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?

But then, I don't think it's particularly funny when people are just embarrassed, either.

Im a first-aider Jassy

Ah, see, Pretty, that's where we differ. I laugh at myself a fuckload, including when I do silly or embarrassing things. I take the mock out of my mates. I just wrote my grandmother's eulogy and it was choc-full of jokes.

But I don't like laughing at other people, rather than with them. Doesn't sit well with me.

I am really enjoying the thought of Lying falling over a pigeon and landing in a hedge.
Didn't laugh at Madonna as her fall looked really painful.

Grand! That means you have magic vision that can pick up muscle and ligament damage (and just plain old bruising and pain) from 20 feet away, right, if I remember my training?

I must admit that when I fell in my front garden last September, laughter was far from my mind. A fractured hip and bone in my thigh resulting in 8 weeks in hospital, six of which were bed bound on traction didn't raise a smile either.

However, if you want to post a video of you falling over OP, I'll do my best to laugh

This is bastard hilarious - when I first watched this I cried laughing... Model falling over twice on her heels!

There's nothing funny about it. I had two falls last year within weeks of each other, none of them my fault,both were just stupid bloody accidents and the first one involved a kid with wheelie shoes/me on an escalator. The second one was onboard a cruise ship and the heel of my shoe got stuck in a metal strip the was like a seam between the tiles and a carpet going into an elevator. I didn't break or fracture anything either time but 6 months later I still have pain from both falls that hinder me during the day/night and its left me very wary of falling again. I even hold on to the bannister with both hands when Im walking down the stair of my house where I've lived for 9 years. Ive lost my confidence to quite and extent and Im the same age as Madonna. And her fall but the way was bloody awful and nothing to laugh at at all, poor bloody woman must be aching from head to foot today.

I do laugh at others but there again I never said I was perfect. I also laugh at myself. Good enough for me without thinking I'm not "evolved" enough.

I was walking to the office, tripped over a pigeon

YANBU.

I don't think it's funny when someone really hurts themselves, I saw an elderly couple fall at the bottom of an escalator on top of each other, there was blood everywhere, it was horrific and not at all funny.

Look, If I find something funny I find it funny. It is not like I can control the first reaction I have.

Some of the replies from those who don't think it funny are really funny though.

I most certainly would not laugh at seeing someone elderly fall down an escalator with blood everywhere.

As usual MN is going for the extremes.

I'm in the it's not funny camp.

I don't get how someone potentially hurting themself is amusing, and if they don't actually get hurt I always wince at how bad it could have been. I hate the falling over clips on YBF for eg, I cringe and wince all the way through.

To me it's about as funny as watching someone throw up.

I saw a man fall off the back of a treadmill at the gym and it was hands down the funniest thing I'd ever seen. I couldn't help but laugh. Thankfully he wasn't hurt or I would have felt terrible.

I'm in the "can't help laughing" camp. I do feel bad but I can't help pmsl as a first reaction. Is it a self preservation thing dating back to caveman times or something ?

I once saw DP fall arse over when he slipped on some soggy chips outside the chippie. I still pmsl even thinking about it.
( he was fine and also laughed about it).

So sorry.

I most certainly would not laugh at seeing someone elderly fall down an escalator with blood everywhere.

As usual MN is going for the extremes.

Eh, I agreed with the OP and am firmly in the 'its funny' camp. I was just posting that to show that I don't find people falling over funny regardless of context.

May I introduce the height of bad taste....

Sorry Kola, I misread :)

Go to YouTube and search for Michael Gove falling over. It's a personal favourite.

No worries U2

I am definitely in the 'it's hilarious' camp. But then again I pmsl when I walked straight into a lamppost with enough force to give myself a black eye. Weirdly it didn't hurt much until I stopped laughing.

Following my two falls last year Ive been left with ligament damage to my right elbow, a problem with my shoulder blade, and damage to both knees. And the problem with laughing at someone when they are falling is that you never know just what state they will be in when its all over and done with and they're trying to get up and make sense of the goings on.

I wonder what causes such an extreme difference in reactions? Someone must have done some research on it.

I have no idea. I love a laugh and Im told I have a great sense of humour, am great on a night out etc, but there is something really off about laughing at other peoples misfortunes because as I've said - you don't know at all just what the outcome of the fall is going to be.

Why would anyone want to stand and laugh when someone could be in the midst of breaking an arm?

I don't find it funny in the slightest. There's no PC/Mumsnet-friendly word for what I think of people who laugh at this sort of thing.