Talk:Black comedy

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Is there any reason for "etc" to be linked in the list of "controversial topics" near the top of the article? I dunno, it just struck me as strange.--Tossrock 11:51, 31 March 2006 (UTC)

Contents 1 Black humour? 2 Vandalised 3 Dead baby jokes 4 Difference between this and tragicomedy 5 Monty Python and the Holy Grail 6 New Addition 7 Films 8 Color metaphors? 9 Some films 10 Songs? 11 Real-life use 12 Courage the Cowardly dog 13 African American Humor 14 Television 15 Problems with the list

[edit] Black humour?

Isn't Black humour a more accurate name for it? I've never heard anyone say black comedy, yet I've head black humour being used. -- Joolz 01:23, 12 Mar 2005 (UTC)

I've seen black comedy describing whole works like Dr. Strangelove, with black humor describing specific jokes. Lefty 02:28, 2005 Mar 12 (UTC)

Good point. I think black humour refers to the concept, whilst black comedy refers to a program/book/works with black humour in it. -- Joolz 14:26, 18 Mar 2005 (UTC)

And besides too, if we were to rename the article to "Black Humor" we'd have continual fights about how to spell it. Lefty 15:18, 2005 Mar 18 (UTC)

In colloquial German the terms "British humour" and "black humour" usually refer to the same thing.

Is there any historical basis for black humour being considered "typically British"? Is this kind of humour also referred to as British in English speaking countries (other than the UK)? -- Ashmodai 12:25, 26 July 2005 (UTC)

Have always heard it called dark comedy or dark humour. I prefer this term since it's free of racial connotation. My vote would be to rename the article and redirect "black humor/comedy" to that. Ckamaeleon 18:10, 14 March 2006 (UTC)

I dont understand your complaint. Jack Cain 00:26, 15 March 2006 (UTC)

Dude what do you mean you don't understand his complaint I was going to try to change the name and I think the name is racist--Yowiki 05:46, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

This complaint itself is racist. That anything titled "black" is racially based is very narrow-minded. The term "black humor" supersedes racial barriers and refers to something that has been around for longer than the terms "black" and "white" for race. The automatic assumption that anything with either color term must relate to race is a sign of one's own polarization and oversensitivity, which has become far to common in today's society. Black humor is a universal term to all English speakers as this article defines. Learn to think deeper next time before you start a racial debate where one never existed. Garnet avi 11:05, 7 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Vandalised

This page has been vandalised; or someone has removed all the formatting. There is no paragaphing, or spaces. Could someone with the knowledge revert to a previous form; and perhaps a semi-protection is in order? Unconscious 21:44, 3 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Dead baby jokes

I have a problem with saying that Black Comedy being like "dead baby jokes". I don't think they are in any way like each other, Black Comedy satirize important topics, not to trivialise them but to emphasise their importance. Dead baby jokes are just jokes in really bad taste. Thomas.mcmahon 13 September 2005

Sick humor. -- Fergdude33 23:40, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

I'm going to have to agree with that; the "dead baby jokes" example really takes it a bit too far, especially so close to the beginning of the article. Perhaps that could be modified to provide a better explanation of the concept behind black humor. Eccomi 06:53, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Difference between this and tragicomedy

The article on tragicomedy claims to be also about black comedy. I think the two terms are related but different, and need to be differentiated. 66.167.253.16 07:14, 22 October 2005 (UTC).

I don't think it's tragicomedy unless the audience actually sympathizes with and is moved by the "tragic" part. For example, Weekend at Bernie's's central joke is the slapstick humor of two guys abusing Bernie's corpse (as well as a commentary on the egotism of the 1980s, but that's another story). It would be a tragicomedy if we had a connection with Bernie and felt that dragging his body behind a speeding motor boat were cruel or disrepectful of his remains. But the movie establishes at the very beginning how much of a jerk Bernie was when he was alive. Consequently, we don't feel sorry for him--and we don't take his degradation seriously. It's a dark comedy. That's my take on it. Ckamaeleon 18:18, 14 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Is that really considered black humour?.. I love the film myself, but hardly see it as being of that genre. Satires in general are not all black comedies. DrWho42 22:56, 26 December 2005 (UTC)

Sure it's satirical, but there are quite a few scenes where death and dismemberment are played for laughs. Tehw1k1 05:36, 28 December 2005 (UTC)

Are you serious? There is nothing "black" about that comidy utc such and such

[edit] New Addition

I am adding the Oddworld series to the video games section.

