[News] Bill Maher Cracks Sendai Tsunami and Quake Jokes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOT9rTofxVo

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He needed material?

This raises the question of whether or not Bill Maher needs to reset his moral compass - which has been under public scrutiny for many years. Despite this, I still don't think Mr. Maher gets enough heat for the things he does. With jokes like this being thrown out without any second-guessing on the his or the media's part, I'm starting to wonder what society's come to. I mean, I know I can find more sanity on an online forum for anime than I can anywhere else in life. Is there something wrong with that?

It IS wrong of him...and so insensitive of him to say those things... During this disaster I think I've seen/read more news coverage about the celebrities who mock it than I have of the actual relief efforts... -_-'

***Edited to clarify that I wasn't calling the creator of this thread insensitive. ^^''

Somebody said something some people found offensive. Said people were offended. The world still goes `round.

If people don't like this guys jokes, said people shouldn't listen to him, oh my god such a hard concept!

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Originally Posted by Aeschylus

Somebody said something some people found offensive. Said people were offended. The world still goes `round.

If people don't like this guys jokes, said people shouldn't listen to him, oh my god such a hard concept!

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Second. This is not new people, this has been going around for years already.

So long as he recognizes it as a series of tragic events and the jokes are just jokes, let him joke. Words are just words, and humor is limited by no circumstances. Crack away, Mr. Maher.

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Originally Posted by Aeschylus

If people don't like this guys jokes, said people shouldn't listen to him, oh my god such a hard concept!

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This is hard to do when his 'jokes' are embedded into the "Opinion" section of my newspaper every day...

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Originally Posted by Gjallarhorn

So long as he recognizes it as a series of tragic events and the jokes are just jokes, let him joke. Words are just words, and humor is limited by no circumstances. Crack away, Mr. Maher.

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Basically, this. When the disaster is in-progress, it's bad taste to joke about it, but after the fact, the people involved don't feel better by being tip-toed around There must be more to the jokes than just "lol, people are suffering" for them to be okay, though.

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Originally Posted by Sasorikiller

This is hard to do when his 'jokes' are embedded into the "Opinion" section of my newspaper every day...

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Skip the opinion section? Or you could ignore it.

I don't believe that it was the time or place for Bill to go and say what he said. Though I don't think the jokes are aimed at Japan so much as he used the destruction in Japan to Joke about Bayner and Charlie Sheen. Again I don't support what he did or said.

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Originally Posted by Aeschylus

Skip the opinion section? Or you could ignore it.

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It can't be helped, as I read the newspaper in its entirety as a matter of principle.

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Originally Posted by Sasorikiller

It can't be helped, as I read the newspaper in its entirety as a matter of principle.

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The opinion is like a review column. You only read it you share the taste of the author. Otherwise, you go on to find someone you do agree with. That's why it's called "Opinion", and not "Fact".

Did I mention that my newspaper is like a giant, undefined "opinion" section?

I'm considering just not getting the daily telegraph anymore; regardless, back on topic: Was this wrong of Maher? What could he've done differently?

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Originally Posted by Sasorikiller

I'm considering just not getting the daily telegraph anymore; regardless, back on topic: Was this wrong of Maher? What could he've done differently?

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I don't see anything particularly wrong with it. Some will think it's in poor taste, but I'm fine with it.

@Sasorikiller: Then simple, just change your source?

Humor is one of the few things that people can use to help cope with something that seems overwhelmingly tragic. So yes, there is a way to do it.. if you're very very careful about doing it.


That being said, if I were him, I wouldn't risk that sort of slip up; it's not worth it if you mess up.

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Was this wrong of Maher?

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I don't find anything wrong with it. He didn't harm anyone.

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What could he've done differently?

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State he was "bi-winning" and then become the source of humour himself.

In retrospect, I don't think the jokes he made were all that bad. Are they going to be offensive to some? Sure. But as long as he's acknowledged the disaster for what it is, which I believe he did a decent job of; and he didn't take the jokes too far, which I don't believe he did, I don't see any real problem in it.

As others have said, making jokes out of things such as this is like walking a tightrope, however so long as you're careful about it, you can manage it without looking like an insensitive jerk.