To think that there's nothing funnier than people falling over?

[PiddlePoo]

Inspired by Madonna's fall at last nights Brits. I can't remember the last time I've laughed so much at a live TV event, it was hilarious. Even the reporter on Sky News was trying not laugh whilst talking about it later on in the evening, and myself and my colleagues have been laughing about it all day today.

A few years ago during the bad snowfall we had there was a clip shown on ITV news of a group of people slipping over on the same patch of ice on a pavement. That made me howl as well.

What is it about people falling over that makes it so amusing?

it always makes me anxious and wince

I can't help it either.

Like I said on the other Brit thread I once lost a friendship because my friend fell face into a puddle and I laughed. She got straight up so wasn't in danger but she did not appreciate my laughing.

I think it is just an awkward kind of laugh more than anything.

I did laugh at Madonna but then I felt really bad for laughing. But every time I see it on the news I have to repress a snigger.

My husband was very very disappointed in me for laughing last night!

I wouldn't laugh if I witnessed someone fall over who has obviously really hurt themselves.

Yes I'm hysterically amused by the torn ligaments and broken ankle I suffered and the permanent damage sustained.

That's a bit OTT ilovesooty.

I don't think anyone here would laugh at that. But if someone isn't seriously hurt it can be funny.

It had to have hurt Madonna, but she got back up again and by all accounts no damage was done.

YANBU. Its hilarious. You've been framed is a firm family favourite. Obviously I don't like to see people seriously hurt, but watching somebody fall over backwards when they go in almost slow motion. Well, its just so funny.

U2 - people are usually so embarrassed they say they're OK and rush off, so you wouldn't know if they'd hurt themselves. I once fell over on an icy pavement, really hurt my back and was in pain for 6 months, but I still managed to get on my feet after I did it and said I was fine.
No doubt it would have looked hilarious to some people.

YABU

I've fallen over twice. First time was on a patch of ice on my way to work. One minute I was walking, next thing I knew I was flat on my back. I dislocated my shoulder and have had problems with it for the 15 years since.

Next time was over a broken paving slab. I needed an ambulance that time and ended up in the operating theatre getting my ankle sorted.

I find it unbelievable that people witnessing that would find it funny.

Oh give over ILS, I really do not think that anyone on here would think your misfortune was funny.

Or anyone else's misfortune tbh.

However, the banana skin fall has made people laugh for decades.

YABU.

I was laughed at when I tripped and fell outside the school once. Broken arm and stitches. Bloody hilarious.

I mostly find it funny when I see it on TV or know the person and know they are ok.

If I see someone fall over I would always go over and check on them and not stand there laughing my head off or anything.

I often laugh at really inappropriate moments though.

I fall down often and publicly. It does sometimes hurt, but it happens so often that I'm usually laughing by the time I hit the ground. I feel that it's my own special contribution to making the world a funnier place.

Having said that, though, people falling down isn't nearly as funny as animals falling over. Me and dc could spend hours watching those clips on youtube.

As someone who has broken their ankle falling over ........ I still have to admit to laughing at (some) falling over incidents .

I think it's more of a nervous laughter where you witness it happen and, providing you think the person is OK, you see the comedy slap-stick element of it. For example I genuinely saw someone slip on a banana skin outside a supermarket once!!

I was once delivering training and the senior bod in the room fell off his chair. He was a bit pompous which made it funnier. I lost it completely and had to leave the room to try to collect myself .

I think it's rather rich that most of the people who don't think a little slapstick is funny are the ones that say the most beastly unkind things on these boards

I laugh too. I don't want people to be hurt but there's just something very funny about falling over.

I was walking to the office, tripped over a pigeon that wouldn't move from my path and semi-swerved/dived into a hedge. Must have looked hilarious. I wasn't hurt, a bit of a bruise on my hip and twigs/leaves in my hair but I laughed about it on and off all morning... even in a meeting and people were looking at me like . Embarrassing .

Im withender
I get the most awful feeling ,Its unbearable.
I cannot bear UBF or that awful programme Beadles about.
Anything with people being humiliated makes me feel the same.

... and I tripped up the stairs in a council chamber having just made a presentation. Flat on my face, skirt up... kept laughing about it in the meeting. Why do people do that? I'm embarrassing.

I am a secondary school teacher.

Despite constant warnings, many kids lean back on their chairs. Occasionally they lean too far and fall back.

Of course I will rush to check that they are ok (fortunately no injuries as yet)

When it has been established that they are fine, I laugh out loud at them. (In the hope they'll think twice before doing it again)

I can't bring myself to watch it. I don't like anyone hurting themselves, or falling over.

Interesting thread- seems to be divided up into posters from 2 camps,
the 'finds it funny' (to see people fall) camp and the 'doesn't find it funny' camp!

Wonder what this could say about people's psychology etc generally? I remember doing a project on altruism once, and I think we used a question in the survey related to laughing at misfortune... what does everyone think?

(Of course, am totally prepared to be told I'm reading WAY to much into this)

Myself, have always struggled to understand where the fun is in watching people fall. Have remembered an occasion when friends thought I should lighten up because I failed to laugh hysterically at someone falling over in the road, but I just simply wasn't amused! Just worried (and they really hurt themselves too!).

You may be right, Sooty, I'm not proud of this failing, anymore than having to admit to absolutely LOVING 'On The Buses'. Guilty pleasures.

I don't find children or animals falling over in any way funny though. I would not like to see anybody getting hurt as a result of the fall either. The minute somebody would cry or be distressed, the humour would be gone in a flash.

I laugh if people trip or fall as long as it's clear they're not hurt. I found it quite hard to watch Madonna falling as it looks like she was hurt. So I didn't really find that funny.

LyingWitchInTheWardrobe - your pigeon one is a classic example of one that would make me laugh so much if I witnessed it (in fact just reading it made me laugh out loud) because it's just got that slap-stick comedy element.

On the other hand some of the ones on YBF give me that horrible feeling in my stomach where you witness an incident when someone might genuinely be hurt eg. child falling off trike or bike/ someone bouncing off a trampoline and landing on ground.

I find you've been framed hilarious but falls in the elderly completely different.