Darwin awards I
think is a known topic to all of you, but it’s
always interesting because as it turns out there is always a new history of
astonishing stupidity of human beings. There is a ‘very funny’ (if you can say
that death is funny) background and genesis of Darwin awards so I will try to
bring it closer to you. The presentation will be kept more in a form of “did
you know” facts about Darwin awards.
So, the first thing, why is it called ‘Darwin
awards’ ?
Because of the
Darwin’s theory of natural selection. It’s more like a black humour. People
dying in a very amusing ways are people
who ‘take the ultimate sacrifice’ and remove their genes from a general gene pool and
protect us so the accident will never happen again. Anyway of course there is
no genetic differences between them and the rest of us.
How famous is this ? Can I vote somewhere ?
The Darwin awards thing has grown into a website and a series of books started by Wendy Northcut. You can buy them at a better bookshop - it’s worth it, believe me. Check out the website: http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/ - the link is straight to documented and confirmed cases of amusing deaths. Go ahead and check them out, maybe you will find something funny ? :)
Actually, you can vote for it - you can vote for the best ones for example there is a ranking for 2014 - http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2014.html
Ok, but these stories could be fabricated right ? Is it somehow checked if the stories are real ?
Yes, it’s one of criterion of how someone can be (post-mortem) nominated for a Darwin award - story needs to be checked. It needs to be documented by a reliable source: a newspaper, television reports, witnesses. Because there is a lot of incoming emails containing only fiction. Of course the fiction is disqualified but the ‘best ones’ are placed in the urban legends section. Due to the fact that in early times stories were not checked if they are true, they could be fictional and are still treated asa regular Darwin awards.
The Darwin awards thing has grown into a website and a series of books started by Wendy Northcut. You can buy them at a better bookshop - it’s worth it, believe me. Check out the website: http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/ - the link is straight to documented and confirmed cases of amusing deaths. Go ahead and check them out, maybe you will find something funny ? :)
Actually, you can vote for it - you can vote for the best ones for example there is a ranking for 2014 - http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin2014.html
Ok, but these stories could be fabricated right ? Is it somehow checked if the stories are real ?
Yes, it’s one of criterion of how someone can be (post-mortem) nominated for a Darwin award - story needs to be checked. It needs to be documented by a reliable source: a newspaper, television reports, witnesses. Because there is a lot of incoming emails containing only fiction. Of course the fiction is disqualified but the ‘best ones’ are placed in the urban legends section. Due to the fact that in early times stories were not checked if they are true, they could be fictional and are still treated as
What are the other criterion then
?
●
So here is the most interesting fact for me, I didn’t
know that a nominee must be dead or at
least sterile, here is the quote for it to be more specific:
If the person were unable to reproduce when stranded on a deserted island with a fertile member of the opposite sex, he or she would be considered sterile.
If the person were unable to reproduce when stranded on a deserted island with a fertile member of the opposite sex, he or she would be considered sterile.
●
Another thing is that a nominee’s stupidity must be
unique/sensational because the whole award is intended to be funny. One example
I can think of is a case of two girls getting high by gas from lighters. After
that they thought it’s a good idea to smoke a cigarette :).
●
As mentioned in the example above, a nominee must
cause his/her own demise: Killing a friend with a hand grenade would not be eligible, but
killing oneself while manufacturing a homemade chimney-cleaning device
from a grenade would be eligible.
●
Maturity - so your nominee must be at least past legal
driving age and must be free of mental defects. I think it’s the most obvious
one - Darwin award is intended to be funny, when somebody is mentally ill it’s
sad or just ‘not right’ to think that it is funny.
I
don’t really want to insert here Darwin’s most notable awards because you can
find them online , so I will give you some questions to answer, think about
them:
1. Are those stories funny to you
? Do you find it amusing somehow, in that strange way that after reading a story
you are glad that you are not that silly ?
2. Do you consider death funny ?
It’s an open question, feel free to ‘go deep’ here.
3. I want to encourage you to
find something, so tell me what your favourite story is or tell us what you found
most astonishing in that particular story.
