We had just finished watching ABC World News and America’s Funniest Home Videos (AFV) came on the air right after.
Now I’ll admit I’ve watched this show a good bit over the years, but it struck me tonight that at the heart of many of the videos is somebody getting hurt.
Almost every show has the obligatory ball striking a man in the groin or somebody jumping up and then crashing down, hard.
I always get nervous when one of the scenes is near a pool, since I think how dangerous a slip can be when near the edge of a concrete pool.
But the audience will laugh right through all of these clips, and for some reason I find that kind of sad, and disturbing. Is this what we take for humor these days?
While The Three Stooges relied on lots of physical humor, I am guessing most of that was planned out, and they weren’t really hurting each other.
But on AFV, while some of the stunts seem planned, many times they aren’t, and the pain feels real. And the more painful it looks, the more the audience seems to enjoy it.
I wish the show would just focus on clips of babies when they first try something sour, or grandpa’s dentures coming out while he is trying to blow out his birthday cake.
That stuff is funny, and nobody gets hurt…
Ahh, now you went and got all serious on us. Boring! …. but in all serious, I’ve thought about that too. Definitely a saving grace that a lot of the people who get hit send in the clips themselves, so presumably they’re able to laugh at themselves by the time their antics get on TV. Pain aside, that show is pretty funny.
LikeLiked by 2 people
well I did laugh at your latest story about the guy on his way to go fishing…
and trust me, I’m laughing at many of the clips myself. I just wish they would stop showing them, because I know I will continue to laugh at such videos…
LikeLiked by 2 people
Lolz. That makes sense.
LikeLiked by 1 person
that is a rare event…
LikeLiked by 1 person
If they would show people actually getting killed doing dumb things, then it would be a more realistic TV program. I don’t like all that fake, fantasy stuff, with nobody dying, so I don’t watch AFN. (Except when it’s on, and someone else is watching it, and I get drawn to it like a magnet.)
LikeLiked by 1 person
can you imagine the ratings they would get if somebody dies every episode? Wasn’t that part of the premise behind the movie Death Race?
And yes, AFV is one of those shows that if it is playing on the TV, and you are in the room, you are probably going to watch it…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I remember in Death Race you got points for everyone you ran over. And if they were old and invalid, or a young child, I think you got extra points.
LikeLiked by 1 person
and I think people could pay to watch it…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ll bet those tickets were expensive.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m sure they were…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree. We don’t have paid TV channels so sometimes we watch AFV or Fail Army and the ones where people look like they are getting truly injured are not funny to me. I do like the ones where people do actual funny stuff, especially the animal ones.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, sometimes I think the videos cross the line between humor and pain…
LikeLike
I hope most people are laughing at the stupidity displayed in the AFV videos rather than any actual pain being inflicted. That would be sick. Maybe there is a fine line between the two. A funny Stooges skit I recall was when Curly had a tooth that needed to be removed. After failing with other methods they decided to blast and put a stick of dynamite in his mouth. I thought that was hilarious. I also admit to getting a kick out of Wile E. Coyote getting anvils dropped on his head. Oops! I think I’ve admitted too much. 😄
LikeLiked by 1 person
I enjoyed the Three Stooges and the Road Runner shows as well, but we all knew that those shows weren’t real. AFV is real people. And yes, there’s no doubt that many of the videos show people acting stupid, but sometimes that stupidity looks like it causes a lot of pain. And there is a fine line between laughing at stupidity vs laughing at someone’s misery…
LikeLiked by 1 person
If people are laughing because someone is in pain, then shame on them. I’d rather see harmless stuff like a pie in the face or better yet when people laugh at themselves like Candid Camera type shows.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree that Candid Camera was a better show…
LikeLike
I have never really enjoyed these sorts of shows, Jim, but I think I am in the minority. They are a bit to close to The Running Man or The Long Walk.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was not familiar with those two boosk you mentioned, but I looked them up and they are both by Stephen King. It does sound like they are trying to create an environment where people are getting pleasure out of another person’s misery, and like you say that’s a little close to AFV…
LikeLike
America’s Funniest Home Videos is still on the air, or was that a rerun? I don’t watch much television, but that surprises me if it is. I haven’t seen an episode in at least fifteen years.
