Incident with our dog..

[Rustward]

Quote:

Originally Posted by haha Agree. I don't like this "joke" at all. It takes advantage of people's natural empathy and willingness to offer support, then makes them feel fooish.

It might have gone over a little better if the whole joke was completed in the first post.

As a joke, it is an OK one. But the way it was posted, well I didn't like it either.

[LRS]

Pfft. It was a JOKE. Steve88 pulled your leg. Don't be stodgy about it.

[Notmuchlonger]

I haven't laughed so hard in days. Thanks Steve. My FIL will love this joke.

[W2R]

As long as we are weighing in on this, I thought the joke was hideous. Bear in mind that I just don't "get" jokes about death in general.

The death of a pet is tragic and to me it is not funny. Pets depend on us to take care of them and protect them, which makes a pet's death even more heartbreaking for pet owners. Often a faithful, loving pet is the only friend and companion of its owner. Those of us who have lost a beloved pet, know how devastating it can be.

So maybe I've got no sensa humah.

[Meadbh]

because suddenly dropping dead is not a typical symptom of gasoline poisoning.

MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Gasoline

If this was a joke, I don't think it was funny.

[Bestwifeever]

W2R, I have to say I've lost several beloved pets and I still got a little chuckle/groan out of it. But you're a mod--you could move it to Funny Joke Thursday or you could delete the thread as violating the tos, couldn't you?

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bestwifeever W2R, I have to say I've lost several beloved pets and I still got a little chuckle/groan out of it. But you're a mod--you could move it to Funny Joke Thursday or you could delete the thread as violating the tos, couldn't you?

Bestwifeever, yes, I am a mod. I was posting as a member, though, with my own personal opinion. It is not universally shared. I would no more delete the post due to my own personal opinion than would Sarah, another of our mods who posted on this thread that she didn't care for the joke:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sarah in SC I'm gullible, I guess, but that is equivalent to me making a joke about poisoning somebody's kid. Who jokes about their dog collapsing after drinking gasoline? Weird, dude. Creepy.

If all the mods deleted posts they didn't agree with, there would be no Soapbox since I think we are pretty much evenly divided between Obama/Biden and McCain/Palin.

As a mod I do not presently see that any violation of the tos has occurred. If any member sees a violation of the tos or the Community Rules in this or any post, all they have to do is report it via the button on the lower left with the exclamation point. Then the Moderation Team will review the post and come to a consensus.

[Bestwifeever]

I understand, W2R--

[freebird5825]

i also thought the "joke" was very offensive.
but since it is still a free country...
maybe the orig poster should take a short visit to the Humane Society web site and see what cruel people do to helpless animals. it may be an enlightening journey.

[Dawg52]

Quote:

Originally Posted by haha Agree. I don't like this "joke" at all. It takes advantage of people's natural empathy and willingness to offer support, then makes them feel foolish. Great play, Steve! Onto ignore you go.

I agree, but I don't feel foolish. I'm a dog lover so I will always reach out to someone who I think is sincere when telling a sad story concerning their pet.

It takes all types, I guess.

[Notmuchlonger]

Even the outrage this generated is humorous. Out of all the wonderful things in this world anyone could be upset about. Its amazing what can provoke such a response. Yet a simple joke draws the wrath of many. Even the moderators feel like piling on

[haha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Notmuchlonger Even the outrage this generated is humorous. Out of all the wonderful things in this world anyone could be upset about. Its amazing what can provoke such a response. Yet a simple joke draws the wrath of many. Even the moderators feel like piling on

I haven't seen any wrath. I just think it is dumb to make fun of people's empathic responses. You may need them sometime. I feel OK about being made the fool once. The second time you are on your own.

How is this any different from someone posting that they have just been stricken with leukemia, then a page or so down- hehe, just kidding?

Americans take their pets seriously, and we care for animals. Check the threads about the $thousand that get spent prolonging their lives.

One shouldn't screw around with caring, there is too little of it in the world.