I think you forgot about a rule (but I am not 100 percent sure).
ReplyDeleteA person must not have children (even if he/she is sterile by the time he/she died).
1. Are those stories funny to you ? Do you find it amusing somehow, in that strange way that after reading a story you are glad that you are not that silly ?
Yeah, they are funny ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°). I heard about a story, where a person found out that his company installed bulletproof windows or something like that. He wanted to test them and came out with a great idea. He run directly at the window and... felt down.
2. Do you consider death funny ? It’s an open question, feel free to ‘go deep’ here.
If it's a stupid death like presented in darwin awards, than yeah. Normal persons death isn't funny.
3. ehh, I answered this in first question :)
Holy molly I guess it's true - You should not have children first (before death lol :D).
Delete~1 Oh my god ! The only one comment I can think of :D The moment when you realize how did you screwed up right ? :D
~2 Hubert I know you are lazy and you don't want to start a discussion here but still You could have said a little bit more :D But I see the use of 'normal people' here.
I always looked at Darwin Awards more like fairy tales, never really thought if they are true or just imagined. I love British sense of humor the ‘gravy’ one, death is not a taboo for me I like to make jokes about it. It’s not easy to have fun from dead people of course I need to be careful not to make anyone sad. My favorite Darwin award was for a man who wanted to check if it’s true that cow farts with methane, he placed lighter next to cows butt, and when it farted fire was sucked into cow and it exploded… Its leg hit guy in the head and he died. Well even while writing this I find it so hilarious.
ReplyDeleteIndeed they need to be checked whether they are true or not, it's not that easy to get to the Darwin Awards you know :D
DeleteYeah, I have the same impression, I don't have moral/ethical boundaries I can talk about everything, but there is a very small group of people which will understand You and You need to be sensitive, right ?
To your story, I heard that one, I facepalm every time :D There was also a man who liked to use a air pump to..... enjoy himself(I think you know what I mean).... but that wasn't enough - so he went to gas station and he used a air compressor - he exploded of course :D
I remember The Darwin Awards (2006) movie.
ReplyDeleteBest darwin awards? I gues: fishing. If someone saw it then, he know what I'm talking about.
If not: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WizROIojlA
It's good opportunity to see, how stupid people can be. But of course i prefer to laugh from those who survived. Because darwin awards are little cruel. "Laugh from people deaths"
Oh my god, how-unlucky-combined-with-stupid you must be to get in that kind of a situation lol !
DeleteWell you are maybe overreacting a little. It's just a giggle, making fun out of something serious. It's not that bad (:
Yes, definitely, after reading those incredible stories I am glad I am not such a stupid person as them. For me death is not a funny issue, it should be treated more serious, as for most of people death is the hardest experience. However, reading those stories could be funny, you can realise how many creative people are in the whole world.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reply. Creative is a funny word for silly :D I wonder if deceased's families consider it somehow funny.
DeleteI received once, while being in a secondary school, a book with Darwin awards. I remember that me and my friends have a really good time reading it.
ReplyDeleteAnd straight to the point. Do I consider death funny? Personally, I guess that not yet. But I think we, as people, should in some cases. Let me tell you why. In my opiniom death topic is still a taboo in Poland. How to tell child about death, how to calm down elderly, when they are scare of death and soon end of life. How to laugh out death? I think that Americans, generally speaking, don't have problem with that. I read once about company that is specializing in making big and nice funeral party (for example in the airplane). It's like wedding, but all people are in black. Different approach to the topic of death.
If WE could laugh about death and treat it like something nessesery, something normal, wouln't we be more calm? Especially elderly. I quite often hear from old people - I can't do anything, cause I'm already dead. Why the hell I should start new things, when I don't have time to finish it.
That's the point and that is why I think we should consider death funny. Humanize death through laugh. What is your opinion? Was it "deep" enough?
Damn, this is personal. So you say that we are not prepared to consider it as a funny topic ?
DeleteYou know it's a common situation. Someone dies and the family of the deceased needs to be informed right ?