LikeLiked by 1 person
yes, it is still on – although it has changed hosts. The new host is a guy who used to be on the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
LikeLiked by 1 person
As usual, I’m going through life, oblivious to half of the things going on around me. I wish I were more aware sometimes, but the flip side is that ignorance comes in handy sometimes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
there are some things I am happily oblivious to; there are some things I wish I knew more about (like world history)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I totally agree with you, Jim. The younger ones still seem to find it very funny watching someone else get hurt. Maybe getting hurt is now too much of a painful reality for us older ones.
LikeLiked by 1 person
there could be an age differential. I also think there are a lot of kids who might be willing to hurt themselves a little bit doing something stupid if it meant getting a lot of views on social media.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, I think you’re right on both counts. Young kids think they’re invincible and often they do bounce back. Whereas there’s not much bounce for us older ones and we’ve learned the hard way that we’re not invincible. (Sorry to talk about us both being older. I know you’re quite a bit younger than I am, but, as my Hub says, we’re all in the same boat. 😂)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am certainly in the category of “older ones”, and you’re right, we don’t bounce back so easily. but most of us have learned to accept that at this point… 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
same here…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think I have always assumed that if someone was seriously injured then they would not show it on the show. Or at least that is how I justify my laughter.
LikeLiked by 1 person
you’re probably right, and I am just as guilty as you at laughing at these videos…
LikeLiked by 1 person
i always enjoyed cute kids and animals doing or saying funny things, but they just do this quite naturally, without getting hurt. at the same time, i always wondered why someone continued to film someone who got hurt rather than stopping to help them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I forgot to mention that. How can someone watch somebody get hurt, and do nothing about it?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I never liked that show for the very same reason. Laughing at people getting hurt always seemed very mean spirited.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m just starting to realize that now…
LikeLiked by 1 person
We have a show like that called You’ve Been Framed. I’m not sure which I enjoy less: the supposedly funny videos or the supposedly funny voiceovers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve seen a few funny voiceovers, and they can be quite clever. I’ll have to look for clips of You’ve Been Framed…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Please don’t, you’ll be putting yourself through misery 😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
if you say so…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, not a fan of filming people who get hurt. Drop the camera and run to help them maybe?
LikeLiked by 1 person
exactly my point (which I failed to make, as usual ):)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think you made your point, I just stated the obvious as usual 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
it’s always good to state the obvious…
LikeLiked by 1 person
People getting hurts isn’t funny and some of those videos can make you cringe.
But who doesn’t love a good cat video?
We used to watch it when the kids were little. It was relatively clean humor.
Now I only watch it if I’m clicking through the channels and it happens to be on.
It still literally makes me LOL. And who doesn’t need a little of that once in a while?
LikeLiked by 1 person
we were the same way; watching it when our kids were younger. But you are right, there are still lots of funny clips on the show today…
LikeLike
I agree with your point Jim. There are times when people get carried away, and safety takes a backseat. Years ago, the ice bucket challenge looked innocent and proved to be a great fundraiser. Then, accidents began to happen here and there.
LikeLiked by 1 person
people always need to try and outdo other people, and often time that leads to taking unnecessary risks…
LikeLike
I used to watch this, but I also don’t find the clips where people get hurt funny or amusing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
and there seem to be so many of them…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I did not know this was still being aired. Not my idea of funny.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think some of the clips are funny, some are painful to watch…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh yeah, some physical mishaps really are cringe inducing more than laugh worthy. Which is why I appreciate YouTubers who pick only the funny mishaps, like someone’s pants getting caught on the fence or something.
LikeLiked by 1 person
it does have its funny moments…
LikeLike