The Simpsons Reviewed For Unsuitable Nuclear Jokes 374
Hugh Pickens writes "CNN reports that television networks in several European countries are reportedly reviewing episodes of 'The Simpsons' for any 'unsuitable' references to nuclear disaster, with an Austrian network apparently pulling two episodes: 1992's 'Marge Gets a Job' and 2005's 'On a Clear Day I Can't See My Sister,' which include jokes about radiation poisoning and nuclear meltdowns. Al Jean, executive producer of the show, says that he can appreciate the concern. 'We have 480 episodes, and if there are a few that they don't want to air for awhile in light of the terrible thing going on, I completely understand that,' says Jean, citing the example of the 1997 episode 'The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson' that was pulled after 9/11 because it included key scenes at the World Trade Center. 'We would never make light of what's happening in Japan.'"
radical news! (Score:4, Insightful)
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I agree, Al Jean has a nice, calm answer. The issue I have is that European markets aren't in any danger from the damaged reactors, and only a very tiny fraction of them have family in the stricken area. If it was a Japanese broadcaster choosing to not air certain episodes, then that makes some sense. European stations doing it seems to be more a matter of being hyper-empathetic to people that aren't actually going to be watching the broadcast.
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He's talking about Al Jean.
Not censorship, just politeness (Score:2)
How is it mature and sensible to retroactively censor a TV show? Seems more Minitrue to me.
Those shows will probably be back on TV in a few months/years. Right now, with that disaster happening, it seems a little distasteful to laugh about such matters, don't you think?
Although your local news agency might have lost interest, the disaster is still happening right now, and it might affect millions of people.
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Gibberish. 99% of cries of "pollitical correctness" are more accurately phrased, "OMG, people expect me not to behave like an ass! That's Orwellian! Censorship!"
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I dare you say a single thing, comedy or otherwise, that nobody can take offense at.
Richelieu's words are still as true as when they were first spoken, the solution is to try and be more accepting of others' words rather than attempt to offend no one without success.
South Park wouldn't hesitate (Score:3)
to make fun of it.
/b/, but it had a macabre humour to it: (to the tune of spongebob squarepants' theme) "who lives in their houses under the sea?" "japanese people"
This probably originated from
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That's just it. This isn't about the simpsons making fun of what's happening in Japan now. It's become insensitive to broadcast a cartoon made more than 10 years ago, that made fun of a fictional nuclear power plant.
And what's up with old shows not being shown, or even being censored of shots of the world trade towers? We're supposed to remember 9/11 and the towers crashing down, but forget they stood for 30 years?
Re:South Park wouldn't hesitate (Score:5, Insightful)
And what's up with old shows not being shown, or even being censored of shots of the world trade towers? We're supposed to remember 9/11 and the towers crashing down, but forget they stood for 30 years?
The winners of history get to write it.
Make your own conclusion who won...
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Warrant-less wiretapping, data retention laws, continuous tracking of financial transactions, first amendment violated on a regular basis, Gitmo, ...
Terrorists hate our freedoms, so we have to hollow them out wherever we can???
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Doesn't fit. The chorus answer has one too many syllable in the first word to fit the meter. You'd have to find a two syllable (likely offensive) replacement, or abbreviate it like you have a speech impediment ( "jap'nese" ?) ... yea, I actually went there.
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Spongebob already has been used during the BP oilspill. I'd think using an Anime intro would be much more fitting. There has to be some kind of post-apocalyptic Anime out there that would serve as a very well fitting theme song for this disaster...
Breaking Story: (Score:2, Insightful)
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great episode (Score:2, Insightful)
I loved "The City of New York vs Homer Simpson". Great episode even after 9/11.
Sad day when ... (Score:2)
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What would it mean for people to "sensor bad taste and content, jokes or editorial by themselves" in this context? Not watch those episodes when they come on because it's "too soon"? Yeah, that could work. Or TV stations could just, you know, play other episodes for a while.
How about every intro animation in Simpsons (Score:2)
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Probably means (Score:2)
...that "King Size Homer" will get pulled in some markets, which is unfortunate because it has one of the best lines [youtube.com] in any Simpsons episode.
