Jokes about dead people

Immediately after a celebrity dies, the jokes start. Sometimes within 3 minutes of their death texts begin with jokes. After Michael Jackson's death the sheer volume of Michael Jackson jokes posted on twitter was staggering. Sometimes, we comedians are akin to vultures. A corpse is not even cold and we're already rummaging through the bones for a laugh.

Of course, comedians write these jokes to meet a clear demand. People like to hear jokes about the dead. Often, the more offensive the joke the better. To get academic, possibly this is due to comedy being uniquely suited for coping with things that frighten us. What frightens us more than death? But that might be overanalysing it. It might be as simple as the fact that people have an appetite for comedy that breaks taboos. Sex, body fluids, religion... these are all comedy staples. Is there any taboo greater than laughing at someone's death?

Add to this the fact that celebrities are real people but they also aren't. Unless you are a close friend or family member you don't really know them as a person. What you know is their media persona. Beyond that celebrities in modern society are ideas. They are mythic. Their personal lives are fuel for dozens of publications. Their foibles are consumed with a relish. Robert Downey Junior for example, back in his off the wagon days, was not just an addict in the public consciousness, he was the uber addict.

Laughing at a dead person - not really acceptable. Laughing about an idea/icon/cultural transcendental form - more palatable.

Real people or not, I personally have mixed feelings about the plethora of jokes about the dead. There's something disrespectful about making a joke at the expense of someone who is dead. Unless they were a truly vile dictator or murderer, I often think death is a good time to let bygones be bygones. They are dead. Leave them alone.


But on the other hand. They are the jokes about the dead which work and are not disrespectful. They are the opposite. They are an homage of sorts. My comedic homages succeed sometimes and fail at sometimes. After Douglas Adams died, I had 42 seconds of silence for him at a comedy show. The six people in the room who got the joke liked it. Patrick Swayze just died and I did a joke. I hope it's more on the homage end of the spectrum than mocking the dead end. Judge for yourself: it's at my 'Joke of the Week' blog.

Either way, I meant it to be the former. And finally, in closing, when I die, jokes would be appreciated.