# Vomit scenes in movies and tv; funny or not? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 10, 2015, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-scenes-in-movies-and-tv-funny-or-not/727460 "2015-08-10T16:34:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2015, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-scenes-in-movies-and-tv-funny-or-not/727460/21 "2015-08-10T19:51:52Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > But the worst thing I ever done — I mixed a pot of fake puke at home and then I went to this movie theater, hid the puke in my jacket, climbed up to the balcony and then, then, I made a noise like this: hua-hua-hua-huaaaaaaa — and then I dumped it over the side… [The soup incident](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5betKv46GB4). ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2015, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-scenes-in-movies-and-tv-funny-or-not/727460/22 "2015-08-10T19:53:45Z")
For decades it was standard to just make Vomit sounds and imply vomiting, which I am okay with but it seems in the five years or so it has become standard to actually show the vomit which grosses me out to no end. Please Hollywood, stop showing the vomit. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2015, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-scenes-in-movies-and-tv-funny-or-not/727460/23 "2015-08-10T20:06:17Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Thank you! I probably still won’t see it but at least it gives me an idea why people think it’s so funny. So, it’s not really the puking guy but John Cleese’s reaction. It’s also the relentless over-the-top repetition aspect (a technique that Monty Python liked to use a lot) that helped to propel it into gut-busting hilarity. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2015, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-scenes-in-movies-and-tv-funny-or-not/727460/24 "2015-08-10T20:08:45Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > For decades it was standard to just make Vomit sounds and imply vomiting, which I am okay with but it seems in the five years or so it has become standard to actually show the vomit which grosses me out to no end. Please Hollywood, stop showing the vomit. At the very least. I’m still probably not going to think it’s funny but at least I won’t be grossed out too. I’m sure there are exceptions but it’s pretty rare you see the actual shit or giant snot glob so why we gotta see the cookies whilst they’re being tossed? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2015, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-scenes-in-movies-and-tv-funny-or-not/727460/25 "2015-08-10T20:15:29Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > For decades it was standard to just make Vomit sounds… For me, vomit sounds are like ‘hyoo–OOO(K)’ (guttural stop there) followed by what sounds like pouring a pitcher of water into the toilet bowl. (The toilet bowl is my receptacle of choice.) None of this coughing and retching once the outflow has begun; just the initial karate calls and pouring sounds. They never do that in movies. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2015, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-scenes-in-movies-and-tv-funny-or-not/727460/26 "2015-08-10T23:03:15Z")
> [@Quimby](#): > > For decades it was standard to just make Vomit sounds and imply vomiting, which I am okay with but it seems in the five years or so it has become standard to actually show the vomit which grosses me out to no end. Please Hollywood, stop showing the vomit. Google “Bob Kempainen” for the first real-life high-profile example of this. It happened a few years after Bush v. 1.0 blew chunks all over the Japanese Prime Minister, and therefore gave comedians fodder for months afterwards. In short, what would you be willing to do for $100,000 and a sport on the U.S. Olympic team? Dr. Kempainen (yep, he’s a physician) found out about, oh, 23 miles or so into the marathon trials, which were broadcasted on live network television. :eek: During the Olympics, the little piece they did on him showed him doing you-know-what, and then he stood next to a chalkboard in a white coat, writing numerous slang terms for that bodily function while explaining its physiology. Pete Sampras did the same thing a few months later at the U.S. Open, although he did manage to stagger to courtside first. Dave Barry was there, and wrote a column you wouldn’t want to read over breakfast. Oh, and he won, too. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2015, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-scenes-in-movies-and-tv-funny-or-not/727460/27 "2015-08-10T23:35:06Z")
I don’t think there’s any inherent reason that vomit _can’t_ be funny. But I can’t think of any example I’ve seen where it actually was. In fact, I’m having a hard time even thinking of examples I’ve seen where there was an attempt to make it funny. For comparison, farts aren’t inherently funny either, but I’ve certainly seen cases where they were, when presented right, and folks quite often attempt (often unsuccessfully) to portray them as funny. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2015, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-scenes-in-movies-and-tv-funny-or-not/727460/28 "2015-08-10T23:54:50Z")
> [@Helena330](#): > > Not funny. I figure they can’t come up with interesting dialogue so they put in a barf scene. > > It might be a gender thing. My SO thinks bathroom humor is funny. I don’t! I’m a guy, and I find nothing less funny than vomit jokes. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-scenes-in-movies-and-tv-funny-or-not/727460/29 "2015-08-11T00:25:53Z")
> [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](#): > > For me, the hilarity of the **Meaning of Life** bit comes from the way the head waiter (John Cleese) continues to treat the barfing customer (Terry Jones) with the utmost respect and politeness, virtually ignoring the profuse vomiting. Cleese’s head waiter summons for a bucket, but then continues his spiel of the specials. At one point Cleese casually wipes the vomit off the menus he is holding with his sleeve while continuing to converse politely, at one point apologizing for stepping in the bucket. Meanwhile, the other patrons are disgusted and leave, prompting the waiter to inquire as to why they’re leaving in a hurry and asking if their food was alright. > The disconnect between the unflappable polite waiter and the over-the-top vomiting is what made the scene funny to me. I like the way the fish in the aquarium all scatter when they see Creosote coming into the restaurant. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-scenes-in-movies-and-tv-funny-or-not/727460/30 "2015-08-11T00:56:00Z")