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Videogames (Score:3, Interesting)
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just think of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games we can look forward to in 20-30 years! i propose the end-boss can be godzilla.
Honestly though, i think its a bit over the top to go out of your way not to show certain episodes of the simpsons, it is a pretty lighthearted show, but if you want you can find offense in any episode. I guess any episode with cletus in it shouldnt be shown in half the states... or they better pull "who shot mister burns" in areas with high gun-violence stats
Hell, i hope they dont show any e
Feelings of a long-term resident of Japan (Score:5, Insightful)
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I wish I had mod points for you.
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I mean buckle... Buckle!
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Judging from how the economy works these days, a few bailout kickbacks that we'll have to pay for.
I think what it really is (Score:2)
Is that people fear radiation because it is the monsters of childhood imaginations made real. Deadly, invisible, unstoppable, and, well, evil (from their perspective). They don't understand it, they can't see how it works, yet it can kill. With an explosion, a fire, a wave, you see what is happening, what caused the damage, and you see the problem coming even if you can't avoid it. It is easily knowable and understandable.
So because it is invisible and unknown (I mean to the people, not to everyone) it gene
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they are fine apart from some 'sunburn'
And you can say that because you inspected the DNA of every single cell of their body and you can't exclude that they will develop some form of cancer in the following years, of course.
Otherwise you'd be offensive. Even as a long-term resident of Japan.
However, we can all imagine our gruesome death at the hand of deadly radiation.
Talking as a European, there's no need to imagine that, we still have vivid memories of the gruesome effects of radiation on people who worked to fix blown nuclear reactors. But, the last tsunami that hit my country was one hundred years ago. That's why peo
Re:Feelings of a long-term resident of Japan (Score:4, Insightful)
There is a very simple reason for this: People don't care about people but themselves. A tsunami washing away a few thousand Japanese? Ffft. Big deal.
A nuclear plant cooking off? OMFG! What if the death cloud comes over here!
Do you think anyone worries about the Japanese people suffering from radiation there? People are worried about whether the radiation comes to them, that's all. Get used to it, nobody gives a damn about anyone but themselves. That tsunami is over and doesn't threaten anyone (outside of Japan, that is) anymore. That radiation could still be a problem outside of Japan. Hence the coverage of the nuclear plants and not the tsunami.
Iodine tablets sold out (Score:3)
When filling up my water bottles at a local water filtering place here in Cali, the guy mentioned that all the iodine tablets were sold out.
I was beside myself at how selfish and completely scared everyone is.
Japan is 10+ hours by flight away... and folks here are spending money on iodine tablets because of the "radiation cloud". W. T. F.
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a radiation leak (or worse), just might affect them.
Unless they're in Japan, not really. Actually the economic impact will hurt them somewhat but no one cares about that.
Not that it matters, people want any excuse to panic it seems. Like 9/11, no one was going to blow up Bumfuck, Iowa but that didn't stop people there from screaming loudly. More loudly than those in New York actually I'd say.
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But a similar leak from a different nuclear plant in their neighbourhood? - that's a different matter altogether.
Amazingly, they're not situated on massive earthquake fault lines next to the ocean.
Pretty much nothing can happen to a gas or coal plant that would require evacuation of everybody in a 30km radius
No, just by being within 30km of one you're being killed, slowly. Tens of thousands of lives are cut short every year. Even with Chernobyl nuclear power plants can't claim those sorts of numbers.
Then there's the gas line explosions, gas line leaks, underground coal fires and the list goes on. Then there's the damage from coal mining, gas extraction and so on. Not to mention all the other forms of industry that create horribl
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I expect that the easy to understand, everyday problems will be what may well kill quite a few people in short order. The refugees are still in plenty of areas that are effectively cut off (save for helicopter aid drops), or they have to walk for a day or two to get somewhere where there are simply more refugees but even less food. Localized, relatively small scale shortages of food, water, shelter, sanitation and medical care, that can lead to sickness and even death, are not only easy to visualize and und
Ridiculous (Score:2)
Horrible (Score:3, Funny)
This is horrible! It's not like there are many other Simpsons reruns they could show instead.