Ha

[Bestwifeever]

Maybe the mods could edit the joke (put the punchline in the OP) and move it and CFB's jokes to funny joke thursday--posts get moved occasionally (that was my first suggestion to W2R above). There are plenty of funny yet offensive postings on FJT

[Gardnr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by haha I haven't seen any wrath. I just think it is dumb to make fun of people's empathic responses. You may need them sometime. I feel OK about being made the fool once. The second time you are on your own. How is this any different from someone posting that they have just been stricken with leukemia, then a page or so down- hehe, just kidding? Americans take their pets seriously, and we care for animals. Check the threads about the $thousand that get spent prolonging their lives. One shouldn't screw around with caring, there is too little of it in the world. Ha

Very well put. A joke should be funny, but it shouldn't make people feel foolish.

[TromboneAl]

I think you're making Steve feel bad, and he doesn't deserve it. The joke was not intended to make anyone feel foolish. It's humor comes from the unexpected punchline, the unexpected interactive way it was delivered, and the unexpected application of the common phrase "run out of gas." There's no way to write this joke without the part about the dog maybe dying.

It's very hard to judge whether a joke will offend someone, and if you worry too much about it, a lot of funny things will never be said. Steve saw that joke somewhere, and thought people would enjoy it here. I'm sure he didn't think "Hey, they'll feel really bad at first and then foolish." He wasn't making fun of sick dogs.

I understand how some of you feel, but please cut Steve some slack. No animals were harmed in the telling of this joke.

[honobob]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bestwifeever Maybe the mods could edit the joke (put the punchline in the OP) and move it and CFB's jokes to funny joke thursday--posts get moved occasionally (that was my first suggestion to W2R above). There are plenty of funny yet offensive postings on FJT

I'd like to think if someone posted a true tragedy and someone posted an offensive joke line that it would be taken care of right away. When I read the story I was saddened. I rarely read further because I feel so inadequate at offering condolences. Had I not read further I would still have a sad feeling to carry around all day.

Even in a free country you cannot yell "fire" in a crowded theatre. This "post" is not in an appropriate place. If the mods won't move it to the jokes I request you to at least put the "punch" line into the body of the OP.

[CuppaJoe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve88 .... What a crappy day.

-
A few years ago, SO's SIL said her dog had drowned in the pool and ended the story with, "it was a bad day." My response was, "that wasn't a bad day, it was a tragedy."

[Dawg52]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TromboneAl I think you're making Steve feel bad, and he doesn't deserve it. The joke was not intended to make anyone feel foolish. It's humor comes from the unexpected punchline, the unexpected interactive way it was delivered, and the unexpected application of the common phrase "run out of gas." There's no way to write this joke without the part about the dog maybe dying. It's very hard to judge whether a joke will offend someone, and if you worry too much about it, a lot of funny things will never be said. Steve saw that joke somewhere, and thought people would enjoy it here. I'm sure he didn't think "Hey, they'll feel really bad at first and then foolish." He wasn't making fun of sick dogs.

This is the type of joke that might go over ok in person, face to face with no lag time. But to post something like this on a forum board, where the punch line is giving much later, well it just seems inappropriate. I read the post yesterday, gave my response and didn't bother reading anymore until this afternoon as I assumed it was just others giving their condolences.

But hey, no big deal. I won't lose any sleep over it. I'm sure Steve's original intent was not to piss anyone off.

[ladelfina]

I'm not wrathful, nor do i feel foolish, nor do I think it should be censored. What others saw as interactivity, though, I saw as broken.

I didn't think a dog would even drink gasoline, but I guess they do. (Anti-freeze I knew about.)

Quote:

A few animals may develop serious neurologic signs including seizures, coma and death.

Gasoline and Petroleum Toxicity in Dogs

Since I have a dog, I went and looked it up.. right after I saw the first sad post and the following condolence posts. Unlike honobob, I DID have a bad feeling all day, or at least for the few hours until I came back and saw the 'punchline'.

[harley]

Well, I laughed after I saw the punchline, even after thinking "that sux" before seeing it. Even a poorly delivered joke can be funny.

I've been noticing a general malaise around here for the last week. Market meltdown/bailout/depression/panic. They say the sense of humor is the first thing to go.