How soon is too soon?
The tragic death of footballer Gary Speed has upset me (and many of my friends) in more ways than one; firstly, the fact that a young man with so much to live for could decide to end it all is pretty grim, but worst of all are the cruel jokes that are already circulating on the internet. I know that comedians – whether they’re on stage or in the pub – have always cashed in on tragedy. There’s something quite gleeful about sitting in a crowded comedy club and giggling at something that you know would horrify most right-thinking people. Think back to every disaster or celebrity death over the last few years, and I bet you can remember the sick jokes that were doing the rounds. My concern is how soon is too soon?
After all, poor Gary probably hasn’t even been laid to rest and already the people who make these jokes up (who are they, by the way?) have been busy creating and circulating their rather sick efforts, most of which are about as welcome as an emergency fuel delivery in the middle of a heatwave. Don’t get me wrong; I love offensive comedians. The more offensive the better, as far as I’m concerned. I’ve sat crying with laughter at some Fringe shows while the rest of the audience were stampeding for the door in disgust. I guess my problem isn’t just that 48 hours is too soon to be cracking the funnies, but also that a decent bloke like Gary Speed isn’t much of a target, so a lot of the “jokes” just aren’t very amusing. Unlike the Amy Winehouse ones that were doing the rounds a while ago – they were hilarious.
So I’ll end with a plea to the mystery joke writers, whoever and wherever they are; can we leave Gary Speed and his family alone, at least for a few more weeks? Trust me; your efforts will be much more appreciated and less reviled if you give us all a while to digest the tragedy. At the moment, you’re just not funny…
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