A vomit scene I found funny: the ipecac (puke contest) scene on _Family Guy_. (Can be seen on hulu [here](http://www.hulu.com/watch/43220)) When I try to analyze why it’s funny, I come up with three things. 1. Timing. The scene’s ability to make me laugh depends, as comedy often does, on well-executed comedic timing. 2. Cartoon violence. Can we take it as given for the purpose of this thread that cartoon violence can be funny? The distress that the characters undergo in this scene (which they bring upon themselves by cheerfully doing a Dumb Thing) counts, I think, as cartoon violence. (Vomiting works well as a form of “funny violence” since it doesn’t feel good at the time and is extremely undignified but doesn’t cause lasting harm.) 3. The over-the-top quality that has been mentioned in connection with the Monty Python scene. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-scenes-in-movies-and-tv-funny-or-not/727460/31 "2015-08-11T03:29:38Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Well, you’re certainly under no obligation to tell me more, but please don’t let it because you might “ruin it” ; I assure you I have no intention of watching the scene, out of context or otherwise. Also, it makes me giggle that I’m having a discussion about gross things with someone named _scabpicker_ 😛 Hey, I know gross 😃 Most of the reasons that I find it funny have been covered by others, but I also love that several other patrons are scolded by their companions for tiny belches, etc. At the same time, one of the guests that leaves offers up “I’m having rather a heavy period” as a socially acceptable reason for needing to leave. The ultra-offensive cleaning lady at the end is the cherry on top. ---
**Author:** ![RadicalPi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/radicalpi/32/9806_2.png) [@RadicalPi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RadicalPi)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-scenes-in-movies-and-tv-funny-or-not/727460/32 "2015-08-11T10:25:56Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I’m a guy, and I find nothing less funny than vomit jokes. My girlfriend told me the other day that her friend had died by drowning in her own vomit after passing out. I said, “Is that some sort of sick choke?” ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-scenes-in-movies-and-tv-funny-or-not/727460/33 "2015-08-11T20:47:43Z")
> [@RadicalPi](#): > > My girlfriend told me the other day that her friend had died by drowning in her own vomit after passing out. I said, “Is that some sort of sick choke?” At least she didn’t choke on someone else’s vomit. I first saw “This Is Spinal Tap” in a crowded theater with a couple hundred other people who also didn’t know that scene was in the movie, only that a drummer had died “in a manner too revolting to relate” per the newspaper’s reviewer. BTW, Scotland Yard still doesn’t have any way to identify whose vomit it was. You can’t get DNA from stomach contents. :o ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Woodhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Miss\_Woodhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Woodhouse)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-scenes-in-movies-and-tv-funny-or-not/727460/34 "2015-08-11T20:59:33Z")
There is no way to make vomit funny to me. I find it revolting and it can trigger nausea in me. Feeling like I’m about to puke myself because some idiot writer who didn’t have to see the puke thought it would be funny makes me stabby. I don’t laugh when I’m feeling stabby. I blame SNL. It became there thing in the mid nineties when they had no other jokes. Mean Girls and Perfect Pitch are both produced by SNL producers and actors. Don’t have a joke? Fall back on the worn out vomit bit. The favorite joke of the uninspired and untalented. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-scenes-in-movies-and-tv-funny-or-not/727460/35 "2015-08-11T21:48:51Z")
The only vomit scene I ever remember laughing at was one of the ones that implied a vomiting with sound effect but showed no actually vomit. It was the scene from **Caddyshack** where the kid is drinking leftover cocktails and gets one with a cigarette butt in it and goes outside and ralphs in the sun roof of a Porsche. So it can be done with humor, but there is no need to actually see the act. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-scenes-in-movies-and-tv-funny-or-not/727460/36 "2015-08-11T22:05:29Z")
There’s only [one vomit joke](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ1QHiYsSGE)I ever found funny, and that includes Monty Python and Team America. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-scenes-in-movies-and-tv-funny-or-not/727460/37 "2015-08-11T23:18:50Z")
The last time I saw “America’s Funniest Home Videos”, I was in a place where I couldn’t change the channel, and they had a segment which showed numerous babies projectile-vomiting. I so did not need to see that. :mad: In fact, when the show started, that was one thing they said upfront that they would NOT show, so don’t bother sending them in. (Of course I don’t remember it, but my parents have said I was awfully good at that as a newborn until my formula was correctly adjusted.) ---
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2015, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-scenes-in-movies-and-tv-funny-or-not/727460/38 "2015-08-11T23:46:05Z")
I did enjoy the Mr. Creosote scene from Python, but my favorite barfing scene is the episode pf Seinfeld where Jerry and George are trying to pitch their script to Russell Dalrymple, who has picked up a stomach bug by eating some food that Kramer sneezed on. Dalrymple excuses himself and trots to the bathroom, so you don’t see anything, but you hear him go RUUAAGGHH!! RAAUUGGHH! really loudly, while Jerry and George kind of look at each other. That is a barf scene done right. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-scenes-in-movies-and-tv-funny-or-not/727460/39 "2015-08-12T07:01:21Z")
No one’s mentioned the _[pie eating contest](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK0JaEde4VI)_ in _ **Stand By Me** _. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2015, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-scenes-in-movies-and-tv-funny-or-not/727460/40 "2015-08-12T09:24:31Z")
I hate barf scenes. The sound is bad enough, but I always try to find out if a movie shows vomiting before I see it, so I can be ready to look away. I really hate that it’s starting to pop up more frequently on TV. “House” was hard on me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-scenes-in-movies-and-tv-funny-or-not/727460.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/vomit-scenes-in-movies-and-tv-funny-or-not/727460.md?page=3)