# Why do Dopers start contests regarding grave matters? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 13, 2022, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dopers-start-contests-regarding-grave-matters/973159 "2022-10-13T02:25:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dopers-start-contests-regarding-grave-matters/973159/41 "2022-10-13T13:20:34Z")
**\> Why do Dopers start contests regarding grave matters?** Argh, I just got this now! “Grave matters”! Get it? LOL ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dopers-start-contests-regarding-grave-matters/973159/42 "2022-10-13T13:21:01Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > That’s a dichotomy, correct? No, it’s not. It’s an example of a possible subject of gambling. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dopers-start-contests-regarding-grave-matters/973159/43 "2022-10-13T13:22:00Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > But predictions? What’s wrong with that? Something being important is exactly why people want to discuss it. I did not criticize making predictions. I did not criticize discussion. My OP was very specifically target at games, specifically a type of gambling. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dopers-start-contests-regarding-grave-matters/973159/44 "2022-10-13T13:23:44Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > > [@Acsenray](#): > > > > Would you gamble on whether the neglected child next door is going to be starved or beaten? > > What odds are you offering? You are a sick, twisted individual who almost made me snort coffee out my nose. 😜 ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dopers-start-contests-regarding-grave-matters/973159/45 "2022-10-13T13:24:29Z")
> [@solost](#): > > when I read the thread title I thought you meant the death pool, As I said before, my OP does not exclude death pools. That is just not the example I chose. You may certainly include death pools in this conversation if you like. It’s just another example of the phenomenon. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dopers-start-contests-regarding-grave-matters/973159/46 "2022-10-13T13:26:23Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > No, it’s not. It’s an example of a possible subject of gambling But you are presenting the two possibilities as mutually exclusive. Little Mikey gets starved or beaten. I say, why not both? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dopers-start-contests-regarding-grave-matters/973159/47 "2022-10-13T13:30:17Z")
I wager 400 quatloos on the newcomer! ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dopers-start-contests-regarding-grave-matters/973159/48 "2022-10-13T13:31:46Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > But you are presenting the two possibilities as mutually exclusive. Nope. Oh, I see the problem here: Read as: _Would you gamble on whether the neglected child next door is going to be (starved or beaten)?_ Not: _Would you gamble on whether the neglected child next door is going to be (starved) or (beaten)?_ In any case, this particular matter of parsing is not relevant to the actual discussion. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dopers-start-contests-regarding-grave-matters/973159/49 "2022-10-13T13:34:59Z")
Would you gamble on whether the neglected child next door is going to be starved or beaten? Nope? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dopers-start-contests-regarding-grave-matters/973159/50 "2022-10-13T13:36:05Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > In any case, this particular matter of parsing is not relevant to the actual discussion. But I wanna put money on Mikey being starved _and_ beaten. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dopers-start-contests-regarding-grave-matters/973159/51 "2022-10-13T13:36:20Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Nope? Nope, as in “no, I did not present two mutually exclusive outcomes.” ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dopers-start-contests-regarding-grave-matters/973159/52 "2022-10-13T13:36:48Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > But I wanna put money on Mikey being starved _and_ beaten. In English, or can be inclusive of and, unless exclusivity is specified, such as in mathematics. ---
**Author:** ![am77494](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d2c977/32.png) [@am77494](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/am77494)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dopers-start-contests-regarding-grave-matters/973159/53 "2022-10-13T13:40:02Z")
One book in my top 3 books is Joseph Heller’s Catch 22. It finds witty humor in war and death and other morbid stuff. To me, its a book that makes you think and reflect on your own biases. Milo Minderbinder in that book specializes in betting / gambling / entrepreneurship, and is probably one of the funniest characters. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dopers-start-contests-regarding-grave-matters/973159/54 "2022-10-13T13:45:20Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > In English, or can be inclusive of and, unless exclusivity is specified, such as in mathematics OK, but what kind of odds are you offering? And why are we limiting this to English? ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dopers-start-contests-regarding-grave-matters/973159/55 "2022-10-13T13:50:44Z")
I actually find this to be an interesting question and it reminds me of an _Atlantic Monthly_ article I read in '97 ([A Grief Like No Other - The Atlantic](https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1997/09/a-grief-like-no-other/376944/)) about the organization “Parents of Murdered Children” that I still think about from time to time. Much of the article talks about the popularity of murder as entertainment. One passage in particular always keeps me thinking: “The popularity of murder games and murder-mystery weekends infuriates Nancy Ruhe-Munch. She cannot view them as innocent amusements. “Can you imagine having a child-abuse game?” she asks. “Can you imagine having a rape mystery game?”” ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dopers-start-contests-regarding-grave-matters/973159/56 "2022-10-13T13:51:02Z")
Sometimes making light of a grave situation is the only way to cope with it. The world’s a mess, and it doesn’t help anything to take it too seriously. I’ve long thought about starting a thread for the over/under on toddlers shot by unsecured guns this year, and it’s been much more laziness than any sort of moral dilemma as to why I haven’t. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dopers-start-contests-regarding-grave-matters/973159/57 "2022-10-13T13:54:33Z")
> [@velomont](#): > > “The popularity of murder games and murder-mystery weekends infuriates Nancy Ruhe-Munch. She cannot view them as innocent amusements. “Can you imagine having a child-abuse game?” she asks. “Can you imagine having a rape mystery game?”” Can you imagine a limited series based upon the actions of a serial killer being very popular? [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVHHs-xllqo) My GF and I watch a lot of very calm shows about people in other countries cooking food in old customary ways, mostly outdoors. Very relaxing. Then we binge watched Dahmer, another type of cooking show. Not so relaxing! ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dopers-start-contests-regarding-grave-matters/973159/58 "2022-10-13T14:00:30Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Sometimes making light of a grave situation is the only way to cope with it. You don’t need to gamble on an outcome in order to engage in gallows humor. The two things are very distinct in my mind. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dopers-start-contests-regarding-grave-matters/973159/59 "2022-10-13T14:02:48Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > You don’t need to gamble on an outcome in order to engage in gallows humor. But baby needs a new pair of shoes! ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2022, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dopers-start-contests-regarding-grave-matters/973159/60 "2022-10-13T14:03:34Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > Can you imagine a limited series based upon the actions of a serial killer being very popular? Well this is the thing. Though the _Atlantic_ article makes me think and ponder, I’ve been as big a fan of “Criminal Minds” and various “CSIs” as the next person (and my wife and I are watching “Shetland” on Britbox, which is really good btw). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dopers-start-contests-regarding-grave-matters/973159.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-dopers-start-contests-regarding-grave-matters/973159.md?page=4)