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But these would be topical for a change! So many Simpsons reruns we've had lately deal with topics that are non-issues by now, from Clinton to dot.com.
doh! (Score:2)
I dont see how this is more painful than the media people trying to make money out of the situation.
Are "jokes" the real reason for it? (Score:2)
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Nuclear plants ARE operated by Simpsons like personnel. Think for a moment, who would work in such an environment if he could get ANY other job?
I do not "appreciate the concern". (Score:2)
Editing out scenes that had the old WTC was stupid, and so is this.
Stop being oversensitive nutless wonders and expecting others to be the same.
They wiping references to earthquakes & tsunam (Score:4, Insightful)
Are they also going back and wiping any reference to earthquakes and tsunamis? So far, tens of thousands have been confirmed to have died to those events, but we don't feel the need to be sensitive about that. But a nuclear accident that hasn't killed anyone is worth rewriting history of a comedy cartoon? It's not like the jokes were made at the expense of the current situation, being that they have existed for years.
I never did understand the removal of the twin towers from things either. Do we really want to show our respect to those that passed by trying to erase any mention or footage of the buildings?
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I never did understand the removal of the twin towers from things either. Do we really want to show our respect to those that passed by trying to erase any mention or footage of the buildings?
It is sympathy for those who directly experienced the incidents. The towers only fell once. People have only been exposed to deadly amounts of radiation a handful of times in the last 100 years (more or less).
As horrible as it is, people die in earthquakes and tsunamis regularly. It happens. And one incident doesn't necessarily evoke another. It's just part of life on Earth.
I'm a reasonably well adjusted adult with a reasonably sane outlook on life, and I am glad that the WTC was erased from popu
We'll have to protest this (Score:2)
Lisa (playing guitar):
We'll fight day and night
By the big cooling tower
They have the plant,
but we have the power
Lenny: Now play classical gas!
Does their channel change dial not work. (Score:2)
I've watched Simpsons since it was a short on Tracey Ullman, and they have once offended me enough that I turned it off. In fact, I turned the TV off for the night and went in the other room. In syndication to this day that
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I helped found a non-profit to help divorced dads misjudged and considered "dead beat" when they are really "beat dead," so the scene where Homer meets Lurleen's Dad at the door and he offers to "Vodka up his Corn Flakes" then "Heroin up his Vodka" wearing a shirt saying "no child support" is making me uncomfortable even as I type this.
I still love the Simpsons.
Duke Nukem Forever (Score:5, Funny)
Not one nuclear joke, ever (Score:3)
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Evening stuff out (Score:5, Funny)
I feel i need to even things out, so here is a Simpsons clip with the irradiated Curies destroying a Japanese looking city.
http://vimeo.com/21402842
Garbage as usual. (Score:2)
What does a cartoon show have to do with real life? Nothing. People get offended by something that doesn't affect them yet again, and it is their own fault. The fact that something similar happened in real life does not mean that the joke is not 'funny' (subjective) or that it's 'bad' (subjective). It's irrelevant. People should, in my opinion, focus on real life, not on cartoons. I don't care if it's a joke about 9/11 or what have you. It is illogical to censor it. It has no affect on real life.
The End? (Score:3)
If Fox ever decides to finish The Simpsons I can't think of a better way than destroying Springfield with an earthquake, a tsunami and a meltdown, all in one episode.
They will ban every episode? (Score:3)
King-Size Homer (Score:3)
Mel Brooks on tragedy and humor: (Score:3)
"Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you walk into an open sewer and die."
Re:Homer Simpson, too... (Score:5, Insightful)
They are obviously not talking about ignoring the problem, but about not making fun of people that are actually suffering radiation exposure.
Re:Homer Simpson, too... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Homer Simpson, too... (Score:4, Insightful)
That's fine, but it would still have been insensitive and in bad taste to have aired that episode on 9/12. When bad things happen it's customary to be aware of the feelings of those who might have been impacted by it as a sign of respect. Stand-up comedians get away with it because they're supposed to be disrespectful and outrageous, but this is a TV station. If they're still banning the episodes next year at this time then I'd argue they're going to far.
