What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?

[FamilyGal]

I thought this would make for an interested conversation:

What, if anything, is too serious to be joked about?

I think that would be child abuse. Especially sexual abuse. I cringe when I even hear a joking comment about a young girl looking good or something along those lines. NO joke like that, in my opinion, is appropriate.

Now, the occasional comment about "beating" your children I make and laugh at too. :p

[LarkinJoanna]

Family, your question brought something to mind that happened in the last place I worked a few years ago. There was this psychologist who worked there. He was very annoying and he verged on sexual harrassment from time to time. No one liked him. Well, he committed suicide. Most of the women in the office were joking about it and laughing. I thought it was horrible. I didn't care for the man either and tried to avoid him but I would never laugh and joke about someone committing suicide.

[FamilyGal]

That IS pretty awful. I can't imagine joking about someone like that.

[LarkinJoanna]

One of the ladies who was joking about it was a good friend of mine and I asked her "wonder how his parents are handling this?" She immediately quit laughing.

[Sysgoddess]

Child pornography and child sexual abuse are the two subjects that I find absolutely no humour in.

[baby duck]

This is not nearly as serious as what you guys have brought up, but the first thing that popped into my mind is that DH and I have a pact never to joke about getting a divorce. Too hurtful, even in jest.

[FamilyGal]

This is not nearly as serious as what you guys have brought up, but the first thing that popped into my mind is that DH and I have a pact never to joke about getting a divorce.

We have that as well. We actually had it for years. Then, at about 10 years we had serious problems, the D word came up. We made it through that and swore to never bring it up again. That is a can of worms you never want to open. That was four years ago and I have NO desire to divorce, but I think once you say it and it is out there, it is much harder to take it back. It's hard even now when we have problems not to have it slip into your head. I think if you can continue to NEVER say it, it is easier to not think it. Does that make sense?

I used to have a set of friends that they mentioned divorce over EVERYTHING. They were constantly talking about divorce. What a miserable existance. :(

Good post. I have had that conversation with many friends and we all seem to agree on that one.