Here is one little thing to cover - if you die and by the time of death you have children already - you can't be qualified for Darwin award.
It's a bit odd, we mourn when someone dies - shouldn't we be happy, I am sure that he/she would like it :)
I heard about of many funny stories. But if death is funny? Of course not, you have to be stupid. I will tell you funny story. Russian man claimed that he has a supernatural power and can stop vehicles. Once, he came on the tracks in front of a speeding train. The train did not stop.
ReplyDeleteYou know the Darwin awards - they focus more on the crazy part - the sequence of events that caused death, not on the death itself. That russian was just stupid, what can we say more :D
Delete1. For me stories about death aren't funny. Maybe some of the stories seem really ridiculous but it's still associated with human tragedy.
ReplyDelete2. Each death isn't funny. If someone laugh death is idiot. Think of someone close dies. Will you be funny about the causes of death?
3. I remember the story of a lifeguard who drowned in a swimming pool without any reasons from outside.
I recommend taking a chill pill, darwin awards are about those crazy parts of events that caused death - it's not about laughing about someone's death - people are not that cruel you know.
DeleteTo your last response, please elaborate because I have no idea what do you mean :)
Everything in these darvin stories is funny for me, as they're most often focus on the ridiculous part of a situation and peoples' stupidity, less on the death part.
ReplyDeleteDeath itself can't be called funny. I can hardly imagine the "funny" part there, so I'm not in a place to go deep in that topic.
I loved darvin story about some tech guys who were called to repair a leaking gas instalation in some company. As the lights were out and they forgot a light torch, one of them decided to light up his lighter and obviously it didn't end well. It was one of the stories that at least had some confirmation in some newspaper.
Yes! That's what I mean about 'focus' thing ! People seem not to understand the whole point of it.
DeleteMaybe I put the wrong question here but thank you anyway :)
You went with the classic one, yes it was a confirmed case ;)
Yes I find it funny but sometines I wonder how are those stories even possible. How people can come up with such strange ideas. As for death itself its not funny at all but thats how life looks like. Everyone of us will die at some point and lets hope it won't be some stupid way whle using a lighter or something like that.
ReplyDeleteI hope the same :) You know. It just happens, people have some wrong understanding of certain topics or you know, you just have a bad day :D
DeleteLove this award so much! Death is awful, but looking on what people stupid can be... Last video that i saw, it was about man that was drunk so much and climbed the water tower to set up a flag of DNR. His actions were not succesfull. And i feel no mercy for this trash.
ReplyDeleteCalm down sir, don't call anyone trash here plz :D
DeleteBut anyway people have some weird things coming to their minds.
The Darwin Awards are associated with the so-called black humor.Generally they relate to the stupidity of people, which led to their death.
ReplyDeleteI don't see anything wrong with such symbolic awards. For me the subject of death isn't funny. But the stupidity of some people is extremely surprising. Because of that, these stories may be interesting.
Diplomatic answer, thank you for it. It's just a thing to read when you have some time :)
DeleteDifficult topics discussed in public requires a certain amount of diplomacy ;)
Delete1. They are, because I'm hidden sadist inside, so stupid actions even involving death of the person can make me laugh.
ReplyDelete2. Yeah, why I shouldn't laugh if a guy is dying like a total retard, or he's intentionally acting like a clown? It's his choice, and I can't really control my reactions.
3. I'm not sure, there are too many funny deaths to list just one. But I suggest sadistic.pl website if you're into that stuff ;).
Well yeah, sadistic is known for it's specific preferences :D I know that someone would come out with some sadistic 'lifestyle' :D
ReplyDeleteI heard about this competition and I am definitely for promoting this kind of entertainment. Some of these stories are amazing and even I do not want to believe them. It just shows how people can be fool. Honestly, sometimes I doubt the continued existence of the human race and I feel a huge embarrassment looking at a whole herd of idiots, which 'ordinary' death was too mainstream, but also my self-esteem shoot the summit - I feel so smart then.
ReplyDelete