This isn't "censorship" (a grossly misused term on this site). It's discretion.
Re:Homer Simpson, too... (Score:5, Funny)
So we have to wait the mandated 22.3 years (as established by South Park) before we may make jokes about nuclear disasters again? At that rate we may as well never be allowed to again, or at least only in a very small window of about 3 years between incidents.
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You're equivocating. The options aren't "do not air for 22.3 years" and "air with indiscretion". There's a happy medium, probably in the neighborhood of 6 months at the earliest in this case, assuming the disaster doesn't significantly increase in severity. Considering the number of Simpsons episodes (nearly 500) they could air two episodes M-F and not repeat an episode until sometime next year without having a problem.
Shouting this behavior is somehow outrageous when it's entirely possible to do what th
Re:Homer Simpson, too... (Score:4, Insightful)
Really? Look at "The City of New York vs Homer Simpson" -- it was off the air for several years, and was only allowed to return after an editing pass to cleanse it of offensive materials.
So, yeah....
Re:Homer Simpson, too... (Score:5, Informative)
I've found that most people that hate South Park probably have only viewed episodes from the first couple seasons, where it was strictly toilet humor. They likely haven't watched the newer episodes.
I recommend 'Smug Alert!'.
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No, it's censorship. A powerful entity has determined what someone within their control can o can not see. It's censorship.
You do NOT need to be a government to censor. You just need to be a powerful enough group. Government, Church, Large Corporation.
The ignorant idea that only a government can censor is hurting you.
It's one of the worst kinds of censorship; whitewashing the past.
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Kalkalash! Get your kalkalash!
No bowl, stick, stick.
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Mountain Dew or Crab juice?
Ewwwww, jeez! 0_0 I'll take the crab juice!
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Not everybody has the same (lack of) sensitivities as you. Some people do take offense to such things.
The question is why you'd get your panties in a bunch just because they choose not to air those episodes for a couple of weeks or months. Chances are that the episodes weren't even scheduled to air during the period anyway. It's not like this is a permanent ban on the episodes. it's not like you're missing out on anything; you'll just have to wait a bit longer for the re-re-rerun of those episodes.
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The question is why you'd get your panties in a bunch just because they choose not to air those episodes for a couple of weeks or months.
I care because it's illogical. They get offended by things completely irrelevant to them (like cartoon shows). That is their own fault. A better question would be: if they're so offended, why don't they just not watch it instead of ruining it for everyone else? Or, alternatively, they could realize how pointless it is to get offended in the first place and that it is their own fault.
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You have to admit, it is kind of offensive how some people get so easily offended.
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where you wouldn't want to offend them just out of a sense of general decency
I wouldn't waste my time not trying to offend them. Anyone can, in theory, be offended by anything. Too bad for them. They should either stop being so easily offended (taking offense to something is their own doing) or just ignore it.
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Who? People are probably suffering radiation exposure in Austria at about the same rate as they ever have.
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Re:Homer Simpson, too... (Score:5, Interesting)
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Oh, meltdown. It's one of those annoying buzzwords. We prefer to call it an unrequested fission surplus.
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Talking about it, "Homer, defined" is not on the list? It clearly is an episode of a meltdown almost happening as the core plot device.
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"but about not making fun of people that are actually suffering radiation exposure"
So, what you are saying in effect is that you can not make jokes about (note the difference between jokes about and laughing at):
the Japanese nuclear disaster?
the Japanese tsunami disaster?
the Japanese quake disaster?
the 2004 quake disaster?
the 2004 tsunami disaster?
the New York 2001 Sep 11 disaster?
the New York jews disaster?
the Holocaust jews disaster?
the Holy Chair disaster?
the Holy Cow disaster?
dairy cows?
farmers?
lumberja
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The half-life would be a graph hole. You know, considering it will never degrade... :P
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I don't care if they were being made fun of. Why are people so easily offended? It is a cartoon that has no impact on their life.
"Bad taste" is subjective. "Funny" is again subjective. There should not be a few people, or even many, that decide the definitions of these for everyone else.