-TR

I added Snuff Box to the television section

- Northy666

[edit] Films

I added the Roger Corman films A Bucket of Blood and The Little Shop of Horrors to the films list. Extremely dark low-budget comedy. (Ibaranoff24 20:01, 9 March 2006 (UTC))

[edit] Color metaphors?

"(see also color metaphors for race.)"

This is at the end of the first paragraph in the intro. But I don't understand why it's there. Looking at the color_metaphors_for_race article, I don't see what it has to do with the paragraph. Ckamaeleon 18:21, 14 March 2006 (UTC)

I think that was stealth vandalism, Im removing it. Jack Cain 19:37, 14 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Some films

Some of these films aren't really....comedies. Falling Down? A Clockwork Orange? And The Aristocrats is absolutely sick humor more than black humor. what're the criteria for being admitted to the list?

• I deleted some titles. I also added Ruthless People. If anybody is wondering why Shaun of the Dead and Ravenous were deleted, it's as simple as this: horror comedy is not black comedy. I can make a note that some horror/comedy films may be considered to be black comedy and then redirect to the list of horror/comedy films if anybody thinks these films should be mentioned. (Ibaranoff24 02:48, 25 May 2006 (UTC))

• • There are ton of titles left in the movie section that just don't make sense as black comedies. The Evil Dead series are horror comedy, and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Oldboy aren't comedies at all. It seems like people are adding movies just because there might be a humorous scene in it. Having a scene or two that makes you laugh doesn't make a movie a comedy.

Is the Cable Guy really a Black Comedy? I've never seen it but just the trailers I remember, and the people I know who liked it, it seems more schlapstick. There's alot of films on here that do not seem like Black Comedy to me. Also, would early John Waters (Mondo Trasho-Polyester) films be Black Comedies?

I believe that Fun with Dick and Jane is Black Comedy and was wondering if it belongs on the list.

Remember that these should be examples and not a comprehensive list. (also remember to sign your posts.) Slavlin 19:39, 11 January 2007 (UTC)

I think the TV show Dead Like Me is a perfect example of black humor. It's not a film, but I think it epitomizes the genre enough that mentioning it might be beneficial. Garnet avi 10:59, 7 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Songs?

If there are lists of books and movies, perhaps there should be a list of notable songs that employ black humor. I may just add one if no one objects.--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back 02:16, 27 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Real-life use

I recall reading stuff about how people use black humour to help deal with extremely stressful situations (such as helicopter pilots in the Vietnam War). Anyone know much about this?--SirNuke 06:34, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Courage the Cowardly dog

Is this really a black comedey? I didn't think it realy was :S

Yea, it was. Tree Hugger 01:29, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] African American Humor

Whenever I have heard this term used it refered to stuff by the Waynes Brothers or Dave Chapelle. Dark Humor is more often used and is less ambiguous.

[edit] Television

I removed a few television shows which are definately not black comedies, but there are still plenty more that need to be removed. Shows like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report aren't really black comedies, they're merely satirical. Right? --Kronecker 05:20, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Problems with the list

Some of the people on the list do not try to be funny, only black. Some people try to be funny, not black. Get rid of people on the list who do not try to be funny, and get rid of people whose humor is not Black. Also, I think that the list should include people or works that are more exclusively black humor. Seinfeld may have had possibly one black humor joke, but most of the humor was more lively. Charles Adams had most of his cartoons mock death or ghoulish things, so that is black comedy. Tree Hugger 01:28, 25 February 2007 (UTC)

I think the whole list has to go. It's pretty pointless just listing every piece of black comedy ever. ---- DarthInsinuate 11:09, 1 March 2007 (UTC)

I once contributed to the list, but now believe it's out of control. I will be bold and take it out. Please comment if you disagree.--The Fat Man Who Never Came Back 06:41, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

On the contrary, I endorse this removal. CovenantD 07:10, 3 March 2007 (UTC)

How about "The Farside?" 66.91.114.73 17:24, 22 March 2007 (UTC)