News reports that make you feel guilty for laughing at them

[Calboner]

Newspaper headline: "New Zealand Man Decapitated by Homemade Hovercraft." Excerpt: "The newspaper said it was the first time the man had driven the hovercraft, which he had assembled from a kit."

If one reads the story, the event sounds perfectly horrifying; but the fact is, the headline made me want to laugh.

I am reminded of a moment in the movie Bedazzled (the original one, not the remake) in which the devil, played by Peter Cook, demonstrates his powers to Stanley Moon, played by Dudley Moore, by snapping his fingers and thereby causing the bottom of a bag of groceries carried by a woman to burst open. Stanley laughs out loud and then says: "'Ere, that's terrible!" (At 01:30 in this video.)

Anyone have any other items like this?

 

[LookingCurious]

Yeah, there was a story a few weeks back about a guy who was on a motorcycle ride to protest helmet laws. He died of a head injury during the ride.

It was horribly tragic and I felt so guilty but I kinda chuckled.

 

[Calboner]

Yeah, there was a story a few weeks back about a guy who was on a motorcycle ride to protest helmet laws. He died of a head injury during the ride.

It was horribly tragic and I felt so guilty but I kinda chuckled.

I remember that incident, and I had the same reaction. I considered posting a link to the story on Facebook with an ironic comment, but decided against it, as I could imagine some people finding my reaction callous. The incident reminded me of Jerry Seinfeld's words about motorcycle helmets and helmet laws: "What was happening, apparently, was that we were involved in a lot of activities that were cracking our heads. We chose not to avoid doing those activities but, instead, to come up with some sort of device to help us enjoy our head-cracking lifestyles. And even that didn't work because not enough people were wearing them so we had to come up with the helmet law. Which is even stupider, the idea behind the helmet law being to preserve a brain whose judgment is so poor, it does not even try to avoid the cracking of the head it's in." (Source.)

 

[willow78]

I cheered when I heard about the bull at a bull-fight that jumped into the crowd and terrified them.

And then there was this:
Inquiry ordered after horse jumps into crowd - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Despite a young child and a senior being seriously injured, I found it hard to feel any sympathy for them. TBH I don't know why they're complaining - they went to see horses jumping and that's what they got! :tongue: Too many horses get injured or killed in this cruel so-called-sport but:

"Our primary concern is for the wellbeing of those people that were injured in this freak accident," Racing Victoria chief executive Rob Hines said.

Never mind the animals.....SMH

Anyone who 'enjoys' bull-fighting or steeple-chase deserves to get hurt.

 

[Krusader]

Any news that darwin-award worthy :biggrin1:

 

[willow78]

Any news that darwin-award worthy :biggrin1:

YES! The Darwins are always LOL-apalooza to me!

 

[willow78]

I always have a guilt-free laugh when I read/hear about a very homophobic political/religious/social identity getting caught with a rent-boy.

 

[LaFemme]

I had to laugh at the guy who shot himself in the penis when he tucked his g/f's little pink purse pistol in the waistband of his sweats to go to the grocery store.

I wonder which pink pistol he was reaching for when it went off.....

 

[Bbucko]

I really don't feel guilty about it, but Gawker has a great way of writing headlines that insist you click them. The entire site just glows with schadenfreude.

 

[MASSIVEPKGO_CHUCK]

And here I burst out laughin' my ass off over the possibility THAT Bert & Ernie might been gay three days ago....

 

[leapyear]

Inventor and founder of the Segway scooter company apparently being a gentlemen, backed up along a cliff top pathway to allow a pedestrian to pass and disappeared over the edge never to be seen again...

Segway company owner rides scooter off cliff - World news - Europe - msnbc.com

 

[Calboner]

Inventor and founder of the Segway scooter company apparently being a gentlemen, backed up along a cliff top pathway to allow a pedestrian to pass and disappeared over the edge never to be seen again...

Segway company owner rides scooter off cliff - World news - Europe - msnbc.com

Yeah, I remember that story. The guy was not the inventor, though: he merely bought the company. On the one hand, a terrible thing for the victim and those close to him; on the other hand, it suggests something that would happen to Wile E. Coyote in a Road Runner cartoon.

 

[ManofThunder]

Yeah, I remember that story. The guy was not the inventor, though: he merely bought the company. On the one hand, a terrible thing for the victim and those close to him; on the other hand, it suggests something that would happen to Wile E. Coyote in a Road Runner cartoon.

I also believe he was involved in a lot of charity-work and good causes (from memory). Otherwise though, definitely 'Wile E Coyote' material.

 

[Calboner]

This is not a news report but a a letter from a bricklayer to his employer recounting a most unfortunate mishap, read by Gerard Hoffnung (1925–1959):

The Bricklayer's Lament - by Gerard Hoffnung - YouTube

I need tissues or a handkerchief to mop up the tears when I listen to this.