Cancer jokes *are* funny, mainly–ironically–to people dealing with cancer
From the Onion: I Was Going to Succumb To Cancer, But Then I Got This Mylar Balloon:
Suddenly I feel, like, 10,000 times better.
Just in the knick of time, too. I was about to rely on the loving support of family in combination with several rounds of targeted chemotherapy advised by my oncologist in order to fight the spread of the disease. But now, well, just look at that balloon floating around. Wheeee!
Comedians have a short list of things that are absolute comedy death. Cancer’s #1.
But once you deal with cancer, whether as a patient or as a family, jokes about it are hilarious. There’s all sorts of irony, gross-out stories, a need to top someone else’s cancer stories. However, you need the knowledge and comic ammunition…
The main reason there’s a disconnect between the way survivors/families and others perceive cancer humor isn’t because it’s a taboo subject, but rather because cancer is so complicated, and complicated humor is tough to pull off. In the average person’s mind, cancer = suffering + 1,000 medical mystery stories from the local news. But people who’ve been through it know that you can make jokes about glow sticks, “lifetime” guarantees, and my current favorite—because my Hodgkin’s took out my short-term memory for a couple months—one that combines cancer and memory loss:
Doctor: I’ve got your test results and some bad news. You have cancer and Alzheimer’s.
Man: Boy, am I lucky! I was afraid I had cancer!
So why does The Onion article work? I’d say it’s because despite its unfamiliar details about cancer treatment, it’s focused outwardly on the numnuts who gave such a crappy gift. That focus keeps things simple. It’s relatable. It could just as easily been written about a bad joint birthday or Christmas gift.
But then it’s ramped up by the fury that only comes in the unfairness of illness. That’s where anyone who’s been through cancer laughs extra hard. Most cancer patients would want you, as their friend, to try out a joke, even a terrible one, because you’d be doing it in person and acknowledging exactly what’s in front of you.
And heck. It’s a lot better than a card signed by the whole office, attached to a Mylar balloon.
