Gallows humor

Gallows humor is humor about very unpleasant, serious, or painful circumstances. Any humor that treats serious matters, such as death, war, disease, and crime, in a light, silly or satirical fashion is considered gallows humor. Gallows humor has been described as a witticism in response to a hopeless situation. It arises from stressful, traumatic, or life-threatening situations, often in circumstances such that death is perceived as impending and unavoidable.

Nature and functions

Sigmund Freud in his 1927 essay Humour (Der Humor) puts forth the following theory of the gallows humor: "The ego refuses to be distressed by the provocations of reality, to let itself be compelled to suffer. It insists that it cannot be affected by the traumas of the external world; it shows, in fact, that such traumas are no more than occasions for it to gain pleasure." Some other sociologists elaborated this concept further. At the same time, Paul Lewis warns that this "relieving" aspect of gallows jokes depends on the context of the joke: whether the joke is being told by the threatened person themselves or by someone else.

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Latest News for: gallows humour

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‘I can’t sleep, I’m so scared’: disabled people face benefit cuts domino effect

The Observer 24 Mar 2025
Because Pip is a “gateway”, any disabled person who loses the benefit will not only lose that income but other entitlements too, such as free prescriptions and council tax deductions ... View image in fullscreen ... The gallows humour masks her dread ... Share ... .
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Star Trek: 10 Best Episodes Showcasing Female Empowerment

What Culture 20 Mar 2025
When we see characters coming together to overcome the odds, it's in our nature to cheer and shout ... 10. Una And La'an Play Enterprise Bingo ... On Star Trek ... 9 ... Rather than using this as an excuse to let her break down, there is a gallows humour to it.
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‘We live five miles from Brighton – but haven’t seen a postman in six weeks’

AOL 19 Mar 2025
On local message boards, residents rely on gallows humour, announcing with “great excitement” of having had post delivered to their house that morning, to the shock and envy of others.
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Circuit des Yeux on the Poop Jokes of Scott Walker

The Quietus 18 Mar 2025
Much of his humour is scatological ... Climate Of Hunter offers no humour ... Both instances would end in a shock equally filled with humour and sadness ... This type of humour isn’t gallows humour, and there isn’t some historical credit to go along with it.
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Jess Kidd: ‘My older sister taught me to read with Mills & Boon’

The Observer 14 Mar 2025
One of my older sisters taught me to read using Mills & Boon romance novels ... Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas ... For me, Lincoln in the Bardo is a work of genius, complete but fragmented, grotesque and poignant, with a bleak seam of gallows humour ... .
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What is the Asylum System For?

The Daily Sceptic 11 Mar 2025
Asylum is a big issue in UK politics ... It is apt to use of the word ‘system’ to describe this ... This exercise is I think revealing ... First, s ... There is something bleakly amusing in this – a sort of gallows humour of the ‘better to laugh than cry’ variety ... 7.
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The BBC can’t win – stars will always be ‘untouchable’

AOL 05 Mar 2025
This comes, of course, in the wake of several high-profile cases involving such “talent” ... We share the same gallows humour about working in difficult industries, and the same insecurities about only being as good as your last job (or article) ... .
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Manchester United should complete a summer transfer that Ed Woodward would make

Yahoo Daily News 04 Mar 2025
READ MORE ... READ MORE ... It was gallows humour to laugh about welcoming Woodward back and United's new regime have been attempting to distance themselves from the club's previous transfer mistakes. United have been a laughing stock in the transfer market ... .
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