R.I.P. Crocodile Hunter

I have to say, I wasn't crazy about that name. "The Crocodile Hunter." He didn't "hunt" crocodiles. He followed them. There's a huge difference. In order to hunt, one must neccessarily follow an animal first. But it doesn't work the other way around. Just because you're following a crocodile with a video camera, possibly pointing out some of its significant features for educational purposes, that doesn't make you a hunter. But "The Crocodile Follower" isn't a particularly cool name. And "Crocodile Dundee" was already taken.

But anyway, a man is dead. A gregarious Australian man named Steve Irwin, whose wacky animal-harrassing antics delighted children and simpletons the world over.

I waited a few days to write a post about the passing of Croc King because I figured I would probably make some jokes at his expense. And one or two days just seemed a bit soon. (In fact, the Best Week Ever blog has a post up on this very topic...Are we allowed to laugh about the Crocodile Hunter yet? If not, when will be an appropriate time?)

I'm torn on this subject. On the one hand, this guy is dead and he had a family and I'm sure they're just crushed by this tragedy. Just because he made a living doing animal stunts and messing around with wildlife doesn't mean he deserved to die young.

However, I also understand that the best jokes are usually the ones we aren't supposed to make. Not much is surprising any more. We've crossed just about every boundary inumerable times at this point. Stand-up comics have covered every taboo. If you don't believe me, rent The Aristocrats. There's nothing so vulgar, disgusting or inappropriate as to be beneath Bob Saget. That guy's not just scraping the bottom of the barrell. He's tunnelled straight through barrell and deep within the Earth's molten core.

So what's left to shock people? Only a few things...The Holocaust. Still not really okay to laugh at that. Although Roberto Benigni figured out that if you just alternate between laughing at the Holocaust and being really maudlin about it, they'll give you a pity Oscar. Also, raping children. A few filmmakers have crossed this boundary, including Todd Solondz on multiple occasions, but it's usually more for satirical/social commentary purposes than out-and-out hilarity. I'd say this is next, though. Look for Will Ferrell to start making kiddie rape jokes any day now.

Finally, you get victims of recent tragedies. I think Ann Coulter made it official that we're allowed to make fun of 9/11 victims at this point. And it has been five years...That's only fair...Tsunami victims are probably the next group on the horizon as targets for comedy. I'd say that's any week now. Katrina...ooohhh, that's a bit soon.

And of course, this extends to tragic celebrity deaths. If a celebrity just dies of old age or something, fuck 'em, it's okay to start goofing ont hem immediately. But if it's tragic, like the Crocodile Hunter being viciously attacked by a massive, poisonous stingray, the conventional wisdom states that it's just not funny. (Also, the fact that he had a wife and two children makes it totally not funny.)

I mean, my joking about this subject on my little blog isn't going to make things any better or worse for the Irwin Family. Steve's dead, he can't really have his feelings hurt. I mean, life is harsh, people die every day, right? Why should this guy be so special just because he was on television and starred in a really, really, really, really bad movie? I mean, there's being sensitive, and then there's just being a buzzkill, keeping people from expressing themselves just because it's "not appropriate" or "insensitive."

I don't know. I probably should have waited to have a little fun with Steve Irwin for a few months at least. Instead, I waited a few days and then tried to get away with it by writing a meta-post about the act of making fun of dead celebrities. The only question is...did I just get away with it?