Do you find it funny when people trip over?

[Dresssos]

I have friends that are, on the whole, generally polite. We are in our 30s. When it comes to a member of our group tripping over though, that all goes to shit and everyone thinks it's bloody hilarious! I remember being at school and if anyone tripped over, they would always be greeted by a "wheeyyyy" and a clap. I genuinely have never found it funny, but wondered what other people think?

I tripped over a step on Friday and spent the weekend in hospital having emergency dental surgery and a plastic surgeon stick my face back together. It’s going to take months to get over. I’ve never experienced anything so painful. So no it’s not funny.

a young woman whom i knew was puzzled when her husband described his work mate falling down a hole on a building site.
he thought it was hilarious.
she was concerned, about someone she'd never met nor heard of before.
but john, was he alright, did he hurt himself, she said.
her husband continued laughing, just remembering it, as if aged 7.
the marriage didn't last.

But it isn't just older people who can hurt themselves falling- anyone can.

Those who think it is hilarious- do you laugh if your child has a mishap or an accident?

Someone laughing is just insensitive and ignorant. I agree.

Surely context is everything

A person of any age falling and hurting themselves not funny at all.

Person falling and not hurting themselves can be very funny. Such as the polar bear mascot repeatedly falling on an ice rink:

Sometimes - fortunately rarely - when something serious happens I laugh involuntarily which is a nervous reaction and not at all my true feeling. I don’t see anything funny in people hurting themselves.

I hate it to unless it’s the rare event you know the person and they have flounced off. You’ve been framed I’d rather stick pins in my eyes. How can someone getting hurt be funny.

I have a weak ankle so do fall over occasionally if I catch it on an uneven surface. It's happened all my life and it's embarrassing. As far as I know only one person has ever laughed. That was 35 years ago and I've only just forgiven him! People are usually very kind and concerned.

I don't find it funny to see other people fall either.

No

@Bagelsandbrie totally agree with what you are saying. I am dyspraxic. I fall over a lot. I have broken my ankle twice falling downstairs. I have spent my life people finding my falls "amusing" and it's not.

No I think it's awful. I'm disabled, and people always laugh at me even when I'm seriously injured and obviously need medical help.

It's the fact that even if the person who has fallen isn't hurt, they have been completely humiliated.
To laugh is repugnant. In any context.

No it’s horrible and weird and basically taking the piss out of someone who already feels really embarrassed and also potentially injured.
I absolutely HATE it, and if I have seen someone trip I have always asked them if they are okay as it’s a horrible feeling. I judge someone badly who thinks it is funny and do not want to know that person.
It Seperates the mean people form the kind people as to how they react.

No, i don’t find it funny.

As long as not hurt it can be funny , I’ve fallen myself once or twice I found it funny usually.
Sometimes people are very animated with finding it hilarious almost as if they want to make you feel even more ridiculous. It can be funny but not rolling around on the floor laughing funny .

I've never found this funny and I've never understood why people do, I think it's really odd that people do actually. My first thought if someone falls is I hope they're ok and not hurt, definitely not to laugh

I've never found it funny, even when I was a kid. I've never liked programmes like You've Been Framed. I can accept people having a different sense of humour from me but genuinely can't understand why people falling over is funny.

If I trip over (or even stumble, recover and don't actually fall) then I have that horrible falling sensation and also feel incredibly embarrassed and self-conscious. If I see other people trip over then I assume they feel the same so feel sympathetic rather than laughing at them. If they actually fall over, then I'm concerned that they might have hurt themselves.

As long as not hurt it can be funny ,

How do you know though?

It can be embarrasing and humiliating to fall over in public- I know the odd time it has happened to me- I try to minimise the event, and may smile or tell everyone I am ok even though I may be wincing with pain.

You don;t always know if someone is hurt- nothing funny about any of it.

Oh god this is my wicked secret. Yes, I find it very funny. Obviously not elderly people, or little children who instantly start bawling, or ill or drunk people, or anybody I don't know really, but there is a hidden switch inside me that instantly finds trips and falls funny, and I have to suppress the urge to burst out laughing as obviously I know it would be rude to laugh openly.

I think it comes down to watching slapstick films as a child. I adored the old Laurel and Hardy, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd black and white films, and would laugh myself stupid at Norman Wisdom.

It depends on the person and the outcome, myself/husband/friends/children all funny unless hurt. Parents/older generation (70+ before I’m accused of being ageist instead of concerned!) not funny as it’ll probably hurt them even without a heavy fall

No, and I think people who find it funny are a bit disturbed in a low-key way.

It's not funny if a very young, old or disabled person falls over.

Yes I do. It’s completely involuntary. I’m a nervous laugher.

@GloriousMystery

No, and I think people who find it funny are a bit disturbed in a low-key way.

I'd agree with that.

@Dumbledoresgirl

Oh god this is my wicked secret. Yes, I find it very funny. Obviously not elderly people, or little children who instantly start bawling, or ill or drunk people, or anybody I don't know really, but there is a hidden switch inside me that instantly finds trips and falls funny, and I have to suppress the urge to burst out laughing as obviously I know it would be rude to laugh openly.

I think it comes down to watching slapstick films as a child. I adored the old Laurel and Hardy, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd black and white films, and would laugh myself stupid at Norman Wisdom.

I hope it never happens to you then you’d know how horrible it feels

@speakout

As long as not hurt it can be funny ,

How do you know though?

It can be embarrasing and humiliating to fall over in public- I know the odd time it has happened to me- I try to minimise the event, and may smile or tell everyone I am ok even though I may be wincing with pain.

You don;t always know if someone is hurt- nothing funny about any of it.

Course I’d check then you laugh about it but I was talking more about me .If I've tripped and I’m ok I’ll laugh it off . Yeah I’d be annoyed if someone laughed before checking I was actually ok .

@BlatantlyNameChanged

It's not funny and is humiliating for the person being laughed at.

This