*\* According to an interview in _Newsweek_, even the editors at The Onion had limits, and they ended up killing one porposed headline: “Nation Stronger Than Ever, Say Officials at the Quadragon”. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Fool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Green\_Fool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Fool)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serious-question-why-no-9-11-jokes/116097/15 "2002-06-26T22:27:01Z")
What? Are my circle of friends the only ones who use “That’s so September 10th.” to denote something as lame. Second City Chicago’s current revue is titled “Thank Heaven it wasn’t 7-11.” ---
**Author:** ![Church\_Key\_Kid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Church\_Key\_Kid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Church_Key_Kid)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serious-question-why-no-9-11-jokes/116097/16 "2002-06-26T23:25:16Z")
Q: Who are the fastest readers in the country? A: New Yorkers. They can go thru 110 stories in 30 seconds. Not that I think it’s funny, I’m just sharing a 9/11 joke. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serious-question-why-no-9-11-jokes/116097/17 "2002-06-26T23:42:44Z")
Well, I thought it was funny. But then I’m a sick bastard. ---
**Author:** ![TheeGrumpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@TheeGrumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheeGrumpy)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2002, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serious-question-why-no-9-11-jokes/116097/18 "2002-06-27T02:31:37Z")
Can’t think of any off-hand, but surely there were dozens of “Osama’s Mama” jokes that fall under the 9-11 category. ---
**Author:** ![owlofcreamcheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@owlofcreamcheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlofcreamcheese)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2002, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serious-question-why-no-9-11-jokes/116097/19 "2002-06-27T03:48:53Z")
I have seen teeshirts that parody the “I (heart) new york” shirts… with like a clip art picture of a plane… so it says “I (plane) new york” err… its not a funny joke at all… ---
**Author:** ![Popup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@Popup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Popup)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2002, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serious-question-why-no-9-11-jokes/116097/20 "2002-06-27T07:28:02Z")
chmod a+x /bin/laden (Maybe not 9-11 per se, but made the rounds not long aftter.) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/serious-question-why-no-9-11-jokes/116097.md?page=2)