Will somebody shed some light on what’s wrong with having a dark sense of humour?
The last time I checked it was a good thing to have any type of humour at all, but most of the Maltese don’t seem to think so.
As most have already heard, last month, amidst the Libya uprising crisis, somebody with a fantastic dark sense of humour decided to "auction off" the two French-made Libyan fighter jets on Malta Park. This hilarious act was picked up by The Los Angeles Times, where the journalist Meris Lutz, started off by saying ‘Who knew the Maltese had such a dark sense of humor?’
I was chuffed! Not only did we hit the international headlines, this time we got there for our sense of humour, as opposed to the usual political handshakes and backside licking.
Apparently however, I’m the odd one out, because most of the Maltese who saw the article felt deeply offended, and true to our nature went on to give the author ‘a piece of their mind.’
Below are a few of the many ‘lovely’ comments that were left under the article (typos included):
Now let us say that it really was a "dark" joke, and that this one Maltese person really had a bad sence of humour, then still, what right has the journalist to judge a whole country for the doing of just one person. I seriuosly think that this journalist and any others resposnsable really, really need to change their job or at least have a long holiday. Shame of you "Los Angeles Times" ......
Posted : February 27, 2011 at 04:32 AM
My my. Are you envious because we got two mirage fighters for free?
Have you been so brainwashed and are so paranoid that you can't even take a joke?
Posted : February 26, 2011 at 12:54 PM
wow...i didn't know america had so much time to loose when there are greater stories to talk about...i think that this is the last time that we here about this journalist...............you joke about everything in your everyday television programs. religion, disability, racisms and everything else. then you write this article after what we are doing for you....we are busy workers and like to help others in need...might i say we are trying to save your people and you are sitting at home.....malta is recently we loaned greece 27million euros just to help them from there bankrupcy.....for once be grateful and shut up and stop writing......
Posted : February 26, 2011 at 09:43 AM
Dear journalist / no brain - No point commenting – if it wasn’t for our grand, grand, grand, grand, grand, and maybe another grand father or shall I say grandad? you are writing in Arabic. the factual language of your big bosses.
Posted : February 25, 2011 at 12:11 PM
The comments go on and on and on, and whilst every now and then there’s a cry for reason trying to explain that the author did not mean to insult the Maltese, that he understood and appreciated the joke enough to write about it, and that a dark sense of humour is not a bad thing to have, these comments were far and in between.
So, just to set the records straight, please note that black humour or dark humour is the type of humour used to create black comedy usually related to death and other things that we find hard to cope with. Its sole purpose is to make light of serious subjects and taboos. It is never intended to offend and it is a very popular genre and loved by many. So clearly, having it is not a bad thing.
The popular show South Park is totally based on dark humour. During the second season, when it was at its peak, advertisers paid as much as $80,000 for a 30 second spot.
So please take a dark funny pill and get off Meris Lutz’s case.