To find this disturbing and distasteful?

Yeah, I just searched the subject! Apologies for the bump

I think it is a perfectly justifiable question that was asked by the OP, and latterly on Twitter. Laughing hysterically did seem a bit odd.

However, this comes down to the fact that the parents are the core of the relationship, and the children are add ons. They are wonderful add ons who make our lifes better, but without the relationship between the parents there are no children. That is why, quite soon after the tragic incident they were creating new life. The core is there, the add on isn't. Still, it is a space that can be filled whilst they remember the few good years they had with the first child.

The idea that the relationship with the partner always takes priority goes back to caveman days ( and in some countries now to be fair) when you deliberately had loads of children because you kind of accepted that living conditions mean there were going to be a few casualties. If two out of five made it you were doing well.

This 'acceptance' is still ingrained in our brains, even if society has changed a little in what is considers 'social norms'.

Therefore it is unfair this couple are attacked. There reaction was actually quite normal.

Yes beyond something like that

sharon, i'm guessing he searched "tsunami programme on sky" or something and this was the first thread that came up, and he replied without seeing the date on the op?

A shit stirring elephant.

Bloody hell happy you must have the
Memory of an elephant to remember there was a thread about a particular programme from 5 years ago!

Why was this thread even allowed to stand originally? Is it only posts about one particular set of parents that are "not in the spirit of mn" and deleted?

How weird.

Started reading and then saw that I had posted and realised this is 5 years old

I agreed with SGB then and I agree with her now.

And it is not MN rules to bump old threads, people get really pissed off about it.

To be honest it's pretty shit to bump a thread slagging off the couple that is 5 years old.

If their reaction got a lot of reaction on Twitter why not just react on there rather than bumping this judgy crappy thread.

New children can be created to replace them???

It was on SKY due to the ten year anniversary. Didn't want to start a new thread if one was already in existence. Typical forum rules.

Their reaction got a lot of heat on Twitter a few nights back

I'm wondering why this has been bumped 5 years after the OP...

Yeah I thought they were awful. I mean really they should have been wearing black and stopping every 15 mins for a spot of self flagellation to show how upset they are.

I watched this last night and I am absolutely sickened that someone could have a go at these parents.

The mother and the father are the basis of the family and the children are the extension. Therefore, if tragically children pass on then new children can be created to replace those who have passed.

By laughing about having a 'shag', the couple were letting everyone know that as long as their relationship was strong, everything else is replaceable, even though it will be upsetting. There laughing and joking is a good message to other parents that life moves on and they need to stay strong. Why they should be forced to be permanently miserable is beyond me.

RIP to all the victims of the Tsunami, a truly awful incident

i agree with lisad

i didn't watch it as couldn't face what i knew would be incredibly sad programme

I watched this and sobbed the whole way though. I thought the couple were rememembering the day as everyone else had talked about. the others started with "we started the day on the beach" "we started the day diving" ect, so bloody what "if we started the day with a shag"!! they lost their dd, that poor mother will beat herself daily about not holding on (although I doubt anyone could have done better). Grief does terrible things to people and everyone handles it differently, and how bloody dare anyone judge that poor couple, you should be ashamed!

I dont think we can comment on how anybody might behave in that situation tbh. Whilst it might not be how we would deal with it, who is to say how other people do.

Everybody deals with grief differently.

We lost two very dear friends in the tsunami and I cannot even bring myself to watch the programmes. The mum of one of these friends was invited to be interviewed for all these "five years on" documentaries and declined.

I didn't watch it...I have a very miniscule insight into what happened following the tsunami as I worked on the police operation set up in this country after it happened.

The weeks I worked on thiw will stay with me for a long time and though I had no 'real' involvement but still couldn't watch the programme as I knew how upsetting it would be for me.

So many people lost loved ones and how they cope I will never know and would never judge.

I too thought that this couple were going to go on to say that all was well with them and their daughter in the end, because of their demeanour in telling the story.

When I heard the awful awful end to their story I was filled with nothing but complete admiration - that they have survived that loss at all..that they have stayed together, and gone on to be parents to a boy. It made me wonder if I am strong enough, or if my marriage is strong enough, to do the same. And I'm not sure of the answer!

YABVVVVU. I am quite frankly disgusted by the OP and those agreeing, and I am rarely even remotely miffed on AIBU.

I'm not even going to bother giving a fuller answer as the question is beneath contempt.

I think you are being very unreasonable I watched this and what struck me wasn't the fact they were laughing but how over the top and hysterical it was, to me it was easy to see the sadness there and the mother
espcially was obviously struggling to cope with telling the story.

Until you have witnessed the sudden and/or violent death of someone close to you you cannot realise how even the worst thing that you cab ever imagine happening to you just happens and you go on because nothing else in the world changes, as this couple said you still have to eat, sleep go to work, tidy the house etc etc. They DID have a good morning and obviously by the afternoon that was all ripped apart but perhaps remembering how relaxed they were those last few hours with their little girl is a source of strength for them?

Shame on you for being so sanctimonious, OP. I guess they also shouldn't have been smiling and laughing in the photos of them taken when they went back to Sri Lanka to set up the Foundation in their DD's name? I am happy that they can laugh and have good memories after something so horrific and much better for their little boy too that 'life goes on' than permanent devastation and misery surely.