I agree with you and I don't understand it either.  In fact, I posted something similar like this, but revolving around debates.

However, I moreso wanted to comment on the fact that TV more and more often portray father's to be comical, bumbling people. It's sad and it starts a stereotype which really shouldn't be in existence.  I thought I was one of the few that noticed this trend, and I don't like it.

I use a lot of snarky characters in my own writing. It's because you have to:

1. Make people psychologically realistic, and let's face it, there is a *lot* of snark out there--especially now in the age of the net. Especially between friends and family members, since they feel comfortable knowing the other person understands their intentions and will take it well. I come from one of the snarkiest families on earth, myself.

2. Make the story entertaining, and dry wit is one of the few basic types of humor. There are others, and it's good to have a variety. People respond to humor. People find humor charming in a tale. It's like spice in food.

Think of the Marx Brothers, for instance. I've never heard anybody say they don't like *them*. Groucho was always the most popular one, and his characters (character, really--the identity swapped between films but the Marx Brothers were still always doing essentially the same roles) were as brash and obnoxious and flippant as it gets. Cheap, too, and often cowardly. But people loved it. Because he wasn't real, and they weren't part of the situation. It kind of reminds me of an adage John Cleese quoted once in an interview: "The only difference between comedy and tragedy is a momentary anesthesia of the heart."

As for debates, though, I quite agree. Mudslinging is a cheap and childish tactic, and so are ad hominem attacks (though I hate to use the phrase since absolutely nobody knows the difference anymore *between* ad hominems and mudslinging).

warmaker : That is something that I never really understood myself but I think society is starting to change and people are becoming more sensitive to each other. In regard to movies and such I guess it would depend on the situation if one were to really get offended by something. I know that I grew up idolizing George Carlin.

Here is a man who was quite vulgar, could throw insults and match anyone in a war of words better than anyone. The difference was if he was vulgar and insulting he always did it as a purpose of illustrating a point and more often than not Carlin always had a purpose in the things he said whether it be speaking about discrimination, hypocrisy, religious issues you name it. I’d be willing to bet that when he wasn’t on stage that he was actually a very humble kind hearted man. At least that’s how I see it.

The psychodynamic answer:
I think it is because we see it everywhere and we are told it is funny through out our life so in order to conform with the views of the majority, however we do none of this consciously as it happens in our unconcious.

Because its so true and I never mean unless they insulting as well and there a difference from insulting and joaning.

I think Ralph summed it up pretty well.

You laugh either because it is true, or because it is absurdly not true. There is also the aspect of schadenfreude (taking pleasure in the pain of another) that exists on a primal level. Someone gets tripped and falls, we laugh because it is not us. When it stops being comedy is when people actually get hurt. Same goes with insults.

I don't know people find insulting other funny , maybe its because some people like to see others be miserable . 

There is one more thing I got to say , its not funny when some one get insulted , its just mean .


/ supercool22 /

I think most people find insulting other people funny because it makes them feel better about themselves in a shallow, mean way. If they can point out the flaws in other people they don't have to feel bad about the flaws in themselves. 

We find it funny because where humans we really don't have a choice it's in our nature sorry if this offended you somehow but it's true it was how we were created

insulting someone is just rude and mean and it doesnt belong on vizzed board. if someone insults other people then it just hurts there feelings and the insulter should be punished (temporary ban or loss of viz). there is nothing good that comes out of insulting or bullying other people except the bully's sick twisted pleasure of another person's misery. nobody should bully other people and nobody should be bullied. if any one sees some one post an insult to another person click report abuse and say he/she bullied/insulted a user and let the moderators do the rest. hopefully one day there will be no cyber bullies on vizzed.

People have different types of humour after all so what's to stop them from laughing at a statement that's either the truth but the person who it's aimed at is either ignorant of this obvious.. Or it's so ridiculously stupid that people find it enjoyable... 

Like when you see a friend trip and then fall over in a comedic fashion... My first instinct is to laugh.. And then my morals kick in and then I rush over to see if the person is okay...

People commonly insult other people just to try to make themselves look cooler by bullying someone else. I hate that so much, I really don't like it when it happens to my friends at lunch, it is not that they are wimpy or stupid or anything and that they can't fight back, but it is because they are the better people and they aren't going to start a fight with an immature person who gets their kicks from bullying someone else to look cool. I hate this in my school, it happens in all years of school but O think it is strongest in High school, it starts in middle school but it is the worst in high school where there are fights all the time and people don't have any self control. So being a teenager in a high school full of immature apes is tough and not fun either.

Like "Abbot and Costello".
Like "Sunny and Cher".
Like "Martin and Lewis". ?
Their a perfect pair.

Comedy has always had a bumbling side to juxtapose the brainy-er side of life.
Granted truth is more fun than fiction.
But
We all need a simple tale that does not go over too many details due to time restraints.
The end result should be a good laugh. (Funny as in hahahaha.)

The insulting product you mention is the constant reinforcement of certain types that some people tend to believe are true more often than not.
But the fact remains that comercials and rate-ings have more to do with it than other matters.
In short?
MONEY.
Who watches T.V. More?
The earners or the dependants?
Who would want to watch real life as it is as opposed to the fiction that it could be?
Then ask yourself one thing.
Who Profits off of this?
"Tide", "Colgate", "Oil Of Olay", etc,etc,etc.
I wish there was an easier way to answer this.
Hope my post helps.

Good Luck.

Good Luck To Us All.
I'm done. Stick a fork in me.
Peace.

Depending on how it is done, for example if it is between two friends that do it as a joke, it can be funny. But people that do it just because they can? I think that is because they get pleasure from seeing other people get hurt from it. Personally, if people are mean or insulting towards me, I will disregard it, as what they have to say holds no importance thus let them try. They will just make themselves look silly trying to hurt someone who doesn't care what they say. I will admit thou, if the insult was close enough to my deep feelings towards something, I would most likely be mean back in order to defend myself. 

I don't find this all that funny either, but I think I know why people find it funny. I think it has something to do with how the other person reacts. They want to try to get a reaction out of the other person which they will probably find funny. I don't understand it either. Humans are an interesting species.