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It seems somewhat over reactive, but I see the idea. It's not like they show bugs bunny nips the nips any more either.
On the flip side, they're allowed to show tits on TV in Austria, and the US has a meltdown when that happens.
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It's not like a new episode was banned, is an episode up for repeat and some one decided to play it safe and show another on of the 20 years worth of possible reruns. Lighten up it not big brother censoring the news, or someone setting up a government comity to discuss all the pros and cons, its "hey, I would if this may upset some one? Ah what the heck I'll chuck one of these in instead" as they point to a mountain of VHS cassettes.
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tag the story toosoon :)
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Al Jean, executive producer of the show, says that he can appreciate the concern. 'We have 480 episodes, and if there are a few that they don't want to air for awhile in light of the terrible thing going on, I completely understand that,' says Jean...
Not sure I understand why you're so indignant when the executive producer of the show himself sees no problem here.
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He did say that he doubted anyone in Japan could do the job.
Although the logistics of bringing over a American or two. Damn thats a crazy idea.
You'd have to lash a few aircraft carriers together or something.
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He did say that he doubted anyone in Japan could do the job.
And the grandparent's retort was that they have sumo wrestlers, so there was no reason to doubt. Perhaps this will clue you in [google.com].
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Honestly, they probably should have used computer generated graphics to photoshop out the two towers in the film. It would have made the movie much less hateful.
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The Two Towers depicted in the movie were the wrong ones. They were supposed to be Minas Tirith and Minas Morgul. Minas Tirith was not really a tower, but a system of concentric fortifications built on a steep hillside. Minas Morgul had been ruled by the Gondor Kings until Sauron took it over and it became the home of the Nazgul. They were not near each other either.
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Re:Goebbels would have been proud (Score:5, Funny)
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Coupled with a thermal exhaust failure!
(actually a meltdown isn't excess reaction - it's deficient cooling - emphasizing meltdown)
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Sendai has always experienced slightly higher radiation levels.
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And if somehow Death Metal fans managed to take over the world suddenly cartoon network would be under the gun. Where does it end? With the Oblongs of course.
I dunno... I enjoy lots of different music, Metal & Death Metal being among the styles I like, and I love Metalocalypse [adultswim.com].
I think its high time we all grow up and start taking ourselves less seriously... Among those things that shouldn't be taken seriously: Humorous Cartoons.
IMHO, political correctness == censorship. I don't know about anyone else, but I've been through some very rough times in the past...
I don't get bent out of shape when people make comedies involving homeless people, orphans,
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I was trying to explain to myself why would people want to be 'politically correct' anyway. The only thing I came up with is that some people just look for trouble. They pretend like they care, but they are just bullies and troubleseekers. They will twist everything to seem somehow against their rules, and that gives them a pretext to be upset and to demand apologies, or sue, or shoot you, or WTF ever. Political correctness is IMHO a fancy name for a symptom of psychosis. One thing is to have some sensitivi
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I think most Europeans (and most Americans) are capable of changing the channel themselves, but it's safer for the networks to accomodate the small number of people who are offended, than the larger number of people who don't care much either way.
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We don't have like half a million channels here. I have about 50 and I am one of the lucky ones who can afford them and actually get them. Without sat or cable you're stuck with about 3-4 channels, depending on the country you're in.
Also, this IS about the "government channel" of Austria, akin to the BBC, Austria, too, has a "official" network. So, I guess, the government IS doing everything for us here, whether we like it or not.
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Talking about it, what's the currently acceptable term for black people? Or cripples? Or old geezers? Or stupid people? You keep changing them faster than we can keep up over here in ol' Europe.
Pot, don't call the kettle a nigger...
Re:Wow, Europe (Score:5, Funny)
Talking about it, what's the currently acceptable term for black people? Or cripples? Or old geezers? Or stupid people? You keep changing them faster than we can keep up over here in ol' Europe.
African American, Disabled, Elderly, Congressman
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So it is funny to joke about nuclear disasters unless they really happen? Human humor indeed is strange, it's ok to joke about something if it's not happening but as soon as it is happening it is suddenly not funny anymore? What changed? The story didn't.