Tuesday, January 04, 2005
September 11th Humour...
I had the pleasure of working at the University of Hamburg as a researcher, and it had a classic instance of Tea playing a special role in my life. It all starts on a Tea break...
I'd been in the Uni for about eight weeks, and the office work and lectures where starting to loose their appeal, I as loosing interest in the job and my mind was wondering more and more, so I did what any Englishman does in this situation and took a Tea break.
While there I run into the Head of Department and we start chatting about what he's researching as I wait for my Tea to brew. Then he mentions in passing, in an almost cautious fashion, he was helping write a paper on 9/11 humour. I could not wipe the smile from my face, I was the guy to help this project along.
Just to clarify, not saying 9/11 was funny, but I was interested from day one on how long it'll take for people to start making jokes, and that’s what this project was about. It was also a joint Criminology ? sociology Department, so it was about the differences in jokes to. Examples…
Okay, not to stereotype (Even though it is fast, fun and easy), but the American sites we found where just crap, not funny (That’s accounting for scientific objectivity to), the most important find being a site called www.deadarab.com, which is now gone, probably because like the 9/11 Commission Report it equated the Taliban with all of Islam and was basically full of racist jokes and doctored pictures of Osama being buggered with a skyscraper.
But now the American iput can be given a new hero, Cassette Boy! Two American musicians on mission to undermine credibility, taking Michael Moore editing techniques to the extreme to produce songs like WTC. Really, you gotta listen.
On the English front, the man of the moment was Chris Morris, who produced a visual take of Cassette Boy with Bushwhacked, which is also found hidden away somewhere on the excellent The Day Today DVD.
The most shocking development was when Chris Morris, the man who made "Mad" Frankie Frasier voice his support for a scheme where criminals are given £25,000 if they won't offend again (Then fled the country) and who caused epic outcry with his Brass Eye special on paedophilia (Then fled the country), was entrusted with WRITTING AN ARTICLE FOR THE OBSERVER JUST SIX MONTHS AFTER THE EVENT!!! What where they thinking..
Still, it was a fucking funny article.
Six Months That Changed A Year
Terrors March Backwards
9/11: George Bush's Day
What They Said
My favourite quote was:
"Yessssss!"
First reaction of many British people who subsequently claimed to be appalled
Admit it, you all did the same thing..
Just how the controversial special mocked the press reaction to paedophilia, this amazing article was the perfect parody of the American reaction to 9/11. Not based on bad taste, but the wonderful skill of parody, and filled with fantastically witty insights:
"Less than two weeks into the bombing campaign, the US admits its new range of smart weapons may be too intelligent. Sources say the $7m Supersophic missiles have a range of only 50 metres because less than a second after launch the onboard computer has worked out that violence only leads to more violence and that all war is futile. Realising there's no point any more, the weapon either deliberately crashes itself into a beautiful woman or flies back home to America to spend the rest of its days buzzing round a farm. The Pentagon orders that, from now on, missiles must be 'no more intelligent than a steelworker"
I'd of included German articles about 9/11 humour, but then we all know the German sense of humour is no laughing matter...
This is just anyone else who researchers the field, because it took me bloody ages to find these gems. It is also to stress the difference between bad taste and crude humour about a horrific event and intelligent thought provoking humour about the same event, because the crude (Dead Arab) humour just promotes intolerance, where as the more Morris like articles make you think about just how comical some of Americas reactions where.
It also makes you think about how long it will be till the horrific events of Boxing Day become the butt of jokes.
And more input from..
England:
Remember remember the 11th September. Nope. Can't. What?
America:
September 11th Joke Targets: Can We Go and Do Shows Now?"
Canada:
USA to be renamed "September 11th"
I'd been in the Uni for about eight weeks, and the office work and lectures where starting to loose their appeal, I as loosing interest in the job and my mind was wondering more and more, so I did what any Englishman does in this situation and took a Tea break.
While there I run into the Head of Department and we start chatting about what he's researching as I wait for my Tea to brew. Then he mentions in passing, in an almost cautious fashion, he was helping write a paper on 9/11 humour. I could not wipe the smile from my face, I was the guy to help this project along.
Just to clarify, not saying 9/11 was funny, but I was interested from day one on how long it'll take for people to start making jokes, and that’s what this project was about. It was also a joint Criminology ? sociology Department, so it was about the differences in jokes to. Examples…
Okay, not to stereotype (Even though it is fast, fun and easy), but the American sites we found where just crap, not funny (That’s accounting for scientific objectivity to), the most important find being a site called www.deadarab.com, which is now gone, probably because like the 9/11 Commission Report it equated the Taliban with all of Islam and was basically full of racist jokes and doctored pictures of Osama being buggered with a skyscraper.
But now the American iput can be given a new hero, Cassette Boy! Two American musicians on mission to undermine credibility, taking Michael Moore editing techniques to the extreme to produce songs like WTC. Really, you gotta listen.
On the English front, the man of the moment was Chris Morris, who produced a visual take of Cassette Boy with Bushwhacked, which is also found hidden away somewhere on the excellent The Day Today DVD.
The most shocking development was when Chris Morris, the man who made "Mad" Frankie Frasier voice his support for a scheme where criminals are given £25,000 if they won't offend again (Then fled the country) and who caused epic outcry with his Brass Eye special on paedophilia (Then fled the country), was entrusted with WRITTING AN ARTICLE FOR THE OBSERVER JUST SIX MONTHS AFTER THE EVENT!!! What where they thinking..
Still, it was a fucking funny article.
Six Months That Changed A Year
Terrors March Backwards
9/11: George Bush's Day
What They Said
My favourite quote was:
"Yessssss!"
First reaction of many British people who subsequently claimed to be appalled
Admit it, you all did the same thing..
Just how the controversial special mocked the press reaction to paedophilia, this amazing article was the perfect parody of the American reaction to 9/11. Not based on bad taste, but the wonderful skill of parody, and filled with fantastically witty insights:
"Less than two weeks into the bombing campaign, the US admits its new range of smart weapons may be too intelligent. Sources say the $7m Supersophic missiles have a range of only 50 metres because less than a second after launch the onboard computer has worked out that violence only leads to more violence and that all war is futile. Realising there's no point any more, the weapon either deliberately crashes itself into a beautiful woman or flies back home to America to spend the rest of its days buzzing round a farm. The Pentagon orders that, from now on, missiles must be 'no more intelligent than a steelworker"
I'd of included German articles about 9/11 humour, but then we all know the German sense of humour is no laughing matter...
This is just anyone else who researchers the field, because it took me bloody ages to find these gems. It is also to stress the difference between bad taste and crude humour about a horrific event and intelligent thought provoking humour about the same event, because the crude (Dead Arab) humour just promotes intolerance, where as the more Morris like articles make you think about just how comical some of Americas reactions where.
It also makes you think about how long it will be till the horrific events of Boxing Day become the butt of jokes.
And more input from..
England:
Remember remember the 11th September. Nope. Can't. What?
America:
September 11th Joke Targets: Can We Go and Do Shows Now?"
Canada:
USA to be renamed "September 11th"
