I thought for a while that maybe I was just a downright terrible person… that was until I realized that all my friends loved watching these videos just as much as I did; people getting hurt. As I am writing I am starting to see that this is probably not going to be the most politically correct post ever but I don’t like to lie and I love to laugh even more. I sort of feel guilty at times, watching people get hurt and writhe in pain while I sit in my bed laughing but I realize that is the purpose of entertainment to a certain extent. Yes, it is embarrassing to have a video put up on YouTube of someone shooting you with a paintball gun and screaming like a little girl but 1,639,661 views is nothing to scoff at either.
But why do we laugh at these videos? Why is watching a child, obviously terrified on a rollercoaster so hilarious? I think for most people our first reaction is of pity because the last place on earth we would want to be is in their position. But there is a deeper meaning in our laughter and that is we find it entertaining when someone inferior to us is hurting, in pain or embarrassed. The American culture feeds on this concept because of out obsession with appearance and honestly we are just plain vein. When we see someone getting hurt, and even more so if they are fat, we are relieved that we are not in their position and that just adds to our laughter. All this said, I can’t help myself. Every time I see a video, especially the compilations (those are the absolute worst), I can’t hold it in. I even just performed a little experiment with my suitemates and they couldn’t help themselves either. These videos are downright